The Westlock Gators let loose a flood of podium finishes during their first ‘B’ region meet of the year at the Westlock Aquatic Centre June 4.
In total, the club’s 35 swimmers brought home five gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze finishes in the individual category with three gold, one silver and two third-place finishes in relay.
Swimmers competed in freestyle, backstroke, fly, and breastroke with some opting for a combination in the medley, but club president Simone Tuininga said that parents may see their kids change categories before regional competitions in August.
“These meets are basically just practices. It’s about bettering their times,” she said.
“Swimmers can only race in four events in each meet, so they’ll get to try something different at every one to try to find a favourite. Then, towards the end of the year, they’ll figure out what they want to do for regionals.
“It’s a pretty huge learning experience,” Tuininga said.
“For a lot of our athletes, this was their first meet, so it was nice that they got to do it in their own pool where they feel familiar and know where everything is in a good environment.”
There are nine meets in total throughout the year before the provincials in August and the Gators all-around outstanding performance at this meet, she added, helps them personal goals for the rest of the season.
“Some of our swimmers, this is where they set their best time,” she said.
“They spend the rest of the season chasing that.”
