The Nelson Neptunes Swim Club posted some of the best times in their history, winning two medals at the provincials in Victoria last weekend.
In total they had 35 best times by 21 club swimmers, making a fine finish to the end of the season with 532 best times.
Imogen Cowan won a silver medal — the first time anyone from the Neptunes has won a medal since 2008 when Melissa Afford brought home provincial hardware.
Imogene Cowan won a silver medal in the 50m Butterfly. Courtesy Nelson Neptunes
Lachlan Bibby-Fox also lunged forward into third place during the 50 m breaststroke final.
All in all, the Neptunes finished with 298 points, making them the top Kootenay team and 26th out of 55 teams overall. Last year the team earned 99 points ranking them 47th out of 63 teams.
Head coach Cynthia Pfeiffer said for the Neptunes to place in the top half is unheard of, noting Castlegar and Colville have been the only local teams able to do so in the last ten years.
“To place in the top half is amazing,” said Pfeiffer, 22, a retired varsity swimmer who also competed and clocked a best time. The Neptunes placed ahead of Castlegar, Trail, Kimberley, Creston and Grand Forks.
The Kootenay region as a whole placed seventh out of eight BC regions. Individually the Neptunes came home with many top 16 (consolations) and top eight (finals) finishes.
Cowan took off four seconds from her best time in the 50m butterfly and comfortably placed second, not far off first place swimmer Ashley Ko from Burnaby. Bibby-Fox surprised everyone when he took off three seconds in the finals and made it onto the podium by 0.06 seconds.
"Our enthusiasm and team spirit is excellent. It’s such an awesome team to be on because all 35 kids came to every meet,” said Pfeiffer, “We’re small but we’re very close.”
Lachlan Bibby-Fox brought home a bronze medal in 50m breaststroke. Bibby-Fox shaved three seconds off of his time. Courtesy Nelson Neptunes
She said with more than 1,000 swimmers, the provincials could be a “pretty scary and intimidating” event as it’s the biggest event with all the best.
Pfeiffer attributes the strong showing to having the Nelson pool to train in two times per week over the winter, with extensive training over the summer. After the pool closed for part of the winter two years ago following a ceiling tile collapse, she said it took the team “a while to get back.”
She credits the team size as well. At 35 swimmers, the Neptunes are at their largest — although this is a small team compared to others, which often top 200 athletes.
Pfeiffer noted other swimmers who shaved significant amounts of time off their personal bests: Amelia Kormany’s 50m butterfly, Enna Cowan and Morgan Robertson-Weir’s 100m freestyle, Matthew Holitzki and Hannah Malenfant’s 100m butterfly, Olivia Cowan’s 100m backstroke, Kallie Badry’s 50m breaststroke, and Sage Cowan’s 200m IM.
The club now takes a brief rest before moving into its winter maintenance program which means training two times per week beginning in September.
Pfeiffer herself will continue her university studies as she begins a master’s program but hopes to be back to coach the group again next summer. The team would like to see the impending pool maintenance begin immediately in hopes the pool will be ready by next summer.
When the Nelson and District Aquatic Centre does close, the club plans to train once a week in Castlegar.
As for the season’s grand finale, Pfeiffer said: “I’m super proud of them and still smiling about it.”
FULL RESULTS:
Individual
Kallie Badry
23rd in 100m Individual Medley
23rd in 50m Freestyle
22nd in 50m Backstroke
23rd in 50m Breaststroke
Lachlan Bibby-Fox
10th in 50m Butterfly
3rd in 50m Breaststroke
17th in 100m Freestyle
Elissa Centrone
28th in 200m IM
25th in 50m Freestyle
Ella Chouinard
21st in 100m IM
21st in 50m Freestyle
15th in 50m Backstroke
Evan Chouinard
19th in 50m Breaststroke
Enna Cowan
22nd in 50m Fly
19th in 100m Freestyle
Imogen Cowan
8th in 100m IM
2nd in 50m Butterfly
13th in 50m Backstroke
13th in 100m Freestyle
Sage Cowan
7th in 200m IM
8th in 100m Butterfly
15th in 100m Backstroke
13th in 100m Freestyle
Olivia Cowan
14th in 200m IM
13th in 50m Freestyle
9th in 100m Backstroke
12th in 100m Freestyle
Leanne Douglas
13th in 200m IM
Madeline Holitzki
20th in 100m IM
21st in 50m Butterfly
17th in 50m Breaststroke
Matthew Holitzki
19th in 200m IM
17th in 100m Butterfly
16th in 100m Breaststroke
21st in 100m Freestyle
Amelia Kormany
20th in 50m Freestyle
21st in 50m Butterfly
23rd in 100m Freestyle
Geneve Magnan
24th in 100m IM
23rd in 50m Backstroke
24th in 50m Breaststroke
Chloe Malenfant
20th in 100m IM
20th in 10m Freestyle
Hannah Malenfant
13th in 100m Butterfly
14th in 50m Butterfly
21st in 100m Backstroke
22nd in 100m Breaststroke
Cynthia Pfeiffer
7th in 50m Freestyle
4th in 100m Backstroke
9th in 50m Butterfly
6th in 100m Freestyle
Morgan Robertson-Weir
13th in 100m IM
7th in 50m Butterfly
9th in 50m Breaststroke
9th in 100m Freestyle
Jaylen Rushton
6th in 50m Butterfly
6th in 50m Backstroke
10th in 50m Breaststroke
Relays
Girls Division 3 200m Medley Relay: 9th Jaylen Rushton, Geneve Magnan, Imogen Cowan, Madeline Holitzki
Girls Open Category 1 200m Medley Relay: 6th Ella Chouinard, Morgan Robertson-Weir, Enna Cowan, Chloe Malenfant
Girls Division 5 200m Medley Relay: 14th Olivia Cowan, Elissa Centrone, Hannah Malenfant, Paige Ross
Girls Division 1 200m Freestyle Relay: 13th Imogen Cowan, Amelia Kormany, Kallie Badry, Keira Badry
Girls Division 3 200m Freestyle Relay: 12th Geneve Magnan, Amelia Kormany, Kallie Badry, Keira Badry
Girls Division 5 200m Freestyle Relay: 12th Hannah Malenfant, Elissa Centrone, Paige Ross, Madeline Holitzki
Girls Division 8 200m Freestyle Relay: 8th Cynthia Pfeiffer, Sage Cowan, Olivia Cowan, Jaylen Rushton
Lachlan Bibby-Fox (far right) on the podium.
