SLSC swimmers cap off success short course season

Last weekend marked the end of a fantastic Short Course Championship season for Sudbury Laurentian Swim Club (SLSC) swimmers.

The club started out the winter season by regaining the North Eastern Ontario Regional (NEOR) Short Course Championship in Sault Ste. Marie the weekend of Jan. 30 to Feb. 1. The 37 participating swimmers from SLSLC claimed both the women’s and men’s titles. SLSC outscored the next placed team by about 430 points. Ali Bertrim broke a 31-year-old club record in the 10-and-under girls 100 fly record with a 1:18.02.

Next up, the Eastern Canadian Open Championships were held the weekend of Feb. 19-22 in Quebec City, and SLSC had three swimmers in attendance. This meet was actually swam long course (50m pool).

Nina Kucheran, Chris Eastick and Alex Langlois went to race the best swimmers in Eastern Canada. Nina Kucheran took home gold medals in the 50m and 100m breaststroke and silver in the 200m breaststroke.

Nina also placed in the top 10 in the 400 and 200 individual medley, 400 and and 1500m freestyle and broke SLSC and NEOR regional records in the 13-14 girls 50m, 100m, 200m breaststroke and the 400m individual medley. Chris Eastick finished ninth in the A final of the 400m freestyle and made B final for freestyle and individual medley. Alex Langlois, in the 16-and-over category, swam the backstroke and freestyle.

The same weekend, four 12-and-under SLSC swimmers attended the Ontario Winter Festival Swim Meet in Etobicoke. Ali Bertrim took home two golds (50m, 100m butterfly), three silvers (50m freestyle,100m and 200m IM), and a bronze (400m freestyle), breaking SLSC records for the 10-and-under girls 50m and 100m butterfly and 200m IM, and the NEOR record in the 100m IM.

Hannah Nordquist swam to three silvers (100m, 200m Breaststroke, 100m freestyle) and two bronzes (200m IM, 50m freestyle) and was fifth in the 400m IM.

Isabella Mastroianni placed sixth in the 12-year-old girls 400 IM.
Jordano Piccoli rounded out the group swimming butterfly and individual medley.

Finally, on the weekend of Feb. 26 to March 1, a group of nine swimmers went to Brantford for Ontario Age Group Championships. Thomas Boyd was the big finisher for SLSC at Provincials this year, taking home two gold medals (50m and 200m freestyle), a silver medal (100m freestyle) and a bronze medal (100m backstroke) in four events.

Erik Wainman placed fourth in the 200m breaststroke, fifth in the 100m breaststroke and 13th in the 50m freestyle. Other SLSC swimmers in the top 20 included Alison Cudmore (400m freestyle), Morgan Kivinen (400m freestyle), Emmy Kucheran (200m breaststroke), Natalie Lafebvre (1500m and 400m freestyle), Abby Mcdonald (100m backstroke, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly) and Everett Smith (100m backstroke, 200m backstroke).