KWIC swimmers earn 2nd place finish at Provincials

Forty-one Swimmers from the Okanagan high performance swim team swam to an impressive second-place finish out of 37 teams at the Swim BC Provincial Championships over the weekend in Kamloops. Combined the team swam to 109 best times. Swimmers that contributed to the points for the second place finish were Axana Merckx, Cameron Chambers, Andrea Kraetzer, Molly Hill, Taylor Smith, Georgia Pengilly, Daniil Savelev, Ava Toyata, Paul Neupert, Matthew MacDonald, Meagan Corrigan, Erin Epp, Pierson Piche, Marc Toyata, Flyn Huber, Nathaniel Hees, Anna Kulina, Volod Matushevskyy, Rachel McInnes, Abigail Jerome, Kodi Wiman, Keagan Ingram, Sydney Wilson and Brandon Mullin

Axana Merckx had the highest points for the females swimming to silver in 100 back, 200 & 400 IM bronze in 100 free, 200 breast and 400 free. Cameron Chambers, Para Swimmer, had the highest points for the males swimming to gold in 50 and 100 free silver in 100 fly, 100 breast bronze 100 back. Other medal winners were Andrea Kraetzer gold in 50 free bronze in 200 breast, Erin Epp and Meagan Corrigan both won bronze in 100 breast and Daniil Savelev won bronze in 200 free.

The girls 14 and under medley relay team consisting of Ava Toyata (back), Meagan Corrigan (breast), Abigail Jerome (fly) and Andrea Kraetzer (free) swam to a bronze while the 14 and under free relay made up of Ava Toyata, Abigail Jerome, Anna Kulina and Andrea Kraetzer swam to a silver medal finish.

The girls 15 and over medley relay team consisting of Axana Merckx (back), Erin Epp (breast), Molly Hill (fly) and Georgia Pengilly (free) swam to the top of the podium while the 15 and over free relay made up of Georgia Pengilly, Erin Epp, Rachel McInnes and Axana Merckx swam to a bronze medal finish.

The boys 15 and under medley relay consisting of Pierson Piche, Daniil Savelev, Volod Matushevskyy and Paul Neupert swam to a gold medal finish.

Swimmers posting 100% best times were Cameron Chambers, Volod Matushevskyy, Dirk Mora-Moolma, Madison Seeley, Jessica Thiede and Tayla Ingram. Those swimmers who were just shy of 100% were Keagan Ingram, Jacklyn Pengilly, Noah Semashkewich, Will Thorsteinson, Sydney Wilson and Clara Dickieson.

Big time drops were had by Lucy Hill taking 14 seconds off her 200 back and whooping 3:31 off her 800 free. Flyn Huber dropped 12 seconds in his 200 free and 18 seconds in his 200 IM. Keagan Ingram took off 10 seconds in his 200 free while Ava Toyata dropped 11 in her 400 free. Noah Semashkewich shaved 13 seconds off his 400 free and 47 in his 1500 free.

First time Provincial swimmers were Anna Kulina, Dirk Mora-Moolma, Veronica Robertson, Noah Semashkewich, Jessica Thiede, and Will Thorsteinson.

Next meets for KWIC are in April back to back first meet is the Canadian Trials in Toronto with 5 qualifying swimmers Axana Merckx, Erin Epp, Molly Hill, Andrea Kraetzer and Patrick Waters and then Western Canadian Championships in Edmonton with 18 qualifying swimmers Cameron Chambers, Meagan Corrigan, Flyn Huber, Erin Epp, Nathaniel Hees, Molly Hill, Abigail Jerome, Andrea Kraetzer, Anna Kulina, Rachel McInnes, Axana Merckx, Paul Neupert, Georgia Pengilly, Pierson Piche, Daniil Savelev, Taylor Smith, Ava Toyata and Marc Toyata.