The Sault Ste Marie Aquatic Club (SSMAC) and the Soo Y Dolphins (Sault YMCA) co-hosted the North-Eastern Ontario Region (NEOR) developmental meet #3 at the John Rhodes Community Pool on January 16th and 17th.  The event had around 230 swimmers registered to compete over the two days.  
A developmental meet is designed for swimmers who are trying to qualify for regional, provincial and national meets.  For swimmers that have meet these goals, a development meet gives them the opportunity to swim events that they don’t normally get to swim at the higher caliber events which strengthens them as an over all swimmer rather then a specialty swimmer in one or two strokes.  At a developmental meet, ribbons are given out to the top 8 place finishers determined by their swim times and divided into sex, age groups and events.  
Thirty swimmers strongly represented SSMAC at this meet.  Each swimmer had the opportunity to swim up to six individual events and team relays over the course of two days.  A total of a 137 individual ribbons were won by SSMAC swimmers of which 47 were 1st place, 24 were 2nd place and 14 were for 3rd place.  SSMAC relay team won ribbons in all 13 relay events bring home five 1st, three 2nd and two 3rd as well as a 4th, 5th and 6th place ribbon.  The swimmers’ hard work during practices did not go unnoticed as they tallied 104 personal best times.  Many swimmers achieved regional and provincial qualifying times as well to take them to the next level.
Leading the way with all first place ribbons were Kalen Critchley, Carrie-Lynne Smale and Shane Rock.  Rock was successful in adding to his list of provincial qualifying standards swimming for the first time in the 200meter butterfly.
Erin Lee and Julia Turgeon both received five 1st and a 2nd place ribbons for their individual swims.  
Receiving four 1st place ribbons was Chenoa Naylor (also with a 2nd and 3rd) and Aron Mohammadi (2nd and 4th).  
Receiving two 1st place ribbons were Sheridan Worth (with 3 – 2nd & 3rd), Michael Lawrence (with 3 – 2nd & 4th), Steven Lee (with 2 – 2nd, 3rd & 4th) and Dante Severini (with 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th).
Receiving a single first place individual ribbon was Christopher Carlyle (4 – 2nd & 4th), Erinn Theodossiou (2 – 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th), and Andrew Quon (4th & 5th).
Finishing 2nd in their individual events were Lucas Luciani (2 – 2nd, 2 – 3rd & 2 – 4th), Matteo Reich (2 – 2nd, 2 – 3rd, 5th & 8th) and Lexus Hall (2nd, 3 – 5th & 2 – 6th).
Finishing in 3rd place in their individual events were Kate Mohammadi (2 – 3rd, 6th & 8th), Sherri Lambkin (3rd, 4th, 2 – 5th, 6th & 8th), Liam Cameron (3rd, 4th 5th, & 2 – 7th) and Taylor Hayward-Murray (3rd, 5th & 8th).
Michael Reid finished with a 4th and 5th while Noah Janzen swam to a 5th, 2 – 6th, 2 – 7th and 2 – 8th place results.  Mitchell Fillmore achieved a 5th, 6th and 2 – 8th place ribbons while Rayne fisher swam her way to a 5th, 2 – 7th and an 8th.  Liam Dingle finished with 2 – 6th and a 7th while Olivia Keenan finished with a 7th.  
Vanessa Reid had 5 personal best times, Charlotte Reich had 4 personal best times and Amanda Jeffreys, only swimming 2 events had personal best times in both.
Community staff as well as SYD and SSMAC volunteers banded together to make the meet a success for all the swimmers and their families.  Teams from across the region traveled by bus or by car and were treated to the Sault Sate Marie hospitality of local hotels and businesses.  They were many positive comments by first time swimmers’ families about how great the facility is and the hospitality they received both at the pool and in the community.  Congratulations to the meet organizers, SYD and SSMAC volunteers, John Rhodes Pool Staff and the community for making this event a success both in and out of the pool.
The Head Coach Dan Stratton and the entire coaching staff were extremely proud of the several personal accomplishments achieved by swimmers over the weekend.  The next major swim meet for qualifying swimmers will be Feb. 5th– 7th at the Dave Kensit A Championship meet in Sudbury.  Good luck to all of the swimmers attending.