Twenty-three Shuswap Swimmers journeyed south this past weekend for the Kelowna AquaJet May Long-course Invitational at the H2O Recreation Centre.
More than 400 swimmers from 16 B.C. and Alberta swim clubs attended the three-day event. Shuswap Swimming placed eighth in the team standings which were won by the Kamloops Classics Swim Team. This is the first meet of the season in a 50-metre (long course) pool.
Fifteen-year-old Bree Cooper sparkled as the top performing Shuswap swimmer. Swimming 18 total races, Cooper won the women’s 100- and 200-m freestyle events in outstanding early season times of 1:01.39 and 2:17.54 respectively. The 100-m time qualifies her for the Western Canadian Championships. Cooper captured silver medals in the 50-m freestyle, the 200-m individual medley, and the 50-m butterfly, where she broke 30 seconds for the first time, qualifying for the Canadian Age-Group Championship in Montreal in July.
Ty Webster-Locke, (13), brought home bronze medals in the 50- and 100-m freestyle with times of: 28.95 seconds and 1:03.22 minutes respectively. Webster-Locke swam 16 races over the three days.
A dozen Shuswap swimmers swam to qualifying times for BC championship meets. Qualifiers for the BC AA Championships in Victoria this June are: Paige Coutlee, Thomas Flahr; Logan Pilias; Emma Pyle; Ethan Pyle; Lilli Rakose-Lund; Jacob Rambo; Morgan Rasmuson; and Jenna Tiedeman. Swimmers qualifying for the BC AAA Championships in Vancouver this July are: Bree Cooper; Olin Mosher and Ty Webster-Locke.
“Former coaches Mike and Jenny Effray have done a terrific job preparing these swimmers,” commented new coach Sam Montgomery. “We had an almost unbelievable 94 per cent lifetime best time rate at this meet, my first meet, after only 10 days with the team. These swimmers are definitely winners with a strong future.”
