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Yukon swimmers make a splash in Toronto

Whitehorse Glacier Bears’ swimmers Bronwyn Pasloski and Alexandra Gabor made some waves at the Bell Grand Prix swim meet in Toronto last…
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Whitehorse Glacier Bears’ swimmers Bronwyn Pasloski and Alexandra Gabor made some waves at the Bell Grand Prix swim meet in Toronto last weekend.

Pasloski finished second to Canadian record holder Annamay Pierse in the women’s 100-metre breaststroke event on Friday.

Her time in the preliminary race set a new BC Girls’ 15-17 record, shattering a 13-year-old mark. She also made the A-final in the 200-metre breaststroke on Saturday, finishing in sixth place.

On Sunday, Pasloski earned her second medal of the meet, a bronze in the 50-metre breaststroke, setting a personal best in that event as well.

Gabor powered her way to a BC Girls’ 13-14 record in the 100-metre freestyle, breaking her own record set in August of this year and finishing 11th overall.

Her time in the long course final in that event also set a new BC Girls’ 13-14 record.

She placed sixth in the 1500-metre free as well.

She also finished 12th overall in the 50-metre freestyle and 12th overall in the 200-metre freestyle.

Former Whitehorse swimmer Mackenzie Downing, competing with the University of Victoria Vikes/Pacific Coast Swimming team, dominated in the butterfly events, winning gold in the 50-metre on Friday (matching her long-course record in the process), the 100-metre on Saturday, and the 200-metre on Sunday.

The Bell Grand Prix uses a uncommon format: swimmers use a 25-metre short course pool in the preliminaries, and move to the 50-metre long course pool for the finals.

The meet attracted approximately 400 swimmers, including some of the best in Canada and several small US teams.

Earlier in the week, at the same pool, former Glacier Bears’ swimmer Lynsey Pasloski competed with the University of Calgary Dinos in the first ever National University Challenge Cup, helping the Dinos swim to the overall title, finishing ahead of the University of British Columbia Dolphins and the University of Western Ontario.

Gabor and Pasloski are off to the Paul Bergen Jr. International meet in Portland, Oregon next week.

The competition at this meet is very intense, with some very good teams from the US and Europe taking part.

Meanwhile nine Glacier Bears travel to Victoria next week to participate in the annual Christmas Cracker meet at the Commonwealth Pool.