New summer swim club gets started

By medicinehatnews on June 19, 2019.

The newest swim club in town got its first competitive strokes in Taber this past weekend.

The Medicine Hat Manta Rays Summer Swim Club had 15 athletes in action at the Taber Invitational Swim Meet Saturday.

There were lots of individual highlights but the one gold medal earned was fittingly accomplished by the relay team of Janessa Jackson, Masao Mori, Kora Kurpjuweit and Gage Davey. They were first in the 4×25 metre mixed relay.

Davey was sixth in his best event, the 100 metre freestyle for 9- and 10-year-old boys. Kurpjuweit’s fourth-place finish in 9-10 girls 50 free was her best placing. Mori also had a fourth, in his 7-8 boys 50 backstroke.

Olivia McWilliams also earned a fourth in under-6 girls 25 metre freestyle. But as coach Glen Mori pointed out, the key was to give the swimmers a chance to compete – most of them for the first time – in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. There will be many more meets down the road for the new club.

Manta Rays results

Under-6 Girls

Olivia McWilliams – Fourth, 25m freestyle

7-8 Girls

Lily McWilliams – Ninth, 25m backstroke; 15th, 25m freestyle

Reece Tschritter – 18th, 25m freestyle; 20th, 25m backstroke

Jordyn Jackson – Ninth, 50m backstroke; 16th, 25m backstroke; 19th, 25m freestyle; 

7-8 Boys

Masao Mori – Fourth, 50m backstroke; 10th, 25m freestyle; 10th, 25m backstroke

9-10 Girls

Kora Kurpjuweit – Fourth, 50m freestyle; sixth, 25m backstroke; 

Janessa Jackson – 14th, 50m backstroke; 15th, 50m freestyle; 22nd, 25m backstroke

Peighton Cairns – 17th, 25m backstroke

Marinn Wiens – 21th, 25m backstroke

9-10 Boys

Gage Davey – Sixth, 100m freestyle; sixth, 50m backstroke; ninth, 25m backstroke; 12th, 50m freestyle

11-12 Girls

Mckenna Cairns – Eighth, 50m freestyle; 10th, 100m freestyle

Taylor Sissons – Seventh, 100m freestyle; 10th, 50m freestyle; 11th, 50m backstroke

Relay (Janessa Jackson, Masao Mori, Kora Kurpjuweit, Gage Davey) – First, 4x25m mixed freestyle relay.

Other swimmers who competed in the swim meet under the exhibition category that accumulated best times included Ava Wentzel, Caen McWilliams, Willow Elsom.

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