Clearly comfortable competing in their home pool, the Duncan Stingrays swam to what is believed to be their greatest showing ever at the Vancouver Island Regional Short Course Championships
The host Stingrays came up with dozens of cracked the top three at the Island meet for the first time in at least a decade, and possibl ever.
“This VIR Championship was our best all-around performance as a club since I have been here,” confirmed Leanne Sirup, who has coached the Stingrays since 2007.
The traditional powerhouse UVic and Island Swimming clubs finished first and second, respectively, followed by Duncan, then Comox, Nanaimo, Tyee, Parksville, Campbell River, Ladysmith and Port Alberni.
“The three Greater Victoria teams [UVic, Island Swimming and Tyee] swimming out of 10 pools, including Commonwealth Place, are difficult to overcome,” Stingrays spokesperson Bruce Clarke said.
The VIRs drew more than 300 swimmers from 10 Island clubs to the Cowichan Aquatic Centre, where they contested 170 events, beginning with distance events on Thursday afternoon, followed by preliminaries and finals on Friday and Saturday, and wrapping up with timed finals on Sunday. The Stingrays posted serveral top-results, including numerous podium finishes, and set six club records in the process.
The club records included individual marks by Oliver Castle (16) in the 800m freestyle, Ty Dahlstrom (12) in the 50m backstroke, Bridget Burton (12) in the 50m backstroke and Mary Paridaen van Veen (12) in the 100m butterfly.
The Stingrays also demonstrated their versatility with success in the relay events, including the mixed age group relays on the final day, wheretwo girls and two boys from each club in each of the four age groups race a 4x50m medley relay. The Stingrays won three of the four mixed age group races.
“The strength of the swimming program has improved steadily and results are now starting to show,” assistant coach Brent Forsyth said.
Twenty-one swimmers scored points for the Stingrays in the standings with top-eight finishes:
Oliver Castle (16): gold in 400m free, 800m free, 100m back and 100m breaststroke; silver in 200m back and 200m IM; bronze in 50m back
McKinley Thomas-Perry (14): gold in 100m back; silver in 50m and 100m breast; bronze in 200m breast; fifth in 50m, 400m and 800m free
Ty Dahlstrom (12): gold in 50m fly; silver in 50m back, 800m free, 200m back and 100m fly; bronze in 400m free, fourth in 50m free; fifth in 200m free and 100m breast
Bridget Burton (12): gold in 50m free and 50m back; silver in 100m back and 200m back; bronze in 100m fly; fourth in 100m breast; fifth in 400m free,
Dylan Kruger (14): gold in 100m breast; silver in 50m back, 50m and 200m breast; bronze in 100m back; fourth in 200m free and 200m IM
Mary Paridaen van Veen (12): gold in 50m, 100m and 200m fly; silver in 100m free; bronze in 1500m free; fourth in 200m free
Rudolf Kruger (9): bronze in 50m free; fourth in 50m and 100m back; fifth in 200m free; sixth in 200m IM and 400m free; seventh in 100m breast
Jasmine Kremer (14): fourth in 100m free and 50m back; fifth in 200m free and 100m fly, sixth in 100m breast
Keon Hales (12): silver in 100m fly; bronze in 50m breast; fourth in 50m free, 100m and 200m back; sixth in 100m and 200m free
Malia Prystupa (15): bronze in 100m back; fourth in 50m back
Olin Dahlstrom (14): silver in 50m and 100m fly; bronze in 50m back; fourth in 100m and 400m free
Ryca Stiwich (10): silver in 50m breast; fifth in 100m breast; seventh in 200m free and 50m back; eighth in 400m free
Finn Dahlstrom (10): silver in 100m IM; bronze in 50m fly; fifth in 100m fly; sixth in 200m free; seventh in 400m free; eighth in 50m free and 50m back
Carley Battie (14): eighth in 100m free
Evan Hales (10): fifth in 400m free; seventh in 200m free and 50m back
Maggie Preston (10): sixth in 50m breast; seventh in 100m back
Anna Charles (17): silver in 50m breast; fourth in 100m breast and 50m fly; sixth in 200m breast
Sophie Paridaen van Veen (16): sixth in 800m free
Alex Rockson (14): fifth in 200m back
Tiegan McDevitt (16): seventh in 50m breast
Many of those swimmers also medalled in relays, as did Katie James (nine), Rowan Wilder Thompson (nine), and Elle Nakonechny (eight).
The weekend was a huge success for both the club and the host facility, Clarke said.
“This was a Valley-wide weekend of high performance and profile for swimmers, DST club officials, the CAC and Cowichan Valley host business services,” he stated. “Many sports tourists visited the Valley and the Cowichan Aquatic Centre for high-level swimming. The Stingrays made this a success story on many levels.”