The Revelstoke Aquaducks hosted the Okanagan region last weekend for an action-packed competition full of shattered records and personal bests. Winning the girls, boys and combined team scores by approximately 1,000 points was a huge victory for the Aquaducks, who normally struggle to match the numbers of some of the larger clubs in the region, even when hosting. However, this weekend saw 66 Ducks race, which topped any other team attending.
Superior number do not always equate to superior swims; that was accomplished as a result of all the hard work the Aquaducks have been putting into training the last few weeks. Every swimmer on the team improved in at least one swim, and many improved in multiple events.
Beth Granstrom broke her own club record in the Division 4 girls 100 meter backstroke on her way to a first place finish. The boys Division 4 100 meter backstroke record was broken twice — once in prelims and once in finals— and by two different people. James LeBuke used his impressive turns and under-waters to get the touch on Jackson Litke in the morning to go a 1:13.97, two seconds faster than the previous record posted by Graham Gale in 1984. However, that night in finals Litke got the touch on LeBuke to drop the record down another 2 tenths of a second, and consequently broke the meet record as well.
LeBuke found his name replacing another for a 22-year-old meet record in the 200 metre individual medley with his new personal best of 2:42.78, which is less than a second off of another 30-year-old club record set by Gale.
Setting another record was the Aquaduck team, winning more than 20 aggregates between the boys and girls. Madeleine Hobgood won Division 1 Girls bronze aggregate, while Kayln Gale won gold. Division 1 boy Ryder Litke won a silver as did Division 2 girl Devyn Gale and Division 2 boy Tye Hoshizaki.
Hunter Stewardson, who turned 11 on the last day of the meet, won a bronze in the Division 3 girls category, while Stefan Spataro won bronze on the Division 3 boys side and Alex Jay picked up a gold for his spectacular swimming.
Brynn Hoshizaki and Beth Granstrom won silver and gold aggregates for Division 4 girls, and Nolan Gale and James LeBuke were awarded the same on the boys side of Division 4.
Gina Cinelli picked up a silver aggregate in the Division 6 girls category, while Liam McCabe won a bronze for the boys Division 6. Coach Emily Pfeiffer swam her way through a full meet despite coaching as well to win a silver for the Division 7 girls, and the girls Division 8 was swept by Revelstoke, with Nadia Salon winning gold, Eliza McGuire winning silver, and Julia Gow winning bronze.
The boys Division 8 had James Pilla winning gold and Josh Rota winning bronze. In the O2 category, Bryce Molder won a Gold aggregate to round out the amazing weekend here in Revelstoke.
Next weekend the Ducks set their sights on the Kamloops Tsunami competition, where they hope to repeat and win the meet once again this year.