Three members of the Olds Rapids Swim Club — Brooke Rosevear, Thomas Andrews and Kayla Milz — gained valuable experience and swam some new personal bests during Swim Alberta’s southern winter festival.
The provincial-level meet was held Nov. 24 and 25 in Cochrane.
Milz qualified for both freestyle and backstroke 50 metre (m) finals.
She placed sixth in 100 m butterfly, 100 m IM (individual medley) and 50 m butterfly. In 50 m and 100 m freestyle Milz placed 17th and she finished in 16th place in 100 m breaststroke.
Rosevear represented the Rapids as a finalist in 50 m freestyle.
She won the majority of heats she swam in and collected a swim cap and goggles as a reward.
Rosevear placed 15th in 50 m butterfly, 19th in 100 m breaststroke, 21st in 100 m freestyle, 22nd in 50 m breaststroke and 35th in 50 m freestyle.
Thomas Andrews also represented the club as a finalist in 50 m freestyle.
He placed 19th in 50 m freestyle, 21st in 50 m breaststroke, 22nd in 100 m freestyle, 23rd in 50 m butterfly and 30th in 100 m backstroke.
Rapids head coach Cecilia Wessels says all three swimmers "dropped considerable amounts of time on individual events.
"The experience of racing with the top of the crop in Southern Alberta in their independent age groups was both stressful and exhilarating for swimmers, parents and coaches," she said.
"We are swimming into our next meet with a much broader base of knowledge and experience; not to mention drive and determination."
Wessels also noted swimmers got a chance to meet Cole Pratt of the Cascade Swim Club in Calgary and Finlay Knox of the Okotoks Mavericks Swim Club.
This past summer, Pratt obtained a bronze medal in the 200 m backstroke during the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Fiji. Knox earned Canada’s first swimming medal (a bronze) during the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina.
"To spend a moment with accomplished swimmers such as these, get an autograph and ask a question or two served as both a motivational support base for upcoming swimmers," Wessels said.
