Young swimmers compete at Kenora

Ten Aquanauts had the chance to compete at the Kenora Swimming Sharks’ Northwestern Ontario regional development meet last Saturday.
Alice Bolen, Jessica Cousineau, Jennifer Green, Jennifer Hawley, Alyssa Holliday, Jamie Holliday, Michelle McFayden, Miranda Richert, Steven Boileau, and Alex Parent took part in the one-day event.
For many of the swimmers, it was their first taste of competition against those from other swim clubs in a non-competitive atmosphere, Aquanaut assistant coach Karl Gunderson noted.
They also were able to work on such things as becoming more comfortable with their starts, he added.
“Our swimmers did wonderful,” Gunderson enthused Monday morning. “Everyone had at least one best time, and some had all three.”
Gunderson said the meet, which also featured swimmers from Rainy River, was specifically aimed at the younger Aquanauts, particularly those with minimal experience. And the meet itself was geared towards giving the kids an environment in which they could succeed
Each swimmer was awarded a participation ribbon at the end of the meet, and Gunderson said the support the kids received from the parents also was encouraging.
“We were the loudest,” he noted.
In other news, a strong contingent of 25 Aquanauts left today for the Division III provincial championships in Etobicoke.