The Trail Stingrays continued their torrid pace in the pool, winning the Regional swim meet last week for the fourth year in a row.
Trail was tops in the Kootenays as it tallied 2,290.5 points at the meet in Colville, with Castlegar Aquanauts coming second with 2,032, and Colville third (1951.5).
“It was a great way to end the regular season,” said Rays coach Samme Beatson. “Most of our athletes qualified for provincials by placing first, second or third.”
The team won five of six meets this year, as the swimmers continued to rack up personal best times and set records along the way.
Eden Kormendy broke the old Division 3 girls 50-metre breaststroke record of 39.8 seconds with a time of 39.06 and Dylan Kormendy broke Div. 1 boys 50 breaststroke record knocking over a second off with a time of 47.53.
James Pilla, Div. 8, set new standards in all four of his events with a 1:01.09 in the 100 fly, 26.7 in the 50 fly, 54.36 in the 100 freestyle, and 24.46 in the 50 freestyle.
The Div. 8 boys medley relay team, which includes Oleg Liferovich, James Pilla, Eric Gonzalez, and coach Cody Flegell, beat the regional record by more than seven seconds with a final time of 1:52.99.
The freestyle relay team of Martin Gonzalez, Eric Gonzalez, James Pilla and Cody Flegell, also set a new record.
Placing in the top three qualifies swimmers for the B.C. provincial championship in Nanaimo this Friday. Swimmers can also crack the lineup by swimming under the provincial qualifying times.
In Div. 1 boys Dylan Kormendy was all gold, as he swept top spot in the 100 I.M., 50 fly, 50 back and 50 breast. On the girls side, Maddy Fraser grabbed silver in the 50 free and Paige Marrandino won three bronze medals in the 50 and 100 free, and 100 I.M.
In Div. 2 boys Ian Markus won gold in the 100 I.M., 50 free and 50 breast and took silver in the 50 back. Reid Dunham brought home the rainbow with gold in 50 back, silver in 100 I.M., and bronze in 50 breast.
In Div. 3 girls Eden Kormendy captured four individual gold in the 100 I.M., 100 free, 50 free and 50 breast stroke. Aby Elwood claimed silver in the 50 back and bronze in the 50 free and fly, while Georgia merry won bronze in the 50 back.
Josh Ballarin also topped the podium four times in Div. 3 boys, winning the 100 I.M. 50 free, 50 fly and 100 free.
Tess Markus, Div. 4 girls, took gold in the 50 freestyle, silver in the 100 back and 100 free, and a bronze in the 50 fly. In the boys, Joshua Zhang brought home three gold - 100 free, 50 free, and 50 fly - and a bronze medal in the 100 breast. Sharman Thomas won gold in the 100 backstroke, silver in 100 free and bronze in the 200 I.M. and 50 free.
In Div. 5 girls Jennifer Chung took off five seconds in her 100 breastroke to claim gold along with three others in the 50 free, 50 fly, and 100 free. Madison Green was also golden winning the100 butterfly, and coming second in the 50 and 100 free, and 50 fly.
Sam Theobold also performed well, seizing gold in the 100 back, silver in the 200 I.M. and bronze in the 100 back and 50 fly.
In boys Div. 5 Martin Gonzalez swam to gold in the 50 fly and 100 fly while settling for silver in the 50 free and 100 free. James Robertson shaved seven seconds off his time to take bronze in the 100 breaststroke, while Daniel Merry claimed bronze in the 100 back and 50 fly.
In Div. 6 girls Cassidy Martin won gold in 200 I.M., 100 fly, and 100 back, and took silver in the 50 fly.
In the boys Eric Gonzalez and Liferovich each won three gold and a silver medal. Gonzalez came first in the 100 fly, 50 and 100 free, and second in the 50 fly, while Liferovich won the 200 I.M., 50 fly, and 100 breast and silver in the 100 fly. Jess Bartsoff claimed bronze in the 100 back and 100 fly.
In Div. 8, Pilla’s record-breaking run amassed gold in the 50 and 100 free, and 50 and 100 fly.