Three Sylvan Lake Nauticals swimmers went to compete at the 2015 Speedo Alberta Age Group Championships in Calgary March 6 to 8. Zoe DeJonge (11), Noah Andrews (13) and Elizabeth Moore (13) all had a really good meet.
Zoe competed in seven events over the weekend in the girls 11-12 age group. In the 50m and 100m freestyle she swam personal best times and earned her 11-year-old ‘A’ provincial qualifying times.
She also competed in the 50m and 100m butterfly and the 100m and 400m individual medley (IM), also swimming personal best times.
Zoe placed 12th in the 400m IM and 14th in the 50m butterfly.Noah Andrews competed in the boys 12-13 year old age group in seven events and got personal best times in the 50m backstroke and the 100m butterfly. The other five races he competed in were the 50m butterfly and the 50m freestyle, in which he placed 15th, and the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle, in which he placed 16th.
Elizabeth Moore (13) was the third competitor from the team and had a successful weekend winning a silver medal and four bronze medals. Elizabeth got the silver medal in the 100m breaststroke with a new personal best time achieved. Her bronze medals were in the 200m breaststroke, 100m and 200m individual medley and the 100m butterfly, all with personal best times.
She swam a 15-year-old national qualifying time in both the 100m butterfly and the 200m IM. She placed fourth in the 50m breast stroke and sixth in the 50m backstroke, even after getting caught up in lane ropes on her turn.
On the following weekend of March 12 to 15, Zoe, Noah and Elizabeth were joined by Matthew and Tyler Gauthier as the team traveled with Coach Trevor Burns to Saskatoon to compete in the 2015 Man./Sask. Short Course Championships. It was another exciting weekend of racing for the five competitors.
Zoe competed in seven events and qualified to swim in all seven finals, placing in the top 10 in the 50m and 100m backstroke and the 100m butterfly. Zoe swam in the 100m freestyle and the 200m backstroke, getting personal best times and her 11-year-old provincial ‘A' qualifying times. She also got personal best times in the 50m and 100m backstroke and the 100m butterfly.
Noah had a really good weekend qualifying in six out of seven events for evening finals. Noah swam personal best times in his 50m, 200m and 400m freestyle, the 50m and 100m butterfly and the 200m IM. Noah placed fifth in the 200m freestyle and ninth in the 100m freestyle.Elizabeth had a very successful weekend getting three gold medals, one silver medal, two bronze medals and a fourth and fifth place.
Elizabeth took the gold medals in the 50m, 100m, 200m breaststroke events, getting a personal best time and a 16-18-year-old national qualifying time in the 200m breaststroke. Her bronze medals were in the 200m butterfly and the 100m backstroke, with a personal best time and a new 15-and-under western qualifying time in the 100m backstroke.
She placed fourth in the 100m butterfly and fifth in the 50m butterfly, getting personal best times in both races, as well as 15-year-old national qualifying times and 16-and-over western qualifying times. The silver medal that she won was for her participation in the 13-and-14-year-old provincial medley relay that she was asked to swim the breaststroke leg of.
What an honour to be asked to represent Alberta.Matthew Gauthier (15) had a very good weekend with his best event being the 100m breaststroke, in which he earned gold and his first-ever 15-year-old national qualifying time, as well as his 17-and-over western qualifying time. Matthew also placed fifth in the 50m breaststroke, getting yet another 15-year-old national qualifying time.
He also swam the 100m butterfly and got his 15-year-old provincial ‘A’ qualifying time, and competed in the 200m breaststroke, 50m butterfly and the 50m and 100m freestyle, breaking two 15-year-old boys club records.Tyler Gauthier (15) swam in seven events throughout the weekend placing a strong fifth in the 200m butterfly.
Tyler swam personal best times in the 100m backstroke, 50m and 200m butterfly and the 400m individual medley, taking the Sylvan Lake club record for 15-year-old boys in the 200m butterfly.It was a great weekend and we look forward to the long course meets that will be starting in April for the Sylvan Lake Nauticals swim team.