Bears splash to top times in Nanaimo
The Whitehorse Glacier Bears swim team turned in another stellar performance in the pool in Nanaimo, B.C. over the weekend, bringing home 31 medals.
The Whitehorse Glacier Bears swim team turned in another stellar performance in the pool in Nanaimo, B.C. over the weekend, bringing home 31 medals.
Twenty-four Yukon swimmers attended the annual Nanaimo Riptides' Spring Sprint meet.
Brothers Luke and Thomas Bakica collected 13 of the club's medals between them.
Thomas, 10, medalled in all of his swims 鈥� finishing with three gold, two silver and three bronze. Not to be outdone, 12-year-old Luke nabbed five medals 鈥� two gold, a silver and two bronze.
Matthew Blakesley, age 12, also won five medals 鈥� two gold, one silver and two bronze.
Meanwhile, 14-year-old Benjamin Janzen became the eighth Glacier Bear to qualify for the Canada Games with a time of 29.04 in the 50 Free. His time is the exact qualification cutoff for the meet this August in Sherbrooke, Que.
"He really didn't leave any wiggle room,鈥� said head coach Stephanie Dixon. "It was really exciting.鈥�
Janzen did not medal in the 50 Free, but did pick up a bronze in the 100 Free.
Brooklyn Massie, 10, and Hannah Kingscote, 11, swam AA times, with Massie picking up four silvers and two bronze at the meet.
After two disqualifications in butterfly swims, another special moment came when Mael Pronovost (silver, bronze) mastered the stroke and placed third in the 50 Fly.
"He worked really, really hard,鈥� said Dixon. "Coach Kathy Zrum worked really hard with him on his 50 Fly, and then he placed third and didn't get DQed. We were very proud of him for that.鈥�
Other medallists included 10-year-old Aiden Harvey (gold, silver); 15-year-old Donovan Horvath (silver); and 10-year-old Alexander Petriw (bronze).
Rebecca Koser, 12, was named the Yukon's rookie of the meet.
"They did so well,鈥� said Dixon. "For a lot of the swimmers, it was their first time at an away meet, and their first time at a long course meet. Fifty metres is a big difference from a 25-m pool. It just goes on forever, and they all tackled it with a really positive attitude.鈥�
The Glacier Bears were "very, very competitive鈥� with the B.C. clubs, she added, with the majority of swimmers dropping multiple seconds from their personal-best swims.
Dixon said this was the largest team she has ever taken to a meet outside the territory.
"The parents of the other teams couldn't believe all the swimmers with their parents that came down to this meet. I think that really shows the dedication of our swimming community in Whitehorse.鈥�
Be the first to comment