Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Marcel Vander Wier

WELCOMING THE NORTH – Whitehorse Glacier Bears swimmer Dannica Nelson competes in the 100-metre breaststroke Saturday during the 2015 Yukon Championship Invitational Swim Meet at the Canada Games Centre.

Glacier Bears welcome rival clubs for swim meet

Canada’s northern swim clubs converged on the Yukon capital last weekend in what was widely regarded as one of the largest swim meets in the territory’s history.

By Marcel Vander Wier on April 30, 2015

Canada’s northern swim clubs converged on the Yukon capital last weekend in what was widely regarded as one of the largest swim meets in the territory’s history.

The 2015 Yukon Championship Invitational Swim Meet saw nearly 140 swimmers from five clubs battle for swim titles at the Canada Games Centre April 24 and 25.

Alongside 84 Whitehorse Glacier Bears swimmers, members of the Yellowknife Polar Bears, Fort Smith Hurricanes, Mackenzie Muskrats (Inuvik) and Haines Dolphins were also in the pool – for a total of 139 athletes.

The annual competition saw many “very good” performances from the young Whitehorse swimmers, said coach Malwina Bukszowana.

Rennes Lindsay turned in several stellar swims, breaking a 19-year-old meet record in the 100-metre individual medley.

She also set new benchmarks in the 100 fly, 200 fly and 400 IM en route to a first place finish in the 12-and-under girls division.

She finished ahead of teammates Ella Pollack-Sheppard and Meaghan Pennington.

Meanwhile, her older sister Cassis Lindsay set a new meet record in the 100 IM, and went on to claim the 13-and-over girls division title, followed by teammate Dannica Nelson.

Luke Bakica set new meet records in the 100 breast, 200 breast and 200 fly, but the 14-year-old was unable to place going up against 17-year-old boys from the Northwest Territories.

Four Yellowknife swimmers also broke meet records: Bronson Dolynny (50 back, 200 back), Breton Walker (200 breast), Gabriel Leclerc (800 free) and Obed Duru (50 breast).

A trio of N.W.T. swimmers led by Dolynny swept the 13-and-over boys category.

Yellowknife’s Leclerc also topped locals Thomas Bakica and Aiden Harvey in the 12-and-under boys category.

Leclerc’s win came despite a spectacular showing from Thomas Bakica, who set four meet records in the 400 free, 1,500 free, 100 fly and 200 IM.

His free swims were also new bests for the club.

Bukszowana said she was impressed with the performance of Amelia Barrault, Amelia Ford and Kassua Dreyer, who swept the 10-and-under girls podium.

The improvements the trio have made since the first meet of the season were “very obvious,” she said.

Whitehorse also swept the 10-and-under boys podium, led by Christopher Blakesley. Theo Anderson and Aidan Harvey finished second and third, respectively.

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The Glacier Bears also sent six young female swimmers to the Dino Cup in Calgary last month.

Barrault, Ava Dedon, Dreyer, Ford, Emily Vangel and Avery Workman attended the 10-and-under championship event at the University of Calgary Aquatic Centre.

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