The Quesnel Waveriders competitive swim team took a trip to Alberta to test themselves in the Edmonton Keyano invitational swim meet this month (May 11-13).
They competed in a 10-lane, 50-metre pool with stadium seating surrounding it, which can be quite daunting.
Luca Armstrong, 12, stepped up his game in the big pond, however, winning the 200-metre individual medley (IM) for his age group (12-13) and a teddy bear for his efforts.
“It felt really good because I wanted the bear so bad,” says Armstrong with a huge grin.
“You go to another province and you’re swimming against so many people and getting first is really exciting.”
While Armstrong was the only local to come home with a bear, many swimmers got personal bests.
“There was lots of big competition and older swimmers,” says Garnet Currie, 17, a Waveriders veteran in his last season with the club, who raced his best-ever 100-metre butterfly.
He explains some of the rigorous training that goes into preparation.
“We were doing probably 15 kilometres a week,” he says, which is probably further than this reporter drives his car in a given week.
Garnet guesses they swim approximately four kilometres for every hour and half practice they do at the Quesnel Arts and Recreation Centre pool.
“Lots of different types of training, like technical and power and endurance,” Garnet adds.
His sister Gavin says that the positive thinking also helps her. In order to push themselves that hard on such a regular basis, it certainly can’t hurt.
Coach Jeritt Brink is overcome with enthusiasm for the teams performance.
“Chloe Hopton managed to conquer her fear of 100-metre fly,” he says.
“Which to me was silly because this girl can swim some nice fly for her age.
“I feel she should try for sweeping the province standards for all three fly events [50/100/200 metres] and then do the same at a National level.
“I think she dropped 13 seconds in that 100-metre fly. She has always been fearful of it. I told her the best flyers in the world are the ones that tighten up, and relax at the right times throughout the stroke.
“So to nail it, you really do have to be relaxed. After the race she said she just told herself, ‘Who cares about being nervous, and to just chill and go for it,’ and I guess it worked!”
Next up for the Waveriders is the Kamloops meet June 2-3 and on that same weekend, Garnet Currie will be at UBC for the Mel Zajac International meet.
Full results of the Alberta meet are below.
Girls
Chloe Hopton, 12, swam in the 12-13-year-old category and she just turned 12 over the weekend. She was in the top 25 in all of her races. She made it to the finals in 100-metre backstroke, where she placed 17th; 100-metre breaststroke (19th); 100-metre butterfly (13th); and 200-metre IM (15th). She got three personal best times and is working now towards qualifying for Tier I provincials for 12-year-old girls.
Gavin Currie, 13, was in the top 25 in seven of her events. She made it to finals in 100-metre backstroke, where she placed 14th, and 100-metre breaststroke, where she came 11th. There were also timed finals for 50-metre races. Gavin came 12th in 50-metre backstroke and eighth in 50-metre breaststroke. She got four personal best times and is working towards qualifying for Tier II provincials for girls in the age 13-14 category.
Grace Currie, 15, was in the top 25 in all of her events. She made it to finals in 100-metre freestyle and placed 16th; 100-metre backstroke (12th); 100-metre breaststroke (13th); 100-metre butterfly (14th); and 200-metre IM (12th). In the timed 50-metre finals, Grace came 12th in 50-metre breaststroke and 10th in 50-metre backstroke. Grace is working towards the Tier II provincial standards for girls age 15-18.
Boys
Luca Armstrong, 12, swam in the 12-13-year-old category and was in the top eight in all of his events. He came eighth in 50-metre freestyle; seventh in 100-metre breaststroke; sixth in 50-metre butterfly; sixth in 200-metre breaststroke; fourth in 50-metre breaststroke; third in 100-metre freestyle; second in 100-metre butterfly; and first in 200-metre IM. This meet was much different because instead of ribbons at the end of finals, swimmers received a ticket for a draw and the first place winner received a teddy bear. Luca received the coveted teddy bear for the Waveriders. Luca got six Tier I provincial qualifying times for boys aged 12.
Garnet Currie, 17 placed in the top eight in the age 16 and over category in six of his races. He came seventh in 100-metre backstroke, 100-metre breaststroke, 50-metre butterfly and 100-metre butterfly; fifth in 100-metre freestyle; and third in 200-metre IM. He got four personal best times and has qualified for the Tier II provincials for boys in the 16-18-year-old age category.
