Adventures in PEI - Canadian Open Championships and National Team Trials 2010

The Durham Synchro Club was represented with spectacular performances by its athletes during the Canadian Open Championships and National Team Trials, April 28-May 4, 2010 held at the CAPRI Pool Complex, University of PEI, in Charlottetown, PEI. Head Coach Holley Lundmark and Coach Leslie Wickens brought support and encouragement to the swimmers from the Tier 6, 15 & Under and the Tier 7 Jr. & Sr. teams who were in attendance for these two important competitions.

Vying for podium spots against athletes from across Canada, the Tier 6, Tier 7 Jr. & Sr. teams finished with strong results in the Figures segment during the week of intense competition. In the Tier 6, 15 & Under category Alycia Halyk (3) and Rachel Nickerson (4) received top rankings. Members of the Tier 7 team, had respectable finishes in the Tier 7 Jr. Team category, Carrie Mouck (32), Stephanie Geller (33), Jessica Henry (34), Hannah Koke (66), Francesca DiPietro (73) and Berkley-Anne Soderstrom (77). In the Solo Prelims, Carrie Mouck (15) and Jessica Henry (21), coached by Leslie Wickens, placed within the top 25 in the Tier 7 Jr. category. The Tier 7 team placed seventh in the Junior Team Finals.

Inspired by the breath taking backdrop of Prince Edward Island, Julia Maclean and Carrie Mouck were guiding lights during this week long series of competitions. They executed choreography that brought a hushed silence to the auditorium. The Maclean/Mouck duet team (Coach Wickens) were proudly awarded the top podium place in the Senior Duet Free event. Julia Maclean (Coach Wickens) continued her astounding performances and took second place in the Tier 7 Senior Solo Technical category. The Maclean/Mouck duo demonstrated a unique sensitivity to their performance environment and to their bodies’ response to its liquid surroundings. In combination with choreography that accentuated these insights the resultant explosive moments pushed forward the athletic boundaries within this synchronized swimming event.

Some of DSSC’s athletes are coaches themselves. They illustrated the concepts crucial to being a successful synchronized swimmer – hard work, patience, awareness of self and strong will. Their influential achievements and experiences shape the future generations of synchronized swimmers. A special congratulations is extended to Carrie Mouck who made National Junior Team Trials. Although DSSC will lose some of its treasured athletes they have bestowed a legacy that will continue to inspire.