The Nelson Reflections could be forgiven for having low expectations at their first competition in years. That bar was raised considerably last weekend.
The team had five first-place finishes at the Mable Moran Championships in Richmond, which ran Friday to Sunday.
The performance means the Reflections beat out clubs from Prince George, Vernon, Kelowna and Kamloops for the right to represent the Interior region at next month’s provincials in Victoria.
Reflections head coach Erin Fitchett said she and competitive head coach Brooke Madore were excited when they saw the results.
“We just looked at each other and we were like, ‘We’re good!’” joked Fitchett.
“Synchronized swimming, you train from September until your first competition in April and you work so hard, but you’re also blind, you don’t know what else is out there. You walk into that regional competition thinking you are going to train for the best you can swim at that meet and then you end up taking first place in every event.
“It’s a reflection — pardon the pun — of the girls’ dedication to being competitive and (our) passion for the sport, for sure.”
Kaitlyn Fitchett, Cadence Hergott, Jessica Cockburn, Nicole Sonnichsen and Carley Pattyn-Fiander took home first place in the team 13-to-15 age group.
Fitchett and Hergott also finished first in 13-15 duet. The strong performance included Fitchett, Cockburn, Hergott, Fiander and Sonnichsen finishing first through fifth place, respectively, in the 13-15 figures category.
Meanwhile, Ashley and Brooke Sonnichsen were first overall in 11-12 duet. Ashley also was first in 11-12 figures, while Brooke followed in third.
Related: Synchronized swim routines are ‘like a living creature’
The Reflections were forced to rebuild after the 2015-16 closure of the Nelson and District Community Complex (NDCC) pool. They took part in one event in March 2017 with a small group, but opted to skip team competitions for the first year.
Now they’re ready to dive back in.
“We just coached to what we used to know and went out there and wanted to swim a strong, clean synchronized routine,” said Erin Fitchett.
“We told the girls, because we had no expectations, no matter what you do, just have fun out there. They were a joy to watch. They had the biggest smiles on their faces and it was pretty cool.”
The Reflections will travel to provincials May 11 to 13, and host a show at the NDCC on June 2.
tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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