Twenty-two Prince Rupert Amateur Swim Club (PRASC) swimmers took to the pool in late February to compete at the Smithers Spring Invitational.
While they couldn’t repeat the momentum from their first-place finish at the Terrace Northwest Regional Championships in late January, the club did finish in third behind Smithers and Kitimat and had a few noteworthy performances from its young members along the way.
Two gold aggregates were taken home by Warren Barton (12), who won all six of his events in the boys 11-12 age group 50 and 100 fly, 50 and 100 freestroke, 100 backstroke and 200 IM and Mackenzie Tweedhope (12) who claimed first in 50 butterfly, 100 breaststroke and 100 and 200 free. She took second in 100 back and 100 fly for the 12-13 girls’ age group.
Isaac Dolan (11) won 100 breaststroke, 200 freestyle and 50 breaststroke and placed second in the 50 and 100 back and third in 200 IM. Dolan won the silver aggregate medal in 11-12 boys.
Both Brandan Hagen (17) and Jacob Hall (9) nabbed bronze aggregates for 15-and-over boys and 10-and-over boys respectively. Hagen won the 50 and 100 breaststroke and 50 freestyle and placed second in 50 fly and third in 200 IM. Hall was victorious in 50 freestyle, came second in 50 breaststroke and 100 freestyle and third in 100 breaststroke.
Jarred McMeekin (13) took the bronze aggregate medal for 12-13 boys – his first regional medal. He won 50 breaststroke, placed second in 100 fly and 100 breast and came in third in 100 free, which were all personal bests. His 50 breaststroke was a new AA qualifying time.
Araya Bartlett (13) took home first-place in 50 breast, second in 100 breast and third in 200 IM while Malcolm Dolan (9) came in third in 50 breaststroke.
Kobi Franes (13) placed second in 100 backstroke, Landen Franes (11) took second in 50 free and 100 fly and third in 50 fly and 50 back and Tiffany Hepner (7) grabbed third in 100 breast and 100 back.
Kai McDonald (11) claimed third in 50 and 100 breast, Hyla McQuaid (10) swam to third in 25 freestyle and Jake Morse (11) took second in 50 and 100 breast and third in 50 and 200 free and 100 backstroke.
Kate Morse (13) was victorious in 50 freestyle while taking second in 50 breast, 50 back and 100 free and third in 100 back. Grant Slocombe (11) won 25 breaststroke and came in second in 25 freestyle and Robert Warren (15) placed first in 50 freestyle, second in 100 free and 100 fly and third in 50 fly.