CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – It was a golden weekend for the Charlottetown Bluephins after the swim club won the top team award and 47 of its swimmers earned a combined 74 gold medals at the recent Garden of the Gulf provincial swim championships in Summerside.
Bluephins were also the big winners in the age group categories, sweeping the top spots in six categories.
Lily Robichaud-MacLeod and Maggie Hu tied in girls 11-12, Jessi MacKinnon won the boys 11-12, Charley Russell, Courtney McBride and Ellie MacLeod of the host Summerside Dolphins Swim Club tied for the girls 13-14 title, Gabriel Cook won the boys 13-14 crown, Amy Wheatley won in girls 15 and older and Charlie Morse was tops in senior boys 15 and older.
Tom Ponting, Bluephins head coach, said the club was ready for the first meet of 2018, which attracted more than 70 swimmers from P.E.I. and New Brunswick.
“There was great preparation by our swimmers as they approached this important meet. The results speak for themselves and provide tremendous mental boosts as the kids move into a busy championship season,” said Ponting.
The Bluephins also won five of the six 50-metre freestyle eliminator races. In those eliminators, the top six in each age category swim off with the elimination of two swimmers each session until it’s pared down to two swimmers going head-to-head for the title.
Bluephins winners were Hu (girls 11-12), MacKinnon (boys 11-12), Courtney (girls 13-14), Amy Wheatley (senior girls 15 and older) and Charlie Morse (senior boys 15 and older).
