A training camp in the Copper State helped swimmers from the Whitehorse Glacier Bears win gold, silver and bronze over the weekend.
Members of the Glacier Bears spent two weeks training in Mesa, Arizona, before cleaning up at the Landsperg Automotive Group Spring Invitational in Medicine Hat, Alta., April 1-2.
Seven Glacier Bears, competing at the long-course meet for the first time, set 48 personal best times, won 38 medals and set five club records.
“We just got back from a training camp in Arizona so we were all on top of our game,” said Glacier Bear Luke Bakica. “Over spring break we spent our two weeks in Arizona training at an outdoor pool.
“It was lots of fun and we all bonded over the training camp, and we all succeeded down in Medicine Hat.”
Bakica won seven medals with six gold and set seven personal bests (PBs) in the males 16-and-over division.
The 16-year-old won gold in the 400-metre freestyle (5:00.92), the 50-metre breaststroke (34.86), the 100-metre breaststroke (1:16.23), the 200-metre breaststroke (2:46.49), the 100-metre butterfly (1:11.28) and the 200-metre medley (2:30.60). He took silver in the 50 fly at 30.27.
Bakica set a Glacier Bears club record of 2:44.29 in the 200 breaststroke (set in the prelim).
“The 200 breaststroke and 100 breaststroke are always my favourite events,” said Bakica.
Teammate Hannah Kingscote set two personal bests en route to seven medals in females 13-14.
She won gold in the 200 backstroke (2:42.60), the 100 fly (1:12.09) and the 50 back with a club record of 32.26. Kingscote also claimed silver in the 100 back (1:12.83) and the 50 fly (31.57), and bronze in the 50 free (30.73) and 100 free (1:08.39).
Whitehorse’s Aidan Harvey posted eight personal bests with five medals to show for it in males 14-15. He grabbed gold in the 100 back (1:09.12), the 50 back (31.91) and the 200 back (2:32.53) — the last two with club records.
Harvey also picked up silver in the 100 free (1:03.06) and 200 medley (2:42.07). He set a third club record in the 100 back at 1:08.33 (in the prelim).
Glacier Bear Alexander Petriw collected five medals, leaving eight personal bests in his wake, in males 14-15. He won gold in the 100 free (1:02.57), 1,500 free (19:25.74), silver in the 400 free (4:48.39), and bronze in the 50 free (28.25) and 200 free (2:18.89).
Thomas Bakica notched eight personal bests with six medals in males 14-15. He won silver in the 1,500 free (19:38.84) and bronzes in the 400 free (5:11.51), 200 back (2:41.45), 100 breast (1:23.97), 200 breast (3:01.16) and the 200 medley (2:47.00).
Whitehorse’s Emma Boyd matched teammates with eight PBs, winning four medals in females 13-14. She pocketed gold in the 50 free (28.85), 100 free (1:04.52), 200 free (2:21.46) and silver in the 400 free (5:22.00).
Teammate Meghan Pennington set seven PBs in the same division, taking bronze in the 200 back (2:51.03). She also finished fifth in the 800 free at 11:23.33.
Glacier Bear Taylor Harvey, in females 15-and-over, placed eighth in the 50 back at 38.05.
Petriw, Aidan Harvey and the Bakica brothers also teamed up for gold in the men’s 4x50-metre freestyle relay and the 4x50-metre medley relay.
Boyd, Pennington, Taylor Harvey and Kingscote grabbed bronze in the women’s 4x50-metre freestyle relay.
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com