Three swimmers from the Bulkley Valley Otters travelled to Kamloops last weekend for the Triple-A provincial finals and returned with a number of podium finishes, personal bests and finals appearances to show for it.
“The kids have just been great,” Otters head coach Tom Best said.
“We had some excellent results over the weekend and I have had a number of comments from officials saying how well they’re performing and I’m really happy with that.”
Highlights included Cassie Horning-Wandler finishing third in the 4X200 freestlye while swimming with the Points North regional team.
During the race she also shaved six seconds off her personal best time.
“That was at the start of the competition and it really set things off on a good tone,” Best said.
15-year-old Bailey Esperesen qualified for the Western Canadian championships with a third place finish in the 50-metre breaststroke and made the finals in the 200-metre individual medley.
“For Bailey, qualifying was the goal, but I think he will probably have some more work to do before he reaches the next level,” Best said.
Bailey’s brother Tanner also swam a personal best time in the 200-metre fly.
The winter swimming season is quickly coming to an end, but the Otters will host their regional meet on March 8-9 and, prior to that an in-house competition in February.
Once the winter season wraps up, the Otters will switch their attention to long course swimming.
They’ll only get one chance to train in a 50-metre pool before provincial championships in early summer.
Full results:
Cassie Horning-Wandler: Bronze medal in the 4x200 meter 14 and under Freestyle relay.
Personal best times in five out of six individual events (200 butterfly, 100 back, 400 IM, 200 IM).
Bailey Espersen: Third place in the 50-metre breaststroke with at time of 32.21 (qualifies Bailey for the Canadian Age Group Championship later this year, qualifies for Western Canada championships this summer).
Fifth in 100-metre breaststroke with a time of 1:10.77 (qualifies for Western Canada championships).
Eighth in B-finals in 200 individual medley.
Sixth in B-finals in the 400 individual medley.
Tanner Espersen: Personal best times in 1500 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 50 breaststroke and 400 IM.