Salmon Arm’s newest swim club, Columbia Shuswap Swimming, had its first meet on the weekend in Penticton. Eight members of the team travelled to Penticton to compete in the annual Penticton Pentathlon event (where swimmers swim all 15 swimming events).
The team won 12 races including sweeping all the girls 200-metre butterfly events. The team was led By Chantel Jeffrey, 14, who won four individual races and the overall 14- and 15-year-old girls championship (total time for all 15 races).
Molly Fogarty, 12, won two races, qualified for AAA Provincial Championships and finished second overall in the 12- and 13-year-old girls. Bree Cooper, 17, who trains in Salmon Arm but competes for West Kelowna, won six individual races and finished second overall in the 16-and-over girls.
Ethan Skofteby, 11, and Lauren Gridley-Haak, 11, both re-qualified for AAA provincials and both swimmers had the most improvement in the meet, taking well over 30 seconds off their best times in most races. Olin Mosher has several top 10 finishes including a strong fifth in the 200 fly and best times in the 14- and 15-year- old boys.
Emma Pyle returned to competition after a long absence and showed strong form and several top 20 finishes, while Ethan Pyle struggled to reach best times, but came roaring back in his final race to post a best ever time in the 100 Individual Medley.
Ethan Quilty had all top-15 finishes in the highly competitive 15- and-over boys.