WAVERLEY/LOWER SACKVILLE: Local swimmers with the Sackville Waves Aquatic Team (SWAT) performed well at the recently held David Fry East Coast Championships.
SWAT had 12 swimmers competing, six male and six female. Ten of the swimmers found themselves in Finals and/or point scoring positions.
The Distance Session gave the club a hot start.
Nicholas Matteau posted his first LCM 800 Freestyle time and sixth in 14-15 male. Alana Mercier posted a Personal Best in the 1500 Freestyle while also best time pace at the 400m and 800m marks as well, finishing fourth in 13-14 female.
Ethan Kershaw turned in a solid second place finish (14-15m) in 800m while preparing for Eastern Canadian Open with a Sub Eastern qualifying swim. Aline Potvin also found some team points in the 1500 Freestyle.
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While the weather didn’t cooperate on Friday, resulting in a Timed Finals only session SWAT swimmers stepped up and continued to swim fast.
Emily Gaudet opened her long course meters (LCM) account after qualifying the week previous at AA Champs.
Jesstine Suewirotjanakun also started her LCM season this year, in a Relay capacity. Nelson Daniels scored points in the 200 Freestyle and 200 Breaststroke (16&o).
Ethan Kershaw earned a Silver Medal in the 400IM, nearly missing the Easterns qualifying time by 4 tenths of a second. He also scored in the 200 Freestyle.
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Eugene Legge earned a Bronze Medal in the 200 Freestyle and scored points in the 50 Fly. Ben Levit scored points in the 400IM, breaking the 6:00 LCM mark for the first time.
Nicholas Matteau found points in the 50 fly and the 200 Breast; dropping under the 3:00 mark. Alana Mercier took the confidence from the 1500m on Thursday scoring, and setting a personal best (PB), in the 200 Freestyle.
Joel Phillips put his sprint shoes on and scored points in the 50 Fly and 50 Back; earning a bronze medal for his efforts in the Back. Maiya Svendsen also sprinted her way into LCM PBs in the 50 Fly and 50 Back.
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Ash Tomlik posted a PB in the 200 Freestyle from the early heats. The 400m Freestyle Relay put a massive exclamation mark on the day with the 14–15-year-old Boys taking Gold from Lane One with a exciting comeback leg on the anchor.
Saturday, the weather calmed down and a typical Prelims and Finals day lay ahead for the squad. Jesstine Suewirotjanakun opened her individual LCM account for the season with PBs in the 50 Free and 100 Breast, and an even better showing on the Breaststroke leg on the 400 Medley Relay at night. Nelson Daniels improved on his 50 Free.
Ethan Kershaw earned two Silver Medals, in the 200 Back and the 400 Free; qualifying for Easterns in the 200 backstroke with a big Finals swim.
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Not to be outdone, Eugene Legge scored points in the 200 Back, and raced to a Gold Medal and Canadian Junior National cut with a sub 26 second 50 Free. Ben Levit slipped under the 1:30 mark in the 100 Breast for the first time.
Nicholas Matteau scored points in the 100 Fly. Alana Mercier made finals and scored points in the 200 Back. Joel Phillips scored in the 200 Back; with a really gusty morning swim, dropping from above 3:00 into the 2:40s. He also scored in the 100 Fly.
Aline Potvin has started finding a return to form, posting a PB in the 50 Free. Maiya Svendsen kept up her sprinting ways with a pb in the 50 Free and the 100 Fly. Ash Tomlik, again from an early heat set a new personal record in the 100 Fly.
Finals included lots of fast and exciting swimming and concluded with another 14-15 male relay Gold for SWAT in the 400 Medley relay.
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Sunday, the final and often toughest day of any meet, held a lot of opportunity for the SWAT swimmers to test their mettle.
Nelson Daniels placed in the finals and scored in the 200 IM and 50 Breast. Setting a non disqualified pb in the 200 IM.
Emily Gaudet, surely tired at the end of two high intensity racing weekends opened the ledger on the 50 Breast and 100 Free. Ethan Kershaw won a Silver Medal in the 200 IM and opened the door to potential Junior National goals in the event. He also scored and PBd in the 100 back. Eugene Legge battled to a lane 8 Silver Medal and an Easterns standard in the 100 Free.
Ben Levit swam to a Bronze Medal in a spicy 2:40 200 Fly. Nicholas Matteau opened his LCM 200IM account. Alana Mercier scored points int the 100 Back and a PB 800 Free. Joel Phillips continued to rewrite his personal record books in the 200 IM and the 100 Back; also scoring in the Backstroke event.
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Aline Potvin shifted gears morning to afternoon in the 200 Fly improving 4 seconds from prelims to finals taking advantage of some scratches to racing in the A final .
Maiya Svendsen, also a benefactor of a move to the A final scored points in the 200 Fly. Jesstine Suewirotjanakun continues to discover some success in the 200 IM, nearly passing the 3:00 barrier.
Ash Tomlik bettered the Relay lead off Split from two nights earlier in the 100 Free and posted a best time in the rare 100 Back.
A couple more meets over March Break at Easterns in Windsor, Ontario; and the Team NS Trip to Maine will bring a close to the first half of the season.
