A record 19 members of the Whitehorse Glacier Bears Swim Club travelled to Victoria, B.C. last weekend to compete in the seventh Annual PCS Xmas Cracker swim meet.

Twenty-four clubs from Alberta, Yukon and BC attended the meet, with more than 640 swimmers participating. Swimmers competed simultaneously in three 25-metre pools during the three-day competition.

The Glacier Bears had a large number of personal best times, swam in the finals in numerous events and achieved club records, AAA, Westerns and Age Group Nationals times. Six swimmers made qualifying times for the upcoming 2009 Canada Summer Games in P.E.I.

Craig Berube had an outstanding meet, making finals in eight events in the boys 12 and under age group. Berube set a club record and achieved a AAA time in the 200-m individual medley with a fifth place finish in the A final. He also placed sixth in both the 100-m breast and 100-m freestyle events.

On the final night of competition, the youngster placed sixth in the grueling 400-m individual medley, followed it with a seventh place showing in the 50-m freestyle and capped the meet with eighth place in the 100-m back.

Berube achieved personal best times in seven preliminary events, then set five more in the finals. Erin Oliver-Beebe had a number of great swims in the girls 13-14 age group, with a total of nine best times. She beat her previous time in the 1,500-m free by over one minute, and swam a strong, steady race in the 800-m free, taking nearly 47 seconds off her best time en route to achieving a girls 15 and over AAA time and a qualifying time for the Canada Summer Games.

Joshua Kelly made it to the finals in four events, ending the meet with fifth place in the 50-m free and 200-m breast and sixth in the 100-m breast. Kelly bettered his time in the long 1,500-m free by 22 seconds, coming in second in the boys 13-14 age group.

He achieved a national age group time in both the 1,500 and the 100 breast, also meeting the qualifying time for the Canada Summer Games.

Brice Harding blasted out of the blocks to go under 25 seconds in the 50-m free with a personal best clocking of 24.75 seconds, good enough for first place in the B-final and a Western time. He also swam to eighth place in the 100-m breast.

Senior swimmer Tanner Cassidy, in his last year with the club, had a great meet, with eight new best times. Cassidy had a good 1500-m free, achieving a western and national age group time in that event.

Cassidy also made finals in the 100-m fly. Isabel Parkkari lopped major time off her previous best times in both the 1,500 and the 800-m freestyle events along with five other new times. She missed out on the finals in the 200 free by a mere one one-hundredth of a second.

Kirsten Berube finished a strong seventh in the finals of the girls 13-14 200-m free with a fast enough time for a girls 15 and over AAA time, also good enough as a qualifying time for the Canada Summer Games. She finished eighth in the 100-m free with another personal best time.

Rebecca Leslie dropped her previous time in the 400-m free by 49 seconds, while Taylor Campbell swam to seventh in the 400-m free.

Campbell lopped 24 seconds off her time in the 800-m free, and finished the meet with eight best times. Nadia Petriw bettered her previous best time by 17 seconds in the 200-m breast and managed eight personal best times.

Meanwhile, Julia Fedoriak, with seven new times to her credit, dropped 11.5 seconds in the tough 400-m individual medley event.

Spencer Sumanik swam the tough 200-m butterfly in both the prelims and finals, and finished the meet with four best times and making the qualifying time for the Canada Summer Games in the 1,500-m free.

New to this level of competition were Nicole Wawryk and Jessica Bakica in the girls 12 and under group. Both had at least three best times, lopping huge time off in the process.

Other swimmers bettering their previous times were Jason Zrum with four, including a Canada Summer Games qualifying time in the 1500-m free, Ashley Bray with six, Kate McArthur with two and Molly Purser with one.

Hayley Bielz met the Canada Summer Games qualifying time in the 800-m free.

Coaches Marek Poplawski and Kathy Zrum were pleased with the results. They praised the host club for a well-run meet with a great atmosphere.

Whitehorse swim parents Benita Parkkari and Mike McArthur officiated during the entire meet. Both are currently working on their Level 3 Official training.

Story provided by Alice Purser, publicist for the Whitehorse Glacier Bears Swim Club.