The RAC Breakers are back from the B.C. AAA Long Course Championship swim meet feeling great about their game after pooling their talents and finishing 15th out of 60 teams.
The Breakers sent 18 swimmers to the B.C.’s, held at the UBC Aquatic Centre, and were rewarded further when six of their own — Laura Romkes 17, Maran Kokoszka 16, Richelle Bruyckere 16 and 13-year-olds Megan Romkes, Haley Bennett, and Jojo Redenbach — all qualified to compete at the Canadian Age Group Nationals July 24-29 in Montreal at the Jean Drapeau Aquatic Centre, site of the 2005 World Championships.
“Great Games in Langley,” Breakers’ skipper John Campbell said after adding “the pool was right next door to the school we stayed in (no rushing in the mornings)
“Our guys and gals did awesome, so did the Region 6 swim team as a whole.”
Qualifying for the Age Group Nationals is no small feat, and Campbell, who is in Montreal with the girls already, made the point “this meet involves over 150 teams from across Canada as well as some foreign teams.”
The B.C.’s marked the Breakers’ final meet of their 11 month season, “and the girls are primed and ready to go.”
“Excellent performance,” confirmed co-head coach Gary Cheung, who, after five years with the Breakers, is moving on to Saskatchewan where he’s been hired as head coach of the Swift Current Barracudas swim club.
“I learned a lot from the swimmers, as much as i did from my mentor John Campbell,” Cheung told The NEWS, adding “it has been a pleasure watching all the swimmers grow up over the past five years to be mature swimmers.”
AAA CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
Joanna (JoJo) Redenbach, 13:
1st in 100m Butterfly
2nd in 50m Freestyle
2nd in 200m Freestyle
3rd in 100m Freestyle
Haley Bennett, 13:
3rd in 200m Individual Medley
2nd in 400m Freestyle
2nd in 800m Freestyle
Sophie Lorette, 10:
1st in 200m Butterfly
Jack Confortin, 11:
3rd in 400m Freestyle
Megan Romkes, 13:
1st in 200m Butterfly
2nd in 100m Butterfly
Laura Romkes, 17:
3rd in 200m Butterfly
IN OTHER SWIMMING NEWS
The B.C. Open Water Championships was held at Albert Dyck Lake near Abbotsford July 8, one day after the conclusion of B.C. Long Course Championships at UBC. The 1 km course saw the 12-13 year olds do two laps, 14-15 year olds swim three laps, and the 16&O swimmers complete a 5 km race.
The Breakers sent three swimmers to the event: Rhys Abel, 12, Kira Edwards, 12 and Haley Bennett, 13.
Bennett was able to take the lead from the beginning and finished first in her 2 km race with the time of 25:36.10, while Edwards finished within top 10 with a time of 30:26.66, and Abel crossed the finish line with a time of 29:24.60 for fourth overall in his age group.
