The Nelson Neptunes were a staple on the podium at the BC Summer Swimming provincials last month in Coquitlam.
The team sent 13 athletes to the Aug. 18 to 21 event and returned with six medals, which thrilled coach Cynthia Pfeiffer.
“Coming back with six medals, I don’t think anyone who is on our team remembers when the Neptunes have ever done that,” she said.
Jaylen Rushton had the most hardware around her neck with three medals — a silver in the girls’ 100-metre individual medley and bronze medals in the 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly. Rushton also just missed the podium with a fourth-place finish in the 50 breaststroke.
Pfeiffer said the team expected Rushton to make a breakthrough at the event.
“Jaylen was incredible. It’s been a few years coming,” said Pfeiffer. “The past two years she’s been like, fourth, fifth, sixth at all her races at provincials. We kind of knew this was going to be her year going into it because she was the oldest in her division. This was the year she was going to shine and she sure did.”
Lachlan Bibby-Fox took second in the boys’ 50 breaststroke and third in the 100 IM, while Pfeiffer also competed, winning bronze in the girls’ 100 backstroke. The Neptunes finished 29th overall out of 55 teams in the event.
