The Orillia Channel Cats Swim Club recently competed at the Out of The Gate long course swim meet in Guelph.
This is the first long course (50-metre pool) racing opportunity of the season for the club's swimmers.
A total of 26 swimmers from the Bronze, Silver and Gold training groups attended the meet, the club noted in a news release.
Isabella Brown, 12, and Brady Bell, 10, both qualified for provincial Festivals in the 50-metre freestyle. They will join teammates Sophie Shivers, Jace Black and Harrison Levene at the provincial level meet in February.
Swimmers at the meet achieved many personal best times and demonstrated great team support as well, the club said.
“This is our first long-course meet this season,” said head coach Meredith Thompson-Edwards. “We had numerous best times and races that were very close to best time pace.”
Swimmers in attendance included: Ava Fairgrieve, Isabella Brown, Georgia Cameron, Nicholas Willis, Christopher Dorevich, Hartley Russell, Mila Sekleski, Brady Bell, Caden Stuart, Emma Edgerton, Niko Plett, Kael Cresanto, Fedor Ravzvieskii, Boyd Brown, Taryn Fenton, Sophie Brown, Nadine Ackert, Kajun Butler, Grace Hunter, Sam Pecorella, Evangeline Cooke, Maelle Bouchard, Katie Heckendorn, Kaitlyn Allin and Adair Wieclawek.
The club will be hosting the first Elaine Thompson Memorial Meet this weekend at the Orillia Recreation Centre.
“We are hosting this invitational in honour of our longtime coach and my mother, Elaine Thompson, who passed away from cancer in February 2020,” said Thompson-Edwards.
“She would be thrilled the meet is in her honour. She was really hoping to coach on deck in the new facility but unfortunately she passed away before that could happen.”
