Durham Synchro Holds its Head High at Lisa Alexander Meet
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During a chilly December 6, 2009 day, the air outside the Canada Games Aquatic Centre in London may have been icy and foreboding but the atmosphere inside was one of celebration, camaraderie and competition! For many of the young swimmers from Durham Synchronized Swimming Club, the Lisa Alexander Meet was their first major competition. For veteran swimmers this was their time to shine. Provincial team coaches Michele Lopers (10 Years & Under), Kirsten Femson (11-12 Year Old) and Sarah Rowe (13-15 Year Old) plus their national counterparts Head Coach Holley Lundmark (Tier 6 & 7) and Julia Maclean (Tier 6), Jenilee Keslering (Tier 6) along with Taya Amundson (Tier 6 Open) watched proudly as their teams performed with grace and dignity. |
Overall in the LTAD events for speed, strength and flexibility the majority of swimmers across each age division received bronze, silver or gold standards. A majority received a gold standard for strength. Alycia Lopers (10 Years & Under) ranked 1st place in 100m Free Time Trial, 25m Kick and the Splits and Strength Testing. Every swimmer showed fierce determination during the endurance and speed trials. “Bravo!”
In the Provincial 10 Years & Under division, the swimmers performed exceptionally well. Excelled by the cheering of her club mates, Samantha Low glided an impressive 13th place. Keeping the podium in sight, Genevieve Thorton (49), Nicole Weisemberg (64), Alycia Lopers (66), Kayla Lowe (79) and Madeleine Schropp (100) continued on to achieve great results. Well done!
Competition between the 102 competitors in the Provincial 11-12 year old division was fierce. Our swimmers held their own against team favourites known to blow other teams out of the water. Durham Synchro wasn’t going to allow that to happen! Tied for 33rd place were McKenzie Broad and Nicole Milligan. Coming up on the leader board were Elizabeth Kozak (48), tied for 59th place were Nicole Rayment and Andrea Beekman, and following was Madelyn Minaret (72). Competing in their first out of town competition, three new swimmers finished respectably - Brooke Evans (74), Victoria Wight (76) and Rhiannon Major (79).
Power and performance was the order of the day between the swimmers in the Provincial 13 Year Old division. New to competitive synchro, two swimmers, Caitlin Schropp and Kathleen Fung, had a fantastic first meet. Caitlin finished with an impressive 8th place (one place away from the podium) while Kathleen placed 22nd. Veteran swimmers Meagan Caulfield (11) and Stephanie Dalgleish (18) and battled it out with the other 47 competitors. A lone swimmer representing Durham Synchro in the Provincial 14 Year Old division, Karissa Schippers, ranked 15th out of 25 competitors. Fantastic!
Swimmers in the Tier 6 – 15 & Under division put all the hours of figures practice to the test. Five swimmers placed in the top 20 including Alycia Halyk (9), Kionna Whyte (11), Heather Clarke (12), Rachel Nickerson (16) and Sarah Masters (20). Their remaining team mates never collapsed under the weight of competition nor the strain of endless treading. Finishing with respective ranks are the following swimmers: Lindsay Dawson (24), Venessa Trajanos (25), Ellen Hamilton (44), Katherine Gagnon (47), Wenjing Deng (56), Julia Thorton (57), Kristyn Davies (59), Meg Grylls (65), Carly Byberg (69), Shannon Blaney (72), Julia Ehrt (74), Reyanne Padgett (85), Emma Campbell (89), Tyerra Lowe (100), Ellen Ritchie (102), Laura Walsh (103) and Samantha Gurrieri (110).
Out of 30 fellow competitors, Stephanie Geller came in first place for the Tier 7 Jr. team. Proudly following to the podium was Jessica Henry in 4th place. Pulling there team mates further forward was Berkley-Anne Soderstrom (18), Hannah Koke (20), Francesca Dipietro (25) and Brooke Manson (27). These resilient and spirited young women deserve big congratulations!
Competing against clubs known to be hard to beat, Durham Synchronized Swimming Club demonstrated grace under pressure. Competition was fierce amongst the clubs represented (Brant, Burlington, Durham, Guelph, Waterloo, Mississauga, Olympium, Sudbury and Toronto). Their enthusiasm for their team and club mates was infectious as they supported their peers during the Figures competition. Hours of practice time in and out of the water demonstrated that every one of these young women and their coaches deserved a spot on the podium. Congratulations and best wishes for Lisa Alexander 2010!
