Small numbers, good results for Marlins

BY JOHN DECOSTE

jdecoste@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

The Kentville Marlins swim team did double duty on the July 26-27 weekend, taking part in a meet at Bedford Saturday and another at Bridgetown Sunday.

Despite having only nine swimmers at the Bedford meet and 10 at the meet in Bridgetown, the Marlins turned in some good results, both in terms of times for the younger swimmers and top placings for a couple of the older ones.

“We had small attendance for both meets and many of them were younger swimmers,” head coach Shauna Manning said Monday.

“I was very impressed with all the swimmers that attended, and especially so with the ones who attended both meets. The meets are long and tiring, especially for young swimmers, and even more when they have two in the same weekend.”

Manning noted that at the Bedford meet, “all the swimmers that attended swam best times for the most part.”

Chantel Graves, age 11 and in her first year in the 11-12 age group, swam all personal best times and placed 11th in the 50 freestyle, 12th in the 100 IM and 14th in the 50 back.

Rachel Mader, age 10, also continued to improve, taking eight seconds off her best time in the 100 IM. Mader finished 12th in the 25 back and 15th in the 25 free and 10 IM.

Best times almost every meet

Manning reserved special praise for Rhianna Nicholson, 14, who is in the midst of a breakout season. “Rhianna has really improved a lot. Last year, she had a rough time swimming best times, but this year she has been getting best times almost every meet.”

In Bedford, Nicholson had new best times in two of her three swims and placed fifth in the 50 back, sixth in the 100 free and seventh in the 100 IM.

All the other Marlins had at least one personal best swim, including Olivia Crooks, Alex and Dean VanRoessel, Meghan Nicholson, Hannah Taylor, Nick Aalders and Cameron Crooks, at age five the youngest Marlin (and one of the youngest swimmers) at the meet.

“He may not have every stroke down to a ‘T’, but he shows more energy than I’ve seen and has great potential,” Manning said of Crooks.

In Bridgetown, Justin Aalders, who is having a solid season also, earned three medals, placing second in the 100 breast and 200 free and third in the 50 ’fly. His 2:24.78 in the 200 free was slightly more than a second off the gold medal time.

Rhianna Nicholson was rewarded also for her hard work so far this season, placing a close second (0.48 seconds off the lead) in the 200 free - taking six seconds off her personal best in the process - and third in the 50 ’fly to earn a pair of medals.

Nicholson was also a respectable seventh in her third event, the 50 breast, taking two seconds off her personal best time.

“I’m glad to see she’s having fun and is so happy and excited after she swims,” Manning said. “She listens very well to everything we coaches say, and is having a great year.”

Chantel Graves cracked the top-10 with a 10th place finish in the 50 breast and was 15th in the 100 free and 20th in the 50 ’fly.

Logan Durling “had a great meet, improving in all his strokes and times. I’ve seen a ton of progress from him since the start of the season.” Cameron Crooks “competed in his first meet with the ’fly and breast and did very well,” Manning said.

Olivia Crooks, Dean VanRoessel, Anna Jamieson and Zack Pate all improved their personal best times by several seconds.