By Carson Ellis
For the Advance
Teams from around the province descended on Castor for the first swim meet in over two decades on June 25 and June 26.
Ranging in age from 6 and under to 17 and over, 135 swimmers from nine swim clubs took part in events including freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke at the Castor Pool.
Castor Pool is classified as a short course facility, meaning the pool is approximately 25- meters long, as opposed to the standard 50-metre pool.
The first event was girls’ 50-meter Freestyle, where Kenzi Labonte finished with 1:39.16 in the girls 6 and Under category. Ayla Sheehy of Red Deer was top in girls 7-8, and Elsie Cavenagh had a time of 39.08 to win the girls’ 9-10. Lacombe Dolphin’s Olivia Wilson won with a time of 39.96 for the Girls 11-12, and it was teammate Alice Frantz who won in the Girls’ 13-14 event. Red Deer Marlins’ Abby Sheehy won the girls’ 13-14 with a time of 34.26. Julia Cavenagh closed out the first event for girls 15-17 with a time of 31.84.
The next event was the 50-meter boys’ freestyle. Easten Gordon with the Killam Cyclones won for boys 7-8 at 1:13.11 while Oyen Otters’ Evan Romaniuk had the best time for boys 9-10 at 41.75. With a time of 36.34 for the Boys’ 11-12, it was Red Deer’s Conor Casserly in the lead. Kevin Cavenagh with the Hanna Seals won the boys’ 13-14 at 31.21, and 16-year-old Mason Hickman had a time of 26.62 to win for the Innisfail Dolphins in the boys’ 15-17 age group.
Event three was the 50-metre backstroke. Scarlett Bartel of Lacombe had a time of 1:20.51 in the girls’ 6 and under. Sheehy of Red Deer had a time of 57.54 in the Girls 7-8 while Lacombe’s Elsie Wilson won the Girls 9-10 with 52.04.
Event four was the boys’ 50-metre backstroke, with the 7-8 category going to Lacombe’s Bennett Wilson with 1:10.33. Ryan Lien with the Innisfail Dolphins had a time of 49.40 in the boys’ 9-10.
The girls’ 11-12 100-metre backstroke saw Innisfail’s Megan Austin win her group with a swim time of 1:47.69, while fellow Dolphins swimmer Samantha Caron took top place with 1:35.10 for the girls 15-17.
Natalie Harvey of Lacombe started the 25-metre butterfly with the girls 8 and under at 43.95. Wilson of Lacombe swam 33.31 in the same category for the boys.
For the 50-metre butterfly, Josie Dunbar of Innisfail had a 43.46 in the Girls’ 11-12. Red Deer’s Kayla Driesen raced to a win with 35.54 in the girls’ 13-14 group. For the 15-17 girls, Emily A. Wright represented Hanna with 34.26.
The boys’ 11-12 group went to Casserly of Red Deer who made the swim in 50.89. Cavenagh managed 37.93 in the Boys’ 13-14 for Hanna, and Red Deer’s Mitchell Flynn took the boys’ 15-17 in 32.08.
Event 11 was the Girls’ 25-metre breaststroke, which started with Sheehy from Red Deer with 40.25 for the 8 and under. Jules Forster of Forestburg Aquatics swam 26.79 to win girls 9-10.
Killam’s Jacob D. Kinzer had a time of 26.38 for the boys 25-metre 9-10.
The girls’ 11-12 50-metre breaststroke went to Innisfail Dolphins’ Josie Dunbar with her time of 47.98. Ava Lien of Innisfail won the girls’ 13-14 with a time of 42.60. Innisfail’s Aubry Haldorson won for the Girls’ 15-17 with 38.51.
Innisfail also had top marks with Jack Hollis winning the boys’ 11-12 event with 53.20. Lacombe’s Mason Dreise took the boys 13-14, while Innisfail Dolphin Mason Hickman had 35.87 in the Boys 15-17.
Lacombe’s Elise Wilson won girls’ 9-10 100-metre freestyle with 1:46.52. The girls’ 11-12 went to Megan Austin from Innisfail at 1:25.79. Alice Frantz made Lacombe proud with 1:10.28 for the 13-14 category. Aubry Haldorson of Innisfail swam 1:08.97 for the girls’ 15-17 while Castor’s own Charlotte Dennie won for the 18 and over group with 2:13.93.
Boys 11-12 100-metre freestyle went to Beckham Girletz of the Oyen Otters with 1:31.39. Castor Triton David Bursik won the 13-14 boys with 1:26.69. Forestburg’s Gabriel McCormick swam 1:01.97 for the boys’ 15-17, with Bennett Wilson getting 2:45.06 in the Boys’ 18 and over.
Lacombe’s Scarlett Bartel swam 36.60 in the girls’ 6 and under 25-metre backstroke. Red Deer’s Ayla Sheehy won her group with 26.90 in the 7-8 group. Abrey Falk from Innisfail swam 23.48 in the Girls’ 9-10.
Boys 6 and under was won by Braxton McNabb from Forestburg with 46.50. Magni Milne of Innisfail swam 32.67 in the Boys’ 7-8. Fellow Dolphin Ryan Lien had 20.73 in the 9-10 group.
Josie Dunbar of Innisfail swam 44.17 for the Girls’ 11-12 50-metre backstroke. Ava Lien gave Innisfail a 38.19 in the Girls’ 13-14. Aubry Haldorson gave them a 33.87 in the 15-17.
In the 50-metre boys’ 11-12 group, Jack Hollis of Innisfail saw a time of 47.56. Red Deer’s Dominic Fox won the 13-14 boys’ with 36.36. Boys’ 15-17 was awarded to Flynn Mitchell for his 33.41.
Girls’ 100-metre individual medley started in the 9-10 category, going to Hanna’s Elise Cavenagh for 1:48.41. Innisfail’s Skyler Sveinson had 1:50.82 in the 11-12 range. Lacombe’s Alice Frantz had 1:27.16 in the girls’ 13-14. Hanna’s Emily Wright had 1:20.59 for the 15-17
In the boys’ 9-10, Kevan Thompson swam for the Ponoka Gators with a 2:09.46. Casserly represented Red Deer in the 11-12 with 1:42.29. Cavenagh had 1:27.03 to give Hanna the boys’ 13-14 100-metre. Innisfail’s Hickman was next with a 1:09.44 in the 15-17 category.
Event 23 was the 400-metre freestyle. Starting with girls 11-12, Hanna’s Camryn Olesen won a time of 6:56.59. Lacombe’s Ashley Wilson swam 6:22.97 to win the 13-14 group while the 15-17 group went to Aubry Haldorson of Innisfail with 5:09.08.
The boys 13-14 group saw a time of 6:25.42 swam by Castor Tritons’ Bursik. In 15-17 was Forestburg’s Gabriel McCormick with 5:19.98.
Ponoka’s Shae Schonken swam 45.79 to win the girls’ 6 and under 25-metre flutter kick. The age 7-8 winner was Castor’s own Malin Wiart with 33.61.
In boys 6 and under, Wilson of Lacombe dominated with 1:00.05 while Killam’s Gordon swam 45.35 for the boys 7-8 group.
The 50-metre girl’s 9-10 butterfly was won with a time of 53.79 by Innisfail Dolphin Summer Sveinson.
The boys’ 9-10 event went to Blair Campion of Hanna at 1:01.19.
Kayla Driesen of Red Deer started off the 100-metre Butterfly event in the girls’ 13-14 age range with 1:21.66. Julia Cavenagh won with 1:24 in the 15-17.
Boys 13-14 went to Red Deer’s Fox at 1:19.65. For boys 15-17, Innisfail’s Mason Hickman swam a 1:09.17.
Looking to the 25-metre freestyle, Bartel swam 31.35 in the girls’ 6 and under category. Natalie Harvey of Lacombe won the girls’ 7-8 with 24.31.
Lacombe’s Kaden Labonte swam 58.25 in the boys’ 6 and under. Wilson of Lacombe swam 26.19 for the boys’ 7-8.
In the 50-metre breaststroke, the girls’ 9-10 winner was Hanna Seal Elise Cavenagh with her time of 53.83.
The boys’ 9-10 event went to Killam’s Kinzer who swam 55.04.
The 100-metre breaststroke saw Innisfail Dolphin Austin swim a 1:53.50 for the girls’ 11-12. Girls 13-14 went to Frantz of Lacombe with 1:44.94. Harmony Logan swam 2:05.26 for the girls 15-17 representing Oyen with 2:05.26.
The boys’ 11-12 winner was Conor Casserly of Red Deer with 2:00.10. Boys’ 13-14 winner was Lacombe’s Mason Dreise with his 1:49.25. Finally, Mitchell Flynn of Red Deer won the boys’ 15-17 with 1:25.96
