The Sault Surge Aquatic Team hosted 247 athletes representing ten teams from across Ontario’s North Eastern Region in the first competitive opportunity of the season for most swimmers.
The meet took place at the John Rhodes pool in Sault Ste. Marie over the weekend of October 28-29. 66 swimmers represented the local Sault Surge Aquatic Team.
328 new personal best times were set by Surge Swimmers. Surge Swimmers also picked up a total of 110 medals from the weekend. Of those 46 were of the gold colour, 32 Silver and 32 bronze surpassing last season’s totals by 13 medals. Sault Surge swimmers picked up ten more event wins won by the Sudbury Laurentian Swim Club which picked up a total of 36 event wins.
Leading the way for the Surge was Andrew Li picking up a gold medal in all eight individual races entered into. He also set 3 new club records in the boys 13-14 age group in the 100m backstroke in a time of 1:05.79 just short of qualifying for the Ontario Swimming championships to be held February 29-March 4, 2024. Li also set new club records for the 100 and 200 individual medley. The surge boys 13-14 relay teams won both freestyle and medley relays with Li, Oliver Bennetto, Alex Orazietti, and Owen Clement swimming strong relay legs to pick up wins in both relays. Clement also picked up 2 gold and 3 bronze medals. Orazietti claimed 2 silver medals along with the relay win. Bennetto swam to 5 personal best times in individual events along with the relay win.
The 13-14 girls medley relay of Georgia Burns, Brie Reid, Alma Da Silva Castilego and Eva Robinson outpaced the nearest rival by almost 8 seconds on their way to gold. Da Silva Castillejo also swam personal best times in all events entered and picked up 3 individual gold medals. Burns picked up a gold, 2 silver and a bronze medal in her individual events. Reid swam to 3 gold and a silver in individual events. Robinson swam to 5 personal best times to add to relay gold.
The Sault Surge will also have a bright future as the 10 girls freestyle relay of Angela Thomson, Eva Moreau, Brooklyn Barber and Alana Hay combined to out pace the second place team by nearly 20 seconds to pick up gold. Thomson also swam to 3 gold, 3 silver and a bronze medal in individual events to go with the relay gold. Barber, Moreau and Hay each won an individual medal along with swimming a personal best time in nearly all events entered.
Other notable performances for the Surge were:
- Noel Merlino who swam to all personal best times picking up 6 gold medals and 1 silver medal;
- Bernard Santos broke the 1 minute mark swimming to a time of 59.73 in the 100m freestyle on his way to 4 medals and 8 personal best times;
- William Paraniuk swam to 1 gold medal, 1 silver and 2 bronze competing in his first NEOR meet.
- Sophia Li picked up 4 gold, 3 silver and a bronze along with a Ontario Festivals qualifying time.
- Emma Vallee earned 2 individual gold and 3 bronze medals to go along with the relay victory along with 7 new personal best times.
- Olivia Brock, Bo Mckay, Jalyn Baker, Jenna Morin, Ryelind all swam to personal best times each time they hit the water for an event.
With just two competitive opportunities the Sault Surge Aquatic team now has over 20 qualifiers for the North Eastern Ontario Regional Dave Kensit Memorial Championships to be held in February 2024 with many more close. At the 2023 championships the Surge had 40 attend the meet hosted at the John Rhodes Pool and are looking to surpass that number of qualifiers.
The Sault Surge hit the road for the first Top Fish meet of the year for 12 and under swimmers hosted by the Valley East Waves swim club over the upcoming November 4th and 5th weekend.
