Dolphin swim club numbers growing

Contributed by Angie Abdou

Elk Valley Dolphins Swim Club

The Elk Valley Dolphins Swim Club is growing. This spring, they had a record number of 66 swimmers compete in their annual home meet. This June, they will break their record for out-of-town competitors at a single meet. Already, 46 athletes have signed up to race for the Dolphins at the season’s first outdoor meet in Radium.

“We’re excited to see this growth in the club,” said head coach Aidan Chudleigh. “We’re currently sitting at about 100 swimmers which is a great number for us.”

During the first weekend of May, 16 of those swimmers traveled to Lethbridge to compete in a three-day meet.

The “Coulee Kids” spring meet was held in a long course pool, which is 50 meters, twice as long as the pool at Fernie Aquatic Centre where the Elk Valley Dolphins train. The long course format requires excellent conditioning, and Fernie coaches were happy to see their athletes rise to the challenge. “Our swimmers demonstrated great fitness,” said the coach. “They’re exactly where we want them to be at this point in the season as we head into the final two or three competitions. We’re all excited to finish on an energetic note with great performances in our final fun meet in Montana or, for the more senior swimmers, at provincial championships in Saskatoon.”

In Lethbridge, many of the Dolphins placed in the top eight. Olivia Howse led the way with first place finishes in 100 free, 200 free, 400 free, 50 back, 100 back, 200 back, as well as a second-place finish in 50 free and third place in 50 breast.

Other finalists include: Maddox Johnson (1^st in the 50 free, 2^nd in 100 free, 400 free, 50 breast, 100 breast, 50 back, 100 fly, and 200 IM), Josie Howse (2^nd in 200 IM, 3^rd in 200 free, 50 and 100 breast, 4^th in 50 fly, and 8^th in 50 back), Kiera Hansen (3^rd in 200 breast and 400 free, 4^th in 50 back and 200 free, 5^th in 50 breast, and 6^th in 100 fly), Lily Barden (2^nd in 50 and 200 breast, 3^rd in 200 IM, 4^th in 50 fly and 100 breast, 8^th in 50 free), Adam Hayden (2^nd in 100 free, 3^rd in 50 free, 50 back, 50 and 100 breast, and 5^th in the 200 free), Jackson Radkie (2^nd in the 50 breast and 50 fly, 3^rd in 200 IM, 5^th in 50 free and 100 breast, 6^th in 200 free, and 7^th in 50 back and 100 free), Leah Soetaert (1^st in 50 back, 3^rd in 50 fly, 7^th in 100 free and 200 IM, and 8^th in 50 free and 100 breast), Ben Schmidt (2^nd in 50 fly, 3^rd in 200 free, 5^th in 100 breast and 50 back, 6^th in 50 breast and 50 free), Grace Hayden (5^th in 200 breast, 6^th in 50 breast, 7^th in 100 back, 8^th in 50 back), Maddy Engfield (5^th in 50 breast, 7^th in 50 fly, 8^th in 100 breast), Cadence Prefontaine (6^th in 50 fly and 50 free, 7^th in 50 breast, 8^th in 100 fr), Ava Pollock (5^th in 200 IM, 7^th in 50 back and 50 fly), Abbi Wannamaker (5^th in 100 fly, 6^th in 50 fly), and Katherine Hafke (4^th in 50 back).

Maddox Johnson qualified for provincials in 50 free. The Dolphins now have 6 qualified swimmers.

The Elk Valley Dolphins placed third overall just behind the Medicine Hat Waves Swim Club who had six more swimmers than the Dolphins.

The Dolphins now look forward to traveling to Radium for a two-day competition on June 4 and 5. Many “Pups,” the club’s youngest swimmers, will be racing in their first out-of-town meet.

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