The 2014 summer swimming season came to an end this past weekend in Kamloops at the BC Summer Swim Association Provincial Championships for the Revelstoke Aquaducks squad. Forty-six swimmers attended for either individual or relay events, and the Ducks brought home 19 individual medals as well as three relay medals, though 11 swimmers swam on regional relays that hit the podium.
Making Revelstoke Aquaduck history was Division 1 girl Kaylin Gale, winning all four of her individual events – 100m individual medley, 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle – breaking club records in the process. D1 boy Ryder Litke won silver in the 50m fly and bronze in the 50m breast, both with new club records. Showing that speed runs in the family was Devyn Gale, who won bronze in the 100m free with a five second best time that was just shy of the club record.
Tye Hoshizaki went out like a shot in the D2 boys 50m breast to capture a bronze. Beth Granstrom hit provincials hard on day one, winning gold in the 200m IM. Though missing the podium in the 100m back, Beth won a Bronze in a very close 50m fly and outlasted her competition in the 100m free to win gold, bettering her club records in all four races. Brynn Hoshizaki just missed the podium in all her events, but she did break the club record in the 50m free.
The D4 boys from Revelstoke owned the province, coming in as the top team for that age and gender. Jackson Litke led the charge by dropping seven seconds in his 200m IM to win bronze, though Nolan Gale and James LeBuke also finished the season well under the 30-year-old record for the event that stood at the start of the season. Jackson also won silver in both the 50m fly and the 100m back, and James LeBuke won gold in the 100m breast. Between Nolan, Jackson and James LeBuke, every record was broken for D4 boys— 50m free (Nolan Gale), 100m free (Jackson Litke), 100m back (Jackson Litke), 100m breast (James LeBuke), 200m IM (Jackson Litke) and 50m fly (Jackson Litke). The boys also came together to win a silver in the medley relay and a gold in the freestyle relay, with huge swims from teammate Colm Molder.
Bryce Molder won silver in both the 100m breast and the 100m free for the OCat 2 boys and, while not a medaling swim, Gina Cinelli broke the club record by three seconds in the D6 girls 100m breast. Gina did medal as the breaststroke leg on the D8 girls medley relay along with Nadia Salon, Emily Pfeiffer and Eliza McGuire.
Revelstoke athletes on regional relays were: Madeleine Hobgood and Kayln Gale (D1 girls – 6th), Ryder Litke (D1 boys – bronze), Tye Hoshizaki (D2 boys – gold), Hunter Stewardson (D3 girls – 6th), Alex Jay (D3 boys – 6th), Beth Granstrom and Brynn Hoshizaki (D4 girls – silver), Jackson Litke, James LeBuke and Nolan Gale (D4 boys – gold), Gina Cinelli (D6 girls – bronze), Emily Pfeiffer (D7 girls – silver), Nadia Salon and Eliza McGuire (D8 girls – silver), James Pilla (D8 boys – 6th).
The season ended with an amazing meet full of best times and great races. The first session of maintenance starts in the fall to prepare the Ducks for the 2015 season beginning next May.