Tritons a strong third at inaugural N.S. Team Swim Championships

BY JOHN DECOSTE

Kings County Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com

The Wolfville Tritons turned in a strong showing at the first-ever Swim Nova Scotia team championships held Dec. 14-16 in Halifax.

Traditionally a strong performance-based team that lacks the numbers of some of the larger swim clubs in the province, the Tritons excelled in the team format which saw each club able to compete in teams of 20 swimmers, 10 male and 10 female.

Wolfville sent three teams to the meet – male and female ‘A’ teams and a girls’ ‘B’ team. The girls’ ‘A’ team placed second overall with 1,529 points; the boys’ ‘A’ team was sixth

overall with 571 points for an overall third place team finish based on 2,100 total points.

The Tritons’ girls’ ‘B’ team also had a successful meet, scoring 382 points to finish

eighth among girls’ teams and ninth overall.

“We had an extremely strong showing on the women’s side from both teams,” Wolfville

head coach Chris Stone said. The WTSC girls ‘A’ team finished the meet within 250 points of first-place Halifax Trojans and over 500 points ahead of third-place Dartmouth.

“Our male swimmers did an exceptional job as well,” Stone said, “given that 50 per cent of our attending male swimmers are still new to the sport, with either less than a year of

swimming experience or having just recently turned 11 and met the age requirements.”

Wolfville swimmers set seven new club records over the course of the three-day meet. Nicole Campbell, 13, won the 14 & under girls’ High Point Award with 250 points.

Campbell won the 100, 200, 400 and 1,500-metre freestyle and 200-metre breaststroke.

In addition, Kayla Boudreau, also 13, joined six of her teammates who had previously qualified for 2008 age group nationals. Boudreau had five top-10 placings, topped by second-place finishes in the 800 freestyle and 50 and 200 breaststroke.

Overall, Wolfville swimmers swam 167 personal best times out of 224 races for an

outstanding 75 per cent, and had no fewer than 15 swimmers clock new personal best times in 100 per cent of their swims.

According to Stone, the Tritons’ effort “owed quite a bit to two ‘alumni members’,” Zachary Deutsch, a member of the Dalhousie men’s varsity swim team, and Meghan Read, a Dal Swim Club member who hopes to swim on the varsity team next year.

Deutsch had third, fourth, fifth and sixth place finishes in four events. Read had five top-eight placings, including a second in the 1,500-metre freestyle.

Other Tritons enjoying an outstanding meets individually (as well as contributing points to the team effort) included Luc Boudreau, with second-place finishes in all five of his events; and Alexa Irvin, with three seconds and two thirds in her five events.

Ceilidh MacPherson won the 1,500 freestyle in her age group, and also had two seconds and two thirds. Kristen MacPherson won the 400 IM in her age group and was second in her other four events.

Pete Porskamp had three third-place finishes and a pair of fourths in his five events. Shauna Manning also had a strong meet, placing second in the 200 backstroke and third in the 100 back among five top-six finishes.

Tanisha Bezanson had a second, third and fourth, and Mary Claire Lynch had five top-seven finishes including a bronze in the 50 breaststroke.

Other Tritons with at least one top-10 finish included Adam Deutsch, Ashley Brooker, Sarah Lynch, Rebecca MacPherson, Kaily Schofield, Ellen Song, Colin Vibert, Brendan Vibert and Jasmine Vos. Wolfville also won three silver and two bronze medals in relays.

The next action for the Tritons will be the 2008 Metro Invitational meet Jan. 4-6 at Dalplex in Halifax. WTSC will also be hosting a Future League meet for swimmers aged 10-and-under Jan. 23 in Wolfville.