The Campbell River Killer Whales swim team had a great meet at the recent AAA provincials championships.
The Killer Whales swimmers were part of the North Island Predators. The Predators is an association that was formed between the local club and the Comox Valley Sharks, to create a bigger team atmosphere at bigger meets, as well as create more opportunities for relays for swimmers from both clubs.
The best age 18 and under swimmers gathered in Kamloops to race for provincial supremacy and for new qualifying standards to the upcoming national level swim meets.
The swimmers from Campbell River were as strong as ever winning 20 medals (five gold, seven silver and eight bronze), breaking 11 club records, one provincial meet record, and sweeping the 11 and 12 girls relays.
Jasmine Skuse had a breakout swim meet winning gold and silver medals in the 100- and 200-metre breaststroke events. With those swims she also achieved two of the needed three times to qualify for age group nationals this summer.
Skuse was also on both relay teams that captured gold.
Melayna Beaudin also had a great meet swimming with a number of best times. Most impressive were her relay swims at the end of the night where she would pull double duty and race in two age groups to win medals for both.
Mackenzie Padington had her best AAA swim meet ever winning four medals (gold, silver and two bronze) and breaking six club records.
Paddington’s biggest swim of the weekend was her first swim in the 800 freestyle. She took the lead from the very beginning of the endurance race and, despite her cap falling off, won the event in a club record time.
Other standout swimmers included:
- Jamylia Wellard, two medals in the breaststroke at her first AAA’s.
- Conner Skuse after starting off the weekend a bit slow, turned the meet around to place fourth in the 400 IM in a time that puts him tied for third in the country for 14-year-olds.
- Cailyn Collis had one of the toughest back-to-back swims on Saturday. Collis swam her final swim in the 400 Freestyle only two hours after her morning swim. In total, Cailyn moved up 21 spots on the day and took 14 seconds off her time.
The North Island Predators girls team was second overall and and the team placed sixth overall; the highest the Predators have ever placed at the provincial meet.
Four swimmers from Campbell River will now head to New Westminster to compete at the Western Canadian Championships while the rest of the team gets ready for CRKW’s home meet, The Eliminator. It takes place this weekend at Strathcona Gardens.
