Twenty-nine Shuswap Swimming Team members joined the pool of more than 400 swimmers representing 22 swim clubs from B.C., Alberta, and the Northwest Territories at the 21st Annual Kamloops June Classic.
Shuswap Swimming placed 11th with 472.5 points.
Bree Cooper, 15, qualified in four events for the Canadian Age Group Championships with four lifetime best times. Her qualifying events were 50-m free in 27.76 seconds, 50-m butterfly in 29.91 seconds, 100-m freestyle in 59.82 seconds and 100-m butterfly in 1:06.87.
These new times rank Cooper #1 in B.C. for 15-year-old girls in the 50-m butterfly and #2 for the 100-m free.
Paige Coutlee, 14, sprinted to a 30.77-second finish in the 50-m butterfly to join Cooper in qualifying for the Western Canadian Championships.
Four swimmers attained new BC ‘AA’ time standards: Molly Fogarty, 12, in 300-m individual medley; Emma Pyle in the 100-m freestyle, Ethan Pyle, 11, in the 100-m breaststroke and Morgan Rasmuson, 13, in the 50-m freestyle and the 200-m backstroke. The BC AA Championships take place in Victoria June 20 to 22.
New qualifiers for the BC ‘AAA’ Championships included Logan Pilias, 15, in the 50-m freestyle; Olin Mosher, 13, in the 100-m freestyle; Ethan Quilty, 14, in the 100-m backstroke; and Ty Webster-Locke, 13, in the 200-m freestyle. In all, seven Shuswap swimmers will go to UBC for the provincial championships July 4 to 7.
“It is great to see these swimmers stepping up to a new level and advancing to provincial and national championship meets,” said new Shuswap coach Sam Montgomery. “It is a tribute to their efforts and determination that they will be able to represent our region at these meets.”
