-by Angie Abdou
The Saskatchewan Junior Open Provincials is one of three championship meets that the Elk Valley Dolphins attend during their 10-month season. This year, 10 qualified swimmers made the trek to Moose Jaw for the 3-day competition. The team had its most successful showing yet.
Adam Hayden and Katherine Hafke led the team in placings. In the 14 & over boys’ division, Hayden won gold in the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Breaststroke. He also earned medals in the 800 free (silver), 50 breast (bronze), 400 free (silver), and 50 fly (silver). He had several exciting races and achieved personal best times in all but 1 of his 8 swims, including a club-record breaking 800 free. Hafke, swimming in the 13 & over girls’ category, had an equally impressive showing, coming home with gold medals in the 100 free, 100 back, 50 free, and 50 fly, as well as medals in the 400 free (silver) and 200 back (bronze).
The club’s younger swimmers also impressed. 12-year-old Matthew Cassidy swam 8 for 8 best times, including 7 top-10 rankings. Since the 2024 competition marks Cassidy’s first year in a new age group, he stands in good position to return next year and be in contention for medals. He also set 3 club records, breaking his own records in the 400 free and 800 free, as well as besting a 50 fly record that had stood for nearly 20 years. Adding to his accomplishments, Cassidy clocked his first Manitoba-Saskatchewan AA Championship qualifying time. The Regina-hosted ManSask Championship takes place in early July, and the Dolphins have already qualified 9 swimmers, almost double any previous showing. Coach Aidan Chudleigh feels confident the club can add to that number before summer.
12-year-old Sage Demers also had one of his best meets to date. He placed top 10 in the 100 free, 50 back, 100 back, and 50 free. In a bit of drama, he missed the AA standard in his 50 free by one-tenth of a second. He has returned to the pool confident and working hard with the goal of being at the AA championship in July.
10-year-old Brooklyn Irving clocked massive personal best times to rank top 10 in the 100 free, 100 back, 50 free, and 50 fly. Abbigail Wannamaker, swimming in her first championship meet, ranked top 10 in the challenging fly and distance free events: 100 fly, 400 free, and 800 free.
The other qualified swimmers – Anouk Demers, London Irving, Sophie Paetzold, and Tanis Robbins – were also competing in their first championship meet and in the younger range of their age categories. All put in great swims and achieved personal best times. “Most of all,” says the Coach, “all our athletes had a lot of fun and came back to Fernie fired up about swimming and keen to do the work to keep improving.”
Correction: In a recent Dolphins’ article about 11 & Under South Alberta Festivals Championship, in the picture caption, Zander Coultry’s name was misspelled. Apologies.