The Kitimat Marlins Swim Club ran an official time trial for their members as well as a few members from the Prince Rupert Rapids swim club. For many of the younger swimmers it was a last fun opportunity to race while for some of the older swimmers it was a chance to have a last tune up race before the major swim meets ahead as well as to aim for some new time standards. Each swimmer swam one or two races during the time trial.
Alivia Salema (12) from the Marlins and Avery Movald (12) from the Prince Rupert Club had an exciting race in the gruelling 1500 meter freestyle (60 lengths of the pool). They were neck and neck for the first 50 lengths of the race both on pace to break the 11-12 year old girls pool record and achieve their first age group National time. With 10 lengths to go Salema found another gear and held off Movald to the wall finishing a mere 1.5 seconds faster than Movald. Both swimmers were under the pool record and both swimmers achieved their first National time. Salema’s time of 19:33.77 was 5 seconds under teammates Kleanza Cathers old pool record established just a month earlier. Salema joins Kleanza Cathers, Arthur Firmino, and Kyler Corderio at the National level for the Marlins and all will compete at the Canadian Age Group National Swimming Championships end of July in Calgary.
Kleanza Cathers (12) broke two pool records in the 11-12 girls age group. In the 50 meter breaststroke her time of 40.00 eclipsed the old mark of 41.09 by Audrey Erb of the Terrace Blue backs swim club from Dec of 1993. In the 100 meter Individual Medley her time of 1:16.05 broke the 31 year old record of 1:16.50 set by Cindy Mabee from the Prince George Barracudas in Nov of 1981. Cindy Mabee went on to be a high level National swimmer and holds Canadian Masters swimming records. She currently is a swim coach in Victoria.
Kyler Corderio (17) broke his first ever pool record in the 15 and over boys 50 meter backstroke. His time of 29.90 was his first time under 30 seconds for the event and broke the record set just a month earlier by Brian Dohler of the Bulkley Valley Swim club of 30.12
First year swimmer Ben Anker achieved his first AA Provincial time in the 13 year old boys 100 meter backstroke.
