Pacific Coast Swimming captured their fourth straight Provincial AAA title on the weekend of March 4-7 at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
PCS director of athlete development, Rod Barratt, commented on the team effort over the four-day meet,
“We are very proud of all of our swimmers, as there was contribution across the board from our youngest club members right on through to our oldest. Making finals, getting on the podium and cheering each other over the course of the weekend the atmosphere around the team was great.” Barratt went on to comment that “a meet like this doesn’t happen without the volunteers, officials, and support from Saanich Commonwealth Place helping put on a first class sporting event in our backyard, to give swimmers in Victoria the opportunity to compete at the highest level in a world class facility.”
Twenty swimmers took to the podium on day one of the meet.
Records and highlights include: Breaking the Vancouver Island Regional record and the PCS club record were: Boys 12 & Under 400 Medley Relay - 4:47.18 - Nathan Chow, Braeden Fitzpatrick, Dylan Kormendy and Taiki Hiraoka Girls 13-14 400 Medley Relay – 4:21.96, Hannah Lorette, Hana Edwards, Jessica Luo and Kelsey Andrusak, breaking the Vancouver Island Regional record and the PCS club record; Boys 13-14 400 Medley Relay – 4:09.89 - Miyu Dobashi, Michael Schmidt, Artem Kuklev and Anthony Gutierrez.
Breaking the PCS record: Girls 15 -18 400 Medley Relay – 4:13.87 - Lauren Crisp, Jordan Andrusak, Allison Ballantyne and Molly Gowans.
Girls 15-17 100 Back – 1:01.46 - Mollay Gowans
Girls 13-14 200 Fly – 2:18.79 - Jessica Luo
Boys 13-14 200 Free – 1:44.42 - Miyu Dobashi, Anthony Gutierrez, Michael Schmidt and Artem Kuklev
Beating the Vancouver Island regional and PCS records:
Girls 13-14 100 Free – 57.24 - Jessica Luo
Girls 15-17 100 Free – 55.65 - Molly Gowans. Gowans also put in the fastest time for a 16-year-old in Canada this year.
Boys 13-14 100 Breast – 1:08.04 - Michael Schmidt - Schmidt beat the previous record which had stood since 1997.
Boys 13-14 50 Breast – 30.98 - Michael Schmidt, also beat the previous record which stood since 1989 in this event.
New PCS records:
Boys 13-14 200 Breast – 2:29.55 - Michael Schmidt
Boys 15-17 200 Free –1:51.78 - Mathew Fuller
Boys 15-17 100 Free –51.67 - Mathew Fuller
Girls 15-17 200 Back – 2:11.08 - Lauren Crisp, her time of 2:11.08 was over two seconds ahead of her competition, and is the second fastest 200 Backstroke swam by a 16 year old in Canada this year.
Next up for the Bolts is B.C. Senior Championships, March 12-13 at the University of British Columbia. The group heading over to the mainland will consist of UVIc Vikes and a handful of PCS senior swimmers. A younger contingent of PCS will head to the ManSask Championships in Saskatoon from March 17th-20th.