Tritons a strong third at long course provincials

BY JOHN DECOSTE

jdecoste@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

All in all, it was an outstanding weekend in what has been a solid season for the Wolfville Tritons Swim Club.

The Tritons sent 24 swimmers to the Ken Dunn Memorial long course swim championships June 6-8 in Halifax and when all was said and done, Wolfville had placed a strong third with a total of 2,192 points for top finishes.

Their overall performance earned the Tritons the ‘Top Team Performance’ banner, awarded to the team accumulating the most points per swim. The Wolfville girls were second overall with 1,582 points while the boys were fourth with 610.

A total of seven Tritons managed at least one first place finish, including Nicole Campbell, who won all six of her races in an outstanding individual performance.

Campbell’s 300 individual points earned her the High Point Award for the 13-14 girls’ age group. She also received the Joanna Maesson Award for the top overall female swimmer at the meet.

Top finishers

Other Tritons with at least one first-place finish included Tanisha Bezanson, who won the 200-metre butterfly for 13-14 girls, and Kayla Boudreau, who won the 200 breaststroke for 13-14 girls.

Luc Boudreau won the 200 breaststroke for 15-and-over boys, Ceilidh MacPherson captured the 400 IM for 15-and-over girls, Kassandra Parsons won the 50 freestyle for 11-12 girls, and Colin Vibert captured the 100 freestyle for 13-14 boys.

The MacPherson sisters all had strong meets. In addition to her first-place finish,

Ceilidh MacPherson was second in the 400 and 800 free and 200 IM and fourth in the 200 free.

Kristen MacPherson was second in the 100 and 200 back and 400 IM and also had a pair of fourths. Not to be outdone, Rebecca MacPherson was second in the 50 backstroke, 1,500 free and 200 IM and third in the 200 and 400 free and 50 back.

Mary-Claire Lynch also continued a successful first full season with the Tritons, placing second in the 100 and 200 breaststroke for 15-and-over girls and third in the mixed senior 50-metre breaststroke.

Kayla Boudreau and Luc Boudreau were both second in the 100 breaststroke in their respective age groups, and Luc Boudreau was also third in the 800 free. Colin Vibert was second in the 1,500 freestyle and third in the 50 free.

Also earning third-place finishes were Bezanson (100 ’fly), Parsons (200 back and 400 IM), Stella Champion (50 free), Sarah Lynch (200 breaststroke) and Pete Porskamp (400 and 1,500 free).

Medley Relay team sets new standard

Another highlight of the meet from the Tritons’ perspective was the 13-14 girls’ 4X100-metre Medley Relay team of Kristen MacPherson, Kayla Boudreau, Tanisha Bezanson and Nicole Campbell, whose time of 4:54.51 broke a 26-year-old provincial record.

Overall, most of the Tritons scored points toward the team total. In addition to Campbell, Ceilidh MacPherson had 169 points, Rebecca MacPherson 150, Kristen MacPherson 145, Colin Vibert 144, Luc Boudreau 137, Parsons 134 and Mary-Claire Lynch 108.

“Overall, I was very pleased with the performances of our swimmers over the weekend,” Tritons head coach Chris Stone said Monday, June 9. “Our club’s results are very encouraging as we head into the championship and national season.”

The Tritons will be in action next in two major meets in July. The club will be well represented at the East Coast Long Course Championships July 3-6 in Halifax, after which at least six Tritons will travel to Calgary for Age Group Nationals.