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Glacier Bears siblings fast at Xmas Cracker

The Lindsay sisters and the Bakica brothers were leading the way for their Whitehorse Glacier Bears teammates recently.
SPORTSswim

The Lindsay sisters and the Bakica brothers were leading the way for their Whitehorse Glacier Bears teammates recently.

Three of them cracked the top-10 and one set club records at the 2013 PCS Xmas Cracker Meet in Victoria, B.C., Dec. 6-8.

Whitehorse’s Rennes Lindsay set AAA times in every event she swam, with seven in total in the girls 12-and-under division.

The 11-year-old came the closest on her team to winning a medal, taking fourth in the 400-metre individual medley with a time of 5:43.17. She also swam to sixth in the 200-metre butterfly (2:49.24) and ninth in the 200-metre freestyle (2:20.97).

Sister Cassis set five AAA times and two AA times in girls 13-14. The 13-year-old claimed fifth in the 100-metre backstroke (1:09.36), seventh in the 50-metre freestyle (28.77) and eighth in the 100-metre freestyle (1:02.20).

Luke Bakica broke into the top-10 with ninth in the 50-metre breast (38.98) for boys 13-14. The 13-year-old also raced to 12th in the 200 breast (3:00.78).

Younger brother Thomas didn’t reach single digits, but did set two short-course club records for boys 10-and-under.

The 10-year-old finished the 100 fly at 1:37.59 and the 200 breast at 3:32.79 for his fifth and sixth club records set this season.

Thomas also placed 15th in the 200 breast (3:22.79) and 17th in the 50 breast (46.54) in the boys 12-and-under division in Victoria.

Every Whitehorse swimmer set at least one personal best time and the majority posted AA and AAA times at the meet.

“All of them swam really well,” said Glacier Bears head coach Malwina Bukszowana. “With no exception, every swimmer looked better in the water than they used to in September or even the time trial (last month). They showed big improvements.”

Other top results include Matthew Blakesley taking 12th in the 50-metre breast (40.53) and the 50 fly (32.94) in boys 13-14.

Aidan Harvey took 15th in the 200 back (2:54.59) in boys 12-and-under.

Alexander Petriw reached 15th in the 50 back (43.93) in boys 12-and-under.

“He swam well - big best times,” said Bukszowana.

Dannica Nelson took 16th in the 50 free (30.28) and 18th in 50 breast (38.60) for girls 13-14.

Hannah Kingscote placed 17th in 50 back (39.61) in girls 12-and-under.

Brooklyn Massie finished 21st in the 800 free (11:33.37) in the same division.

Emily Crist snagged 23rd in the 200 back (2:41.08) in girls 15-and-over.

Best individual results also included Taylor Harvey 28th in the 100 fly; Cassidy Cairns 34th in the 50 breast; Meghan Pennington 39th in 50 back; Rebecca Koser 42nd in the 50 back; Caelon Workman 41st in the 200 breast; Madison Ramsay 48th in the 50 fly.

“As a team they did really well,” said Bukszowana. “They were all beating times ... They’ve been working on technique a lot and you could see it. But we still have plenty of work.”

Contact Tom Patrick at

tomp@yukon-news.com