Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
The Sault Surge Aquatic Team hosted the North Eastern Ontario Region’s best swimmers over the February 6th to 8th weekend at the John Rhodes Community Centre Pool for the 2026 Dave Kensit Memorial NEOR Championships.
Overall, defending regional champions the Sudbury Laurentian Swim Club earned the large team banner with 1,243 points. The host Sault Surge Aquatic Team had very strong performances throughout the weekend but could not close the gap finishing second with 1119.50 points. The Kirkland Lake Aquatic Club earned 429 points to earn the small team banner.
In total there were 256 athletes representing 12 clubs throughout North Eastern Ontario. 49 local athletes represented the Sault Surge Aquatic Team combined to set 255 new personal best times. 26 individual Sault Surge athletes contributed to the overall total of 84 medals including 37 gold, 21 silver, and 26 bronze medals. Last season the club picked up 29 gold medals.
Asher Leask, 10, and Sophia Li, 14, picked up individual high point trophies for their respective age group for their performances. Li picked up gold in all seven of her events and in the process set new club records for her age group in the 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, and 400 individual medley events. Leask swam to gold in the boys 10 and under age group 200m freestyle, 50m and 100m butterfly, and the 100m and 200m individual medley events.
Emma Vallee, 13, won 6 gold medals along with a silver medal finishing just behind teammate Li in the 400m freestyle. Vallee set a club record in the 1500m freestyle event in a time of 18:35.50 ranking her 6th in Ontario and 16th in the nation for her age for the event.
Along with Li and Vallee the group of girls representing the Surge were dominant in the girls 13-14 age group winning both freestyle and medley relays along with 13 individual gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze medals. Winning medals in the 13-14 girls age group were: Li, Vallee, Brooklyn Barber, Maddison Erb, Elsa Mackay, and Jenna Morin.
The team’s 10/under group also won gold medals in both the boys medley and freestyle relays along with the mixed freestyle relay. Contributing to the team’s medal count in the 10/ under age group were: Ben Barber, Ryan Dunne, Balin Evans, Blake Krivan, Asher Leask, Bo Mackay, Graham Oak, Piper Scott and Sofia Naquitquitan.
The group of 11 and 12 years old swimmers swam to 2 gold, 8 silver, and 5 bronze medals. Contributing to the medal count in the 11-12 age group were: Judah Erickson, William Paranuik, Finnley Walker, Eva Moreau, Margot Oak, and Angela Thomson.
The team’s senior most swimmers Haylen Leonard, Mia Lloyd, Tayte Borrelli and Bernard Santos , contributed to the best time and medal count, will be graduating from the program this year and will be missed next season.
Other senior swimmers contributing towards the overall medal count were: Oliver Bennetto, Lendon Ellis, Andrew Li, Alma Da Silva Castillejo and Brie Reid.
Next up for the Sault Surge will be the Ontario Age Group Championships to be held in Toronto at the end of February. Qualifiers Brie Reid and Andrew Li will be competing at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre Pool. Sophia Li and Emma Vallee will be competing at the Markham Pan Am Pool.
Registration continues to be open for new swimmers wishing to join the Sault Surge Aquatic Team with information available at www.saultsurge.com.
