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Predators on the medal prowl

A combined swim team from Campbell River and Comox Valley came back from UBC with 24 medals
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Members of the North Island Predators cheer on Jenna Beaudin in the 100m breastroke at the B.C. long course championships in Vancouver.

The North Island Predators were at it again, at one of the biggest meets of the year.

The Comox Valley Sharks and Campbell River Killer Whales came together to compete at the BC Provincial AAA long course championships at UBC earlier this month.

With 25 swimmers, one of the biggest teams ever from the region, the Predators brought home 24 medals, with five gold, nine silver and 10 bronze.

The meet started strong for the Predators, with the 12-, 13- and 14-year-old girls competing in the 800 freestyle. Gabrielle Wolfe and Amelia Elder were two of the first girls to race in the marathon of an event, both putting up huge best times, and getting themselves placed in the top eight.

Brooke Lamoureux and Mackenzie Paddington were placed high enough to get themselves into the final. Lamoureux took control of the race from the very beginning, winning the event in a best time, and showed everyone that she was someone to watch heading into Nationals and Age Group Nationals.

Paddington put together one of her best 800 freestyles of the year, sneaking onto the podium in third, beating out some of the top distance freestylers in province.

Sydney Boyle had one of the most exciting races of the first night of the competition. After getting a place in the final because of a late scratch, Boyle swam her way to her first AAA podium, placing third.

Other medal winners from the 1st night of competition were Ben Neufeld with silver in the 100 backstroke, Lamoureux with gold in the 200 freestyle, Conner Skuse with a third in the 200 breaststroke, and David Palmer with his first AAA individual podium, a bronze in the 200 breaststroke.

Day two was all about Skuse. The Killer Whales swimmer had a busy night of competition with both the 1500 freestyle and 200 butterfly on the agenda for finals.

He started with a big win in the 1500 freestyle, winning by over 30 seconds in the longest race in the competition. Next up for the young swimmer was the 200 butterfly, where he got himself on the podium again, placing second with a landmark best time.

Paddington also was able to reach the podium on Day two with a bronze in the 200 IM, and a silver medal along with her teammates Jordyn Ryan, Lamoureux, and Jenna Beaudin in the 4x200 freestyle relay.

Saturday night of finals started off with a great swim by Melayna Beaudin in the 100 freestyle, placing third overall. She would reach the podium again in the 200 backstroke, earning another bronze, and achieving her first AGN qualifying time.

Paddington was also at it again, winning the 100 freestyle in a personal best time. She also just missed finishing under the one-minute mark in one of the glamour races of swimming.

The 400 IM was another great race for the Predators. Skuse finished second with a personal best while Jordyn Ryan finished third.

Neufeld put together one of the most impressive races of the night, with a second place finish in the 200 backstroke, and a huge best time in the very tough event.

The last night of finals ended up being one of the best sessions for the team of swimmers, with 21 swims sitting in a top eight position as they headed into the final session.

Jasmine Skuse had a great race in the 100 breaststroke to lead off the team, placing fourth and narrowly missing a medal.

Lamoureux was the queen of the distance events at the meet, winning the 400 freestyle, with Paddington placing second just behind her.

Skuse had another busy night with a third in 100 breaststroke, secnd in the 400 freestyle and second in the 100 butterfly. He ended the meet as the top point scorer out of all the Predators that attended.

 

The Predators are looking ahead to the Senior National, and Age Group National Championships happening in Montreal at the end of July.