The Whitehorse Glacier Bears began the month of December in a festive fashion as they travelled to Victoria, B.C. to compete in the 2019 PCS Xmas Cracker swim meet. Thirty Glacier Bears swimmers made the trip to the 17th annual event.

Out of those thirty swimmers, aged 8-17, there were 206 individual swims and 173 personal best times.

Glacier Bears coach Carmen Escobar said it was a performance meet for the swimmers and that they were expected to compete at 100 per cent and swim as fast as they can.

She said particular emphasis was put on the 200 metre Freestyle, which every swimmer competed.

“I was so happy with how the energy worked out,” said Escobar. “Everyone was in a good mood. Everybody knew the importance of the 200 Freestyle was for us. It was important to beat their best times and everyone accomplished that goal.”

When Escobar took the reigns as the clubs’ head coach in September, she said she wanted all the athletes to become well-rounded swimmers in the four strokes.

“Everybody competed at least three strokes and all did an Individual Medley,” said Escobar. “It’s coming together. They were solid.”

For some of the younger swimmers, Escobar said it was there first or second time competing in Outside competitions.

She said that it was important for them to be in a competitive atmosphere so they can learn about what surrounds a meet, things that are difficult to replicate in practice.

“They need to know what’s coming for them in the future,” said Escobar. “B.C. is very competitive.”

With so many swimmers from the club, Escobar said they paired the younger athletes with older swimmers to help them navigate where to be and when to race.

Overall, there were 20 individual finals raced. The finalists included, Kale Massie, Maddy Mead, Mia Barrault, Brooklyn Massie, Thomas Gishler, Thomas Bakica, Alex Petriw and Aidan Harvey.

Eleven club records were broken throughout the weekend. Gishler, in the male 13-14 class, broke the 100, 200, 400 and 800 metre Free records as well as the 400m IM.

In the 15-17 age category, Petriw broke the 100m Free and 400m IM record. Harvey broke the 100m Back and 200m IM and Bakica set the new 200m Breastroke standard. Twenty-nine of the 206 swims qualified under the B.C. age group time standards. Sabine Keesey, Oliver Cull, Kale Massie and Mead achieved their first B.C standard time.

Three swimmers stand in B.C.’s top 20 for their age group: Petriw 50m Free, Harvey, 100m and 200m Breastroke and Thomas Gishler with 100, 200m Freee and 400 IM.

Two swimmers are in B.C.s top 10 for their age group. Gishler 400m Free (top 21 in Canada) and 800m Free (top 13th in Canada).

Barrault in the 100m Breaststroke is top five in B.C, 29th in Canada. For the 200m Breaststroke, she is top five in B.C. and top 18 in the country.

Escobar said Gishler has shown great improvement and will be a “game player” in future meets.

About Barrault, Escobar said she is naturally talented at the breaststroke and has a certain mobility in the water.

The meet, Escobar said, was also good for team bonding. As it was Christmas themed, the swimmers were tasked with coming up with a cheer about the club, set to a Christmas carol.

As well, Santa and the Grinch made an appearance.

Up next for the Glacier Bears swimmers is a short break followed by reduced training in early January before things ramp up again. They have a meet planned in Edmonton for February and that is quickly followed by provincial qualifiers.

Escobar said the next goal is to get the swimmers adjusted to competing in an Olympic sized, 50-metre pool.