Like a parked Ferrari in the dead of winter, the Fort Frances Cyclones needed a little while to get up to speed. But once they did, it was fifth gear all the way!
The Cyclones, along with a contingent of Fort Frances Aquanauts, descended upon Atikokan last weekend for the M&C Motors meet in the two teams’ last kick at the can in competition before the Christmas break.
Both squads returned with stocking stuffers galore, and Cyclones head coach Debbie Murray is confident there’s more where that came from.
“We had a bit of a slow start on Saturday, but the confidence continued to build for them as they went along,” said Murray, whose 18-member team scooped up 74 medals in Atikokan.
“It was a fantastic meet for both experienced swimmers and first-time competitors.
“The unity of the kids really was their strength,” she added. “Whether it was on the [pool] deck or at the hotel, there was a real warm feeling from the word go.
“We look to further that into the new year.”
The results have Murray already making plans to bump some of her pre-competitive swimmers up to the competitive level come the new year, with their first chance to display their talents at the regional championships here in late January.
< *c>Young guns
Meanwhile, the Aquanauts’ 12-member contingent of mostly 12-and-under swimmers racked up 45 medals at the Atikokan meet. Head coach Roman Ramirez said they had to be on their toes to keep up with the fast-paced schedule.
“Some of the swimmers swam one race, got out of the pool, and had to get ready right away to swim another one,” he noted. “But they improved their times, and that’s what’s important.”
The three Aquanauts who stood out in their age bracket were 14-year-olds Boyd Badiuk, Jennifer Hawley, and Jennifer Jonassen.
(Their participation was due to a rule that all swimmers wanting to compete in certain higher-profile meets in the season must compete in at least two events outside of their hometown).
Badiuk didn’t take the opportunity for granted, dashing to six gold medals in his six events while Hawley brought home five gold and a silver in her six races.
Jillian Gustafson was the best of the younger Aquanauts, grabbing four firsts and two seconds in her half-dozen events.
Here are the individual results from last weekend’s meet (* denotes personal best):
< *c>AQUANAUTS
•Rebecca Armit, 11—100m IM (1:42.97, 2nd), 100m free (*1:29.07, 3rd), 200m IM (3:39.62, 4th), 50m fly (47.93, 5th), 200m free (3:25.14, 5th)
•Boyd Badiuk, 14—50m free (26.93, 1st), 100m back (1:10.65, 1st), 100m free (1:03.00, 1st), 50m fly (31.57, 1st), 50m back (33.50, 1st), 100m fly (1:16.17, 1st)
•Jillian Gustafson, 8—50m free (42.97, 1st), 50m fly (*56.99, 1st), 200m free (*3:23.55, 1st), 100m breast (*2:01.78, 1st), 200m IM (3:59.23, 2nd), 100m free (1:36.90, 2nd)
•Jacob Hawley, 9—100m back (1:58.86, 1st), 50m free (*45.08, 2nd), 50m breast (*1:05.92, 2nd), 50m back (52.71, 2nd), 100m breast (*2:23.76, 2nd), 100m IM (DQ)
•Jennifer Hawley, 14—200m IM (2:53.22, 1st), 50m free (33.18, 1st), 100m free (1:13.41, 1st), 100m breast (1:35.87, 1st), 100m IM (1:25.38, 1st), 50m fly (37.71, 2nd)
•Emily Hyatt, 8—100m back (2:06.24, 3rd), 50m back (*56.74, 3rd), 100m breast (2:54.07, 4th), 100m IM (*2:17.63, 6th), 50m free (*48.67, 7th), 100m free (1:59.58, 7th)
•Jennifer Jonassen, 14—50m back (*51.25, 1st), 100m back (2:02.15, 2nd), 100m free (1:37.86, 3rd), 50m free (40.27, 4th), 50m fly (*49.20, 4th), 100m IM (2:02.11, 4th)
•Jessica Lowey, 10—200m IM (*3:16.07, 1st), 100m free (1:24.39, 1st), 200m breast (3:32.11, 1st)
•Kaela Lowey, 8—50m breast (*55.76, 1st), 50m free (*47.90, 5th), 100m free (1:53.73, 6th)
•Caitlin Sande, 9—100m back (*1:59.09, 2nd), 50m fly (*1:00.45, 2nd), 50m back (*52.33, 2nd), 100m IM (*2:05.63, 2nd), 50m free (46.49, 4th), 100m free (1;51.58, 5th)
•Bryson Skirten, 8—50m back (*55.36, 3rd), 100m breast (2:52.94, 3rd), 100m free (*2:06.91, 4th), 100m IM (2:24.30, 4th), 50m free (54.91, 5th), 50m breast (DQ)
•Serena Stromberg, 9—50m back (*51.19, 1st), 50m free (*44.46, 3rd), 50m breast (*1:10.89, 3rd), 50m fly (*1:03.83, 3rd), 100m IM (2:08.83, 3rd), 100m free (*1:47.33, 4th)
< *c>CYCLONES
•Casey Badiuk, 9—25m free (*23.81, 2nd), 25m fly (*36.73, 2nd), 25m breast (*41.13, 2nd), 25m back (*31.58, 2nd)
•Tera Boettcher, 12—25m free (*17.97, 1st), 25m fly (*22.33, 1st), 25m back (*22.77, 1st), 25m breast (*26.68, 2nd)
•Connor Crook, 11—50m free (40.35, 2nd), 100m back (1:54.84, 2nd), 200m free (*3:23.26, 2nd), 100m breast (1:57.03, 2nd), 100m free (*1:37.18, 3rd), 100m IM (*1:48.66, 3rd)
•Erin Gustafson, 7—25m fly (*43.38, 1st), 25m breast (*41.74, 2nd), 25m free (*26.28, 3rd), 25m back (*30.47, 4th)
•Maureen Gustafson, 8—25m free (*24.29, 1st), 25m breast (*36.66, 1st), 25m back (*26.34, 2nd), 25m fly (DQ)
•Christopher Jensen, 7—25m fly (*46.03, 1st), 25m free (*31.28, 2nd), 25m back (*33.83, 2nd)
•Peter Jensen, 11—50m free (*34.29, 1st), 100m back (*1:35.96, 1st), 100m free (1:24.21, 1st), 200m free (*3:02.46, 1st), 100m breast (1:50.25, 1st), 100m IM (*1:32.97, 1st)
•Brett Jewell, 10—50m fly (*1:01.84, 1st), 100m IM (2:01.87, 2nd), 50m free (46.56, 3rd), 50m breast (1;09.25, 3rd), 100m free (1:48.38, 3rd), 50m back (*55.63, 4th)
•Marina Jewell, 10—100m back (*1:50.10, 1st), 100m IM (1;52.31, 1st), 50m free (43.04, 2nd), 200m free (*3:28.67, 2nd), 100m breast (*2:13.19, 2nd), 100m free (1:43.94, 3rd)
•Casey Kerber, 11—50m back (*49.07, 1st), 50m free (*36.83, 2nd), 50m breast (*52.43, 3rd), 100m free (*1:30.15, 4th), 50m fly (1:00.60, 6th), 100m IM (DQ)
•Kristine Kerber, 13—100m back (*1:30.90, 1st), 50m fly (*37.66, 1st), 100m free (*1:20.17, 2nd), 100m breast (*1:42.09, 2nd), 50m free (*33.37, 3rd), 100m IM (*1:27.79, 3rd)
•Keegan Little, 12—200m IM (*3:28.58, 1st), 50m breast (*45.23, 1st), 50m fly (*42.70, 1st), 50m back (51.70, 1st), 100m free (1:34.43, 2nd), 100m IM (*1:40.83, 2nd)
•Daniel Murray, 10—100m breast (2:02.83, 1st), 100m free (*1:47.52, 2nd), 100m IM (*2:04.59, 3rd), 50m free (*47.13, 4th), 50m back (*55.81, 5th)
•Shaleigh Nicholl, 8—25m back (*39.65, 6th), 25m free (*48.34, 7th)
•Sean Piotrowski, 12—25m free (*28.50, 1st), 25m back (*28.83, 1st)
•Emily Shoemaker, 10—25m free (*21.09, 1st), 25m fly (*28.17, 1st), 25m breast (*29.87, 1st), 25m back (*28.90, 1st)
•Katie Shoemaker, 8—25m back (*34.64, 5th), 25m free (*40.07, 6th)
•Donovan Taylor, 9—50m free (42.53, 1st), 50m breast (57.66, 1st), 100m free (1:43.43, 1st), 50m back (46.72, 1st0, 200m back (3:37.31, 1st), 100m IM (1:44.63, 1st)
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