At its sixth competitive event of the year, Powell River Aquatic Club athletes travelled to Victoria to take part in the Saanich Peninsula Piranhas’ Sprint Challenge meet on July 20 and 21. This was the final competition before regionals in Nanaimo from August 2 to 4.
Local team members performed well, said coach Alex Jevons.
“There were some records broken,” she said. “It wasn’t expected that best times or records would be achieved at this meet since we are training them really hard right now in preparation for regionals, but they showed us that even with their fatigue they can keep pushing.”
Club records were broken by Ayva Gunther, division four, who won first place in 200-metre individual medley (IM) with a time of 2:46.05, and Ainsley Needham, division five, who achieved second place in the 100-metre breaststroke with a time of 1:24.73.
“[Ayva and Ainsley] have been going head to head to try and break 30 seconds in the 50-metre freestyle, so they really pushed each other,” added Jevons.
Novice swimmers at the event were Hayes Waterton and Ayva Massullo.
Division one results
Bria Massullo placed 10th in 50-metre breaststroke, 11th in 50-metre backstroke and 15th in 50-metre freestyle. Emily Massullo placed 13th in 50-metre freestyle and 18th in 50-metre backstroke. Londyn Waterton was fifth in 50-metre freestyle, 10th in 50-metre backstroke and 100-metre IM, and 14th in 50-metre backstroke.
Division two
Alivia Massullo placed 14th in 50-metre freestyle and 16th in 50-metre backstroke. Malia Mikkelsen placed fourth in the 100-metre IM, fifth in 50-metre and 100-metre freestyle, sixth in 50-metre breastroke, seventh in 50-metre fly and 13th in 50-metre backstroke. Saphire Mitchell placed fourth in 50-metre freestyle, fly and backstroke, and fifth in 50-metre breaststroke. Paige Spence placed 12th in 50-metre fly, breaststroke and freestyle, 18th in 50-metre freestyle and 20th in 50-metre backstroke.
Division four
Avari Dodd placed 17th in the 200-metre IM, 23rd in 50-metre freestyle and 24th in 50-metre fly. In addition to her first-place finish in the 200-metre IM, Ayva Gunther also finished second in 50-metre freestyle and 50-metre fly.
Division five
Ainsley Needham placed second in the 100-metre breaststroke, third in 50-metre freestyle and fourth in the 200-metre IM, 50-metre fly and 100-metre backstroke.
Next up, swimmers will travel to Nanaimo for the Vancouver Island Regionals from August 2 to 4.
Provincials take place August 15 to 19 at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops.
