Five Glacier Bears shatter personal best times in Victoria

The Whitehorse Glacier Bears were in Victoria this past weekend to take part in the AAA Short Course Championships.

The Whitehorse Glacier Bears were in Victoria this past weekend to take part in the AAA Short Course Championships.

All five swimmers who attended had personal best times that shattered their previous records.

Kirsten Berube, Taylor Campbell, Isabel Parkkari, Hayley Braga and Erin McArthur were the swimmers who took the trip to Victoria, along with coach Marek Poplawski. The girls took on some of the top swimmers in their age groups from across B.C.

The Whitehorse Glacier Bears were up against 120 clubs at the meet, and Poplawski says he is very happy with the impression they have left.

“(We are) one club competing against 100 plus in B.C.,” he said. “It is a good feeling that they are good swimmers.”

Three of the five girls, Braga, McArthur and Parkkari acheived Age Group National qualifying times which has given them the ticket to compete at the Age Group Nationals that will be held in Winnipeg at the end of July.

“Those were highlights of the meet,” Poplawski said of the three girls qualifying for the July competition.

Parkkari competed in the 13-year-old category and competed in several finals. She acheived personal bests in all of her events.

She placed seventh in the 400-metre freestyle, 11th in the 800-m free, 15th in the 200 backstroke, 16th in the 400 individual medley (IM), 18th in the 200 IM, and 24th in the 200 breastroke.

Parkkari’s times in the 400 IM and the 800 free qualified her for the Age Group Nationals.

Braga, who recently turned 13 was in the same age category as Parkkari. After qualifying for international competition as a 12 year old, Braga has now been faced with qualifying as a 13-year-old.

Braga made two finals in Victoria. She was eighth in the 200 freestyle, eighth in the 400 free, 12th in the 800 free, 14th in the 200 fly, 16th in the 50 free, and 19th in the 100 free.

The 13-year old qualified for the Age Group Nationals with her time in the 800-m freestyle. Braga had five personal best times out of six.

In the 12-year-old category McArthur swam in one final, finishing eighth in the 200 breastroke. She also placed ninth in the 100 breast, 10th in the 50 free, 15th in the 200 free, 17th in the 200 back, and 19th in the 100 free.

McArthur qualified for the Age Group Nationals with her time in the 200 breastroke and swam personal best times in all of her events.

Campbell earned personal best times in all of her events as well.

The 14-year-old finished 10th in the 200 back, 12th in the 800 free, 13th in the 50 free, 14th in the 200 free, 15th in the 400 free, and 15th in the 100 free.

Berube swam in the 15-year-old category, where she acheived a personal best in the 100 backstroke.

She managed to trim her personal best by almost three seconds.

She placed finished 14th in that race, 17th in the 50 free, 17th in the 200 IM, 19th in the 400 IM, and 25th in the 100 breaststroke.

The girls also competed in the 14 and under relay. They placed 12th in the 400 freestyle relay, 14th in the 200 free relay, and 16th in the 200 medley relay.

“The meet was fantastic,” Poplawski said.

For the Campbell and Berube who did not qualify for the Age Group Nationals, Poplawski said the girls are both swimming for the first time in their age groups, and were able to see where they need to get to.

“They are at the beginning of their age groups and they did fantastic,” he said. “They learned a lot from the meet.”

Campbell just turned 14, Poplawski said, which is a tough age group to start off in but both girls did well.

“Fourteen is harder,” Poplawski said.“I think they’re on the right track to get to that level.”

With each swimmer achieving at least one personal best, Poplawski was happy to see the improvements.

“I’m happy to see the progress. The times are a lot better,” he said.

Up next for the Glacier Bears, Poplawski will be accompanying Alexandra Gabor and Bronwyn Pasloski to the Nationals in Montreal at the end of March.

Both girls have been training hard in preparation for the meet.

“They are still practising,” Poplawski said. “They’re working hard.”

This meet will be a huge step for both Gabor and Pasloski.

“The winners will automatically qualify for the Pan Pacifics in California,” Poplawski said. “This is very important.”