Several club records fell as the Columbia Shuswap Selkirks held a single-A regional championships at the SASCU Rec Centre over the weekend.
Seven teams took part: Kamloops, Kelowna, Summerland, Vernon and the Kootenays as well as the Selkirks.
The number of swimmers participating was close to 200. This is a large increase from last year’s single-A regional championships when less than 130 swimmers visited the local pool.
Selkirks head coach Barry Healey said it was the largest swim meet ever held in Salmon Arm in the winter.
Hosting a meet at their home pool helped the Selkirks to break their record for the most swimmers ever taking part in a meet with 43. For 28 of those swimmers, it was their first-ever sanctioned meet – also a record for the Selkirks.
Eight of the new swimmers broke club time records and a total of 26 records were broken.
Twelve-year-old Brooklyn Ramuson set four records in the 200 metre Individual Medley (IM) 200 breaststroke 50 breaststroke 100 IM.
Sara Cosman, age 11, beat the club’s best time in the 200 IM. Mara Hoffort, also 11, broke the record in the 200 backstroke.
Eight-year-old Avery Ann Lega set a record in the 200 backstroke.
The club’s 10-years made a big splash at the meet. Suri Stewardson broke records in the 100 backstroke, 100 IM and 100 freestyle, Madeline Willmont did the same for the 200 IM 100 backstroke 200 backstroke and 100 IM.
Ben Bonthuys set club records in the 200 freestyle and 50 backstroke.
Seven-year-old Finn Skofteby 200, 100 and 50 freestyle as well as the 50 backstroke and 100 IM.
Hanna Stone, 11, and Ronan Wiens, 9, are the club’s new para swimmers and swam amazingly well, breaking club para records in five events. Healey said they hope to follow Selkirks’ para swimmer Maggie Manning who competes internationally.
Healey said he is really impressed with the efforts the young swimmers put in under the direction of junior coach Virginia Flahr.
“Seeing all the swimmers do so well and Virginia’s swimmers breaking records is a very positive sign,” he said.