For the first time in five years, students at both Don Ross and Howe Sound Secondary schools hit the water this fall.
It's been a strong return to high school swimming for both schools, with a number of students qualifying for the provincial championships, which took place in Nanaimo on Friday (Nov. 19) and Saturday (Nov. 20).
The 200-metre mixed medley relay team consisting of Lauren Aikens, Blair Chartrand, Sarah Dale and Wyatt Pederson had the schools' highest overall placing at the meet. The quartet from Howe Sound Secondary put together a time of 2:13.10, good for seventh place in the province.
"Lauren Aikens took three seconds off her best 50-metre backstroke time and Blair Chartrand swam his 50 m breaststroke in 38.08 seconds to make the time even faster," team spokesperson Sue Pederson wrote in an email. "Sarah Dale swam the butterfly portion in 34.54 and Wyatt Pedersen brought it home with a 26.72 50 m freestyle. The group was really excited to make the main final since they are all current and ex-summer swimmers who just completed their racing season this August."
Pederson also fared well in individual races, finishing 10th in the 100 m freestyle and 11th in the 50 m breaststroke. His teammates on the relay team also fared well, with Dale finishing 11th in the 50 m breaststroke and Aikens placing 14th in the 50 m backstroke.
Don Ross Secondary's Kristianne Chartrand also competed at the provincials, placing 27th in the 50 m individual medley and 28th in the 50 m breaststroke.
Pederson also helped run the team's dry land training sessions, with Howe Sound's Hayley Auld serving as the team's coach.
Swimmers from both schools qualified for the provincials with strong showings at the zone championships on Oct. 24. Highlights from that event included Sarah Dale finishing first in the 50 m freestyle and second in the 50 m breaststroke with the aforementioned mixed medley relay team placing second.
