The Salmon Arm Sockeyes summer swim team finished their season with the 2018 B.C. Summer Swimming Provincial Championships, held in Surrey Aug. 17-19.
After winning the Regional Championships two weeks earlier, the Sockeyes sent 27 swimmers on to compete at the Provincial Championships, with eleven of them making their Provincial Championship debuts.
First timers Joel Giesbrecht, Kai Hansen, Reese Major and Caillie Vicars swam outstanding individual races, qualifying themselves for a second swim in the afternoon finals.
Also swimming for the first time at the provincial level were Trinity and Matthew Blacklock, Lane Kaasa, Lucas Hansen, Grace Bushell and Tye Major.
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The Sockeyes had a strong presence on the podium throughout the provincial competition, bringing home a total of 19 individual medals and three relays medals. Overall at the end of the competition they had a tally of 12 gold, two silver, and eight bronze medals.
Claire Hall and Chantel Jeffries raced their way to the top spot in all four of their events and set new records in the process. Hall took down a 12 year club record in the 50m fly, and Jeffries set four new provincial and club records in all her individual events.
The Bushell Brothers, Tyler and Matthew, both raced neck-and-neck with competitors in each of their races, blowing away personal best times and making podium finishes. Both of the brothers touched for third in the 50m freestyle swim, and Matthew also came second in the 100m freestyle and first in the 100m backstroke, setting a new club record in the event.
Emma Levins had three exciting finishes during provincials, receiving a trio of bronze medals in the 100m breaststroke, and both 50m and 100m freestyle events.
Julianne Moore finished off her season with multiple best times and more provincial medals. Moore received bronze in the 200m individual medley, silver in the 50m butterfly, and gold in both the 50m and 100m freestyle races.
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In addition to the individual medalists, the Salmon Arm Sockeyes division seven girl’s relay team with Claire Hall, Emma Levins, Julianne Moore and Abby Bushell finished third in the medley relay and first in the freestyle relay, bringing home a bronze and a gold.
In the final event of the provincial championships, Callie Vicars made a trip to the podium with her division four Okanagan regional relay team who placed third in a close battle against the Fraser Valley regional team.
All Sockeyes who qualified and attended the provincial championships performed above and beyond their personal bests concluding a very successful 2018 summer season.
The Salmon Arm Sockeyes swim club are back in the pool with their winter maintenance program in mid-September. New swimmers are welcome to check out the Salmon Arm Sockeyes and join their weekly introductory swim program called The Fries Devlopment Program, which also starts in mid-September. For more information please visit www.salmonarmsockeyes.ca.
Contributed by Darcy Calkins
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