Members of the Kelowna AquaJets Swim Club took to the pool last weekend in Penticton for the B.C. AA Championships and turned in some promising results.
The meet attracted over 430 swimmers representing 40 clubs from across B.C. For three AquaJets, it was their first time qualifying for a provincial meet and the coaches were pleased with how well Abigail Jerome, Olivia Courteney and RJ Stone handled the challenge.
Four Jets achieved AAA qualifying standards at the meet.
Leading the way was Brooklyn Semashkewich, 13, who qualified to attend the AAA Provincial Championships in Victoria in early March with three AAA standards in 50 free (29.23), 100 butterfly (1:11.21) and 200 fly (2:42.94).
Closing in on qualifying for Victoria were Lucy Hill, 11, with AAA times in the 100 fly (1:27.47) and the 100 backstroke (1:22.81); Erin Epp, 12, with AAA times in 200 IM (2:39.90) and 200 breast (2:58.98); and Jasper Stone, 15, with a AAA time in 200 breast (2:38.12).
Hill, Epp and Stone all need just one more AAA standard each to qualify for Victoria.
Semashkewich, Hill, Epp and Stone all made finals at the event and were joined by Ella Rolleston, 12, Kaelyn Willms, 13, Megan Elkin, 14, and Kaden Madge, 11, in earning the right to a second swim.
In the hunt for medals, Semashkewich’s three AAA times earned her 3 gold medals while Stone picked up a gold for his performance in the 200 breast as well as a silver in the 400 IM (5:10.90).
Hill swam to a silver in the 100 fly and 200 IM (2:59.59) and earned bronze in the 100 free (1:12.97) while Epp’s AAA 200 IM time earned her a silver medal.
The girl’s 13-14 year-old freestyle relay team of Rolleston, Semashkewich, Epp and Elkin narrowly missed out on a medal finishing in fourth in a very close race. The same group finished 6th in the medley relay.
Fourth place finishes were turned in by Rolleston in the 50 fly as well as Hill in the 100 back. Coming in 5th were Epp in the 200 breast, Semashkewich in the 400 free, Willms in the 50 fly and Stone in the 200 IM. Epp earned a 6th place finish in the 400 IM. Hill touched in 7th in the 50 fly as did Willms in the 100 fly and Stone in the 100 breast while Epp and Stone came in 8th in the 100 breast and 50 breast respectively.