Back-to-back weekends in the pool resulted in great results for the Vernon Kokanee Swim Club.
A total of 33 members competed Feb. 27-27 at a seven-team meet in Salmon Arm where 137 personal best times were achieved at the meet.
New provincial qualifying times came from Brandon Phillips and Jenna Heffner.
Phillips made his second AA provincial qualifying time swimming 50-free in 32.23 seconds, making him eligible for the AA provincial championships this summer in Kamloops.
Heffner made her first qualifying time in the 50-backstroke for the AA provincials.
Some other top swims came from Charlie Erickson, who made his regional qualifying time in the 200-individual medley in 3:52.91. Big drops in time came from Pascal Glanz, Abbi Johnson, Amy Lausman, Phillips, Spencer Priebe, Tori Richards, Brody Wright and Gus Yan.
Eight Kokanee competed at the AAA provincial finals March 3-6 in Victoria, featuring 44 clubs and 644 swimmers from around B.C.
Kokanee swimmers came away with five medals, two new club records, 29 best times and 19 finals swims.
Swimming in the youngest division of 11 and under boys, Ryan Murphy came home with a bronze medal in the 50-back in 35.46. This was to add to his first-ever final at a provincial championships where he placed eighth in the 200-backstroke in 2:47.31.
Kelsey Fillion added to the bronze medal tally, swimming the 100-free and going under one minute for the first time. It was also a new Western Canadian championships qualifying time of 59.93.
Fillion came close to two other medals with fourth-place finishes in 50-free and 400-free. She also made finals swims in 50-,100- and 200-back.
Alexandra Shortt finished 13th in the 100-breast in 1:17.17, and also dropped 5.4 seconds in her 200-IM in 2:32.73.
Jonathan Heffner had very solid improvements at the AAA championships with four new best times including a 9.3 second drop in his 400-freestyle.
Tate Priebe also made four new personal best times while making final swims in his 50-butterfly and 50-free.
Liam Williamson finished the meet with five new personal best times with a huge drop in his 1,500-free with an improvement of 61.8 seconds to finish in 19:18.90.
While still preparing for the 2016 Olympic Trials, Meredith Levorson came away with two silver medals, a bronze medal, two new club records and a new senior national qualifying time in the 200-free.
Showing some great racing ability, Levorson improved her 200-IM, 200-free and 100-breast.
Two new club records came from breaking her own previous records in 50-free in 26.33 and 100-free in 56.76.
In the 50-free, Levorson came away with a silver medal and came in fourth in the 100-free. Her bronze medal came in the 200-IM which was a tie for her best time and only .02 off of a new senior national time.
Levorson’s new best time in 200-free was a new senior national qualifying time of 2:02.61.
Other final swims came in 100-back, 50-fly, 100-breast and 50-back.
Levorson will be competing at the Olympic Trials April 5-10 in Toronto.
The Vernon Kokanee Swim Club is celebrating their 50th Anniversary in 2016 and is looking to connect with alumni on their Facebook page.
