Joey Payeur
For the Fort Frances Aquanauts, it was like having Oprah Winfrey show up at their swim meet over the weekend in Thunder Bay.
“You get a medal, you get a medal, everybody gets a medal!”
The eight-person contingent racked up podium finishes left, right, and centre–coming away with 29 top-three results in total at the 2017 Northwest Narwhal All-State Long Course Spring Classic.
Aquanauts’ head coach Dawnn Taylor was the picture of delight after her swimmers were through wreaking havoc on the rest of the seven-team field.
“This is something a coach only dreams of to have every swimmer you take to a meet get a medal,” she enthused.
“To go in with a team aged anywhere from six to 16 years old, both genders, and have everyone come home with some ‘bling,’ that’s the kind of news I like to post on Facebook,” she added.
“Even with illnesses and ailments going through half the team, and with them swimming hard and being sore, those kids never backed down,” Taylor said.
“It was good to see all the hard work they put in pay off.
“They all took ownership of their swims and brought what they had in their toolbox,” she noted.
The indoor facility in Thunder Bay was unusually warm during the weekend–“energy-zapping” in Taylor’s words–but that still didn’t keep the Aquanauts from putting up multiple personal bests.
“To be on their best times coming off the Prairie Winter Invitational, and to get those best times in a slow pool, that’s great stuff,” Taylor remarked.
William Serrano of International Falls led the Aquanauts by medalling in all eight of his events in the male age 13-14 division.
He took gold in the 200m freestyle (2:31.07) and 100m backstroke (1:16.95) while collecting silver in the 400m free (5:33.26), 100m butterfly (1:25.75), and 200m fly (3:11.64).
Serrano topped off his big weekend with bronze medals in the 50m free (29.71), 100m free (1:06.60), and 50m breaststroke (42.06).
Ayiana Gagne almost matched Serrano, going 7-for-8 in terms of medalling her events in the female age 11-12 category.
The most impressive of Gagne’s feats was when she set a new meet record in winning the 400m free (5:10.95) while also nabbing gold in the 200m free (2:33.65) and 200m I.M. (2:54.23).
She also won silver in the 50m free (31.57), 100m free (1:08.21), and 50m breast (40.51) while getting bronze in the 100m back (1:23.03).
Seven also was sister Jacy Gagne’s lucky number as the older sibling garnered the same number of medals in the female age 15-and-over group.
She took top spot in the 200m breast (3:21.19) and 200m I.M. (2:57.89), along with second-place showings in the 100m free (1:11.59), 200m free (2:41.18), 100m breast (1:34.02), and 100m fly (1:28.09).
She added a third-place finish in the 200m breast (3:21.19).
Madelynn Hoel was a perfect 3-for-3 in gold medals in the female age six-and-under divisions with wins in the 50m free (1:29.96), 50m back (1:19.91), and 100m back (2:52.50).
Cassidy Roach was a “golden girl” in her own right–churning her way to top spot in the female age 13-14 100m fly (1:15.84).
Jesse Begin adjusted well to being moved into a higher age group because of his birthday on Saturday–jumping from the male age 13-14 category to the age 15-and-over but still roped himself a bronze in the 200m I.M. (2:53.85).
Also coming through for bronze were Callum Galusha in the male age 15-and-over 400m free (5:38.15) and Chase Hoel in the male age 11-12 50m fly (43.48).
The Aquanauts will host their annual ‘O to 100’ FFAST sprint relay meet May 12-13.
The Cyclone Swim Club also carried the Fort Frances banner proudly at the weekend, with seven of its swimmers combining for 11 medals.
Sarah Rittau accounted for eight of those in the female age 15-and-over division.
She won gold in the 50m free (31.66), then had two silver in the 200m back (3:04.25) and 200m breast (3:31.28).
Rittau added five bronze in the 100m free (1:11.68), 200m free (2:42.67), 50m back (38.57), 50m fly (35.41), and 200m I.M. (3:03.96).
The other three podium finishes for the Cyclone came from Logan McFayden, who earned silver in the male age 13-14 200m freestyle (2:54.94) and 200m back (3:19.62) and a bronze in the 200m breast (3:44.27).
Isabella Avis was fourth in the female age 11-12 100m breast (1:46.86) and 200m breast (3:45.52) while Gabe Gunderson’s best effort also was fourth in the male age 11-12 50m breast (1:01.10).
Jaykob Ryll managed to place fifth in the male age 15-and-over 100m fly (1:46.61).
Abby Bone took home two ninths in the female age 11-12 200m free (3:43.43) and 200m I.M. (4:16.50).
Mickenna Ryll also placed ninth in the female age 11-12 200m back (3:58.01).
