Led by the performances of Pierson Piche and Christina Russo, the Kelowna West Kelowna Integrated Club (KWIC) turned in a solid team showing at the Swim BC AAA Provincials in Victoria.
KWIC athletes raced to 11 medals and 75 best times, while finishing 15th overall out of 42 clubs from across the province.
Piche won eight medals, swimming to 100 per cent best times in the 11-and-under boys division.
Piche won gold in the 100 back, silver in the 100, 200 and 400 free (dropping 17 seconds), 200 back and 200IM, and bronze in the 400IM (taking off 14 seconds) and the 800 free.
Christina Russo swam to gold medals in the senior girls 50 fly and 100 fly. Russo added a bronze in the 200 medley relay with Axana Merckx, Emily Epp and Jessica Forbes.
Kierra Smith, who is headed to the Olympic Games in Rio later this month, swam to gold in the 100 breast.
In his first provincial meet, Liam Collie was fourth in the 200 fly, fifth in 800 free, sixth in 100 fly and swam to 100 per cent best times.
Other swimmers making ‘A’ finals were Molly Hill, Axana Merckx, Paige Foster and Jessica Forbes. Swimmers with 100 per cent best times were Lucy Hill, Jasper Stone, while Taylor Smith was just one swim shy of all best times.
Paige Foster, Jasper Stone and Jessica Forbes swam to their third time standard, qualifying them for the 2016 Age Group Nationals in Calgary at the end of the month. KWIC will be sending six swimmers to this meet.
Strong swims also came from Emily Epp, Erin Epp, Gabriella Hanvold, Nathaniel Hees, Patrick Waters, Bryce Molder and Marc Toyata.
