The Salmon Arm Sockeyes swim club concluded a successful season with a fantastic showing at the Provincial Championships, held Aug. 17-19 in Nanaimo.
The club’s team earned 12 gold medals (second highest overall), and finished fifth in medals and eighth in points. All but one of Salmon Arm’s 28 swimmers qualified for the A or B finals, and 20 returned as part of relay medal-winning teams.
The team was led by Stephen Moore, who not only won all four of his 9- and 10-year-old boys events, but set two provincial records (breaststroke and individual medley) in the process. His younger sister, Julianne, won three gold and a bronze in the 8-and-under.
Tricia Fair broke through with her first-ever provincial gold in the 13- and 14-year-old 100 free, and added two silver medals in the 50 free and 100 back. Eliza Jane Kitchen, 15, added three individual silver medals (breaststroke, IM and back), and then combined with Tricia Fair, Jordyn Konrad and Bree Cooper to win both 20 and over relays (freestyle and medley).
The 8-and-under boys won two relay medals, with three of the four boys returning to the category next year. The team of Matthew Bushell, Eric Moore, Rowan Trow and Connor Levins had great individual swims as well, with Bushell winning the bronze in the 50 backstroke. Trow and Eric Moore made five finals, while Levins added a strong breaststroke consolation final.
The 11-year-old girls, Chantel Jeffrey, Claire Hall, Aria Izik-Dzurko and Megan Hart, claimed silver in the freestyle relay, and Jeffrey went on to win the 50 fly and claim bronze in the 50 back. Hall capped a strong season with a bronze in the 100 Free. The girls showed their strength and depth when Emma Levins made the B final in the 50 fly, making it an unprecedented five swimmers in one age category making the finals or B finals.
Brayden Gilliam added to his all-time medal haul with a convincing four-second victory in the 15-year-old 100 fly, and silver in the 50 fly. Younger brother Gaelyn was part of the 13- and 14-year-old boys silver and bronze medal relay teams (Gaelyn Gilliam, Matthew Nesdoly, Jaeden Izik-Dzurko and Matt Cooper) to win two medals for an unprecedented sixth provincials in a row. Nesdoly and Jaeden also made two individual finals and 2 B finals, while Gaelyn and Cooper made 7 B finals.
The 10- and 11 year-old-boys of Stephen Moore, Jamie Trow, Tyler Bushell and Sunny Pickup all made individual A or B finals (12 combined), and then combined for an unexpected and dramatic medal in the medley relay.
Alexander Corbett had all best times and made three finals; his sister Keeya made three B finals and Abbie Nesdoly, Samantha Wex, Julia Hart and Megan Fair all made it into B finals.
Jon Wex had great swims and is a strong contender entering the 2013 season, while Natajsha Nesdoly provided strong team leadership for many of the younger swimmers, leading them on relay teams. Davis Wuolle made a return to the Sockeyes to pick up a bronze in the open boys category for breaststroke. Coach Chelsea Stadynk added several strong final swims, and Emma-Leigh Chapman swam great to make all four 11-year-old girls finals.
The Sockeyes take a break, but will begin their twice-a-week winter maintenance program in the fall before gearing up next May to defend their Okanagan Regional Championship and attempt a top 10 provincial finish for a fourth year in a row.
