No Lazy Days of Summer for Durham Synchro's Top Swimmers

While most Durham Synchro swimmers and families were happy to have a well-deserved break over the summer, nine of our very best athletes were busy training, competing and winning world-wide!

Julia Maclean was chosen to represent Canada at the 11th FINA World Junior Synchronized Swimming Championships 2008  held in St. Petersburg, Russia from July 9 - 13th. The Canadian team finished 5th overall at this bi-annual competition which brings together 20 countries and some 200 competitors. In figure competition, Julia placed 58th of 188 and 4th overall on the Canadian team. This is Julia’s second consecutive year on Canada’s Junior National team and she is the only Ontario resident who qualified for this elite Canadian team made up of 10 girls aged 16-18 from across Canada.  This accomplishment is all the more impressive given the arduous qualifying process which included three separate competitions for figures and routine swim beginning with 104 swimmers and resulting in the top 10 girls named as Canada's Junior National team. Julia was in Montreal from mid-May on an intense 8 hour a day, 6 days a week training regimen for several weeks before leaving for Russia June 27th. The hard work clearly paid dividends; heartfelt congratulations to Julia on this latest accomplishment.

Stephanie Geller and Jessica Henry also had a fabulously successful summer with Team Ontario 13-15 in Lima, Peru capturing the GOLD!  In Duet finals Stephanie and Jessica captured their second gold medal finishing 1st and in Solo finals Jessica finished 2nd.  In figures, all the girls finished in the top 15.  Stephanie was 6th and Jessica was 13th. 

Other Provincial team members participated in training sessions including camps in Ohio and California. Brianna MacLellan and Carrie Mouck participated as members of the Ontario Provincial Team, while Rachel Nickerson and Alycia Halyk   swam for the Team Ontario 13-15 B team and Kionna Whyte and Sarah Masters made their provincial team debut for the 12 and Under Provincial Team.

Congratulations to all of our Durham Stars! We look forward to seeing everyone back in the pool in September..