by Kim Matthews and Pam Moore
Coach Sharon and a few Sylvan Lake Nautical swimmers participated in Red Deer at the 61st Annual Freeze or Fry swim meet the weekend of June 7-9. This outdoor meet is always a weather challenge but usually lots of fun for the kids. This year was one of the warmest it’s been for a few years now, but we sure did get a mixed bag of weather.
Friday started okay but turned to lightening and pouring rain in the evening, delaying some of the events until Saturday and Sunday. Saturday during the day was amazing weather that held fairly decent through to the finals on Sunday.
For male swimmers we had Blake Carson (9) who swam well in his one event, the 50m freestyle. Michael Carson (12) also only swam in one race, the 800m swim which is 16 lengths of the 50m pool. He placed fourth overall in his age group. Isaac Bahler (9) was once again very keen on swimming everything he was entered in. He placed eighth in 50m backstroke and ninth in 100m backstroke, which is a challenge. The clouds were moving sideways across the sky making you drift side-to-side in your lane.
For a few of our female swimmers this was their first long course meet (50m pool). Molly Cocks (9) had an amazing meet making finals in 50m backstroke and an alternate for finals in 100m freestyle. She got one best time, placed fifth in 50m backstroke and ninth in 200m freestyle. Sarah DeGannes (10) swam Friday in 100m freestyle and 50m breaststroke, looking really strong and showing great confidence in both her swims. Justice Fancie (11) has been training really hard and got four personal best times for her efforts. Clair Weberg (9) had a great meet and how exciting to have placed in two events for finals. She swam the 50m breaststroke placing 11th and finished ninth in 50m freestyle.
Kacey Joseph (13) was there as a great inspiration to younger swimmers and had a great weekend. She swam five personal best times and had a great meet in a really competitive age group. Jordan Smith (12) swam her way to four personal best times and got a tenth place finish for 200m breaststroke. She really enjoyed the outdoor pool and how everyone is on deck including parents and grandparents.
Eden Price (9) had an incredible swim meet getting three personal best times but more exciting was making finals in six out of seven swims. Eden placed second in 50m backstroke and 200m freestyle, third in 100m freestyle and fourth in the remaining four races.
What a good weekend for all the swimmers and a great way to end the season for some of them.