Salmon Arm Sockeyes swept the Merritt Otter Swim Meet this past weekend. With only 20 swimmers, the team placed first overall – ahead of their rivals Kelowna Ogopogos and Revelstoke Aquaducks.
Competing for the first time with the team were sisters Teslyn and Rachel Bates, showing great skills in their respective divisions and having strong finishes on their relay teams.
Julianne Moore broke a meet record in division one girls 50-m freestyle, topping the podium with a gold aggregate. Her brother Eric also won an aggregate, as the only six-year-old division one competitor, tying with teammate Connor Levins for silver aggregate. Division one boys was won by Matthew Bushell.
Keeya Corbett had five first-place finishes, resulting in a gold aggregate in division two girls. Stephen Moore broke three records – in 100-m individual medley, 50-m breastroke and 100-m freestyle. First-place finishes in all his events resulted in a gold aggregate.
In division three, Chantel Jeffrey earned a gold aggregate and three meet records in 50 m butterfly, 50 m backstroke and 100 m freestyle. Giving her friendly competition was teammate Claire Hall who won a silver aggregate, and had a terrific first-place finish in 50 m freestyle. Teammates Ty Bushell and Sunny Pickup brought home gold and silver aggregates for division three boys.
In his first meet of the season and as a division four swimmer, Jaeden Izik-Dzurko took the gold medal aggregate. Matthew Nesdoly followed Izik-Dzurko closely with a silver aggregate and first-place finishes in multiple events. The division four boys, along with teammates Aria Izik-Dzurko and Emma Levins of division three girls, broke the division four 200 m medley relay record.
In division five girls, Tricia Fair also broke a meet record in 50-m butterfly and took home the gold. The Sockeyes’ final division win was Alexander Corbett, in division five boys.