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Glacier Bears rake in 29 medals over weekend

Thirteen Glacier Bears swim club members from Whitehorse took to Alberta and BC pools last weekend, capturing a total of 29 medals. Competing at the Western Canadian Championships in Edmonton, Alexandra Gabor, 15, and

Thirteen Glacier Bears swim club members from Whitehorse took to Alberta and BC pools last weekend, capturing a total of 29 medals.

Competing at the Western Canadian Championships in Edmonton, Alexandra Gabor, 15, and teammate Bronwyn Pasloski, 16, found four podium spots between them and a couple personal bests to boot.

Gabor won gold in the 200- and 400-metre freestyle events and a bronze in the 100-metre freestyle.

“For this time of the season it was pretty good,” said Gabor. “We weren’t tapered for this meet É we weren’t rested. It was a working meet during heavy training.”

Gabor also produced a personal best in the prelims of the 50-metre butterfly and eventually took a fifth place finish in the event.

Pasloski took bronze in the 100-metre breaststroke and two fourth-place finishes in the 50- and 200-metre breaststroke.

“I got out-touched in both of the races,” said Pasloski, speaking of her fourth-place results. “I was kind of mad because I had it.”

In the 200-metre race, Pasloski finished just .01 seconds behind the bronze finisher and just .04 behind the silver winner.

“It’s a finger length - not even,” said Pasloski. “So that pretty much sucked.”

What’s no small feat in swimming, Pasloski also shaved three seconds off her time in the 200-metre individual medley, finishing sixth.

“I think I can go faster, so that’s nice,” said Pasloski.

“It was a good meet to judge where we are right now,” said Gabor. “We know what we need to improve on for our upcoming big meets.”

The remaining 11 Glacier Bears made their way to the BC Provincial AA Short Course Championships in Chilliwack.

The biggest haul came from Haley Braga, 12, winning a pair of silvers and a pair of bronzes, setting personal best in each.

“They represented swimming in the Yukon very well,” said Glacier Bears coach Corey Bradbury in a press release. “Any time such a small group can come home with 25 medals from a provincial championship, you know they have excelled.”

Teammate Erin McArthur, 11, came home with more than a full set, winning a gold, two silvers and a bronze. She too produced personal bests in each race and made AAA times in three of her races.

Taylor Campbell, 13, and Kate McArthur, 14, each finished in the top eight in all their races. Campbell claimed a silver and a bronze while McArthur took a gold and a bronze.

Nadia Petriw won silver in 200-metre medley before taking two more silvers in relay races with Braga, Fedoriak and Campbell.

Geo Bourcier not only took a bronze in the 200-metre freestyle but also achieved a Canada Summer Games qualifying time in the 400-metre.

Felix Bouchard won one of each medal in freestyle events.

Last but not least, Molly Purser came home with two silvers and a bronze.

Pasloski and Gabor will be heading to Toronto at the beginning of March for the Senior Nationals.

Contact Tom Patrick at

tomp@yukon-news.com