The Whitehorse Glacier Bears competitive swim team logged an impressive effort at the Christmas Cracker meet in Victoria last weekend.

Nineteen Yukon swimmers attended the annual meet, joining about 800 rivals from across B.C. at Saanich Commonwealth Place Dec. 5 to 7.

Star Bears swimmer Cassis Lindsay set a new club benchmark in the 200 back, and continued to progress towards her goal of qualifying for the national championships in Quebec City this summer.

Meanwhile, her younger sister, Rennes, achieved two more national standards, giving her a total of four swims and qualifying her to nationals.

Rennes (50 fly) and Hannah Kingscote (200 back, 100 back, 50 fly) also achieved AAA B.C. standards, while five achieved AA B.C. times.

That list included: Thomas Bakica (200 breast), Luke Bakica (100 breast, 200 breast), Brooklyn Massie (50 free, 100 back, 800 free), Aidan Harvey (200 back) and Dannica Nelson (100 breast, 200 breast).

Head coach Malwina Bukszowana said many of her swimmers missed qualifying standards by milliseconds.

She said the experience “will help swimmers to understand how important it is to concentrate more on details.

“It is a good life lesson,” Bukszowana said. “If you are doing something, make sure you do it correct and give your best.”

Another highlight from the meet was the amount of finals local swimmers competed in – including 17 A finals and 17 B finals.

“We were visible in every stroke and each night was busier than a year ago,” said Bukszowana.

Ten-year-old Ruby Lieu-Ashthorn strung together an impressive meet, achieving new personal bests in each of her swims and coming very close to some AA times.

Other swimmers competing in the B.C. capital included Ella Pollock, Emma Boyd, Liam Diamond, Cassidy Cairns, Donovan Bielz, Caelon Workman, Rebecca Koser, Taylor Harvey and Meghan Pennington.

Each of the swimmers displayed an improved underwater fly kick, as well as solid work off the wall.