Blenheim Blast Swim Away With 22 Medals

The Blenheim Blast Swim Team swam away with 22 medals last weekend from the Hamilton Aquatic Club’s Spring Invitational Long Course Invitational Swim Meet. Brother and sister duo, Brendan and Shania Van Herk each swam away with an impressive 6 gold medals . 12 year old Brendan Van Herk won a total of 9 medals in 12 year old boys age category , swimming away with gold in the 100m freestyle, 50m backstroke , 100m backstroke ,200 backstroke , 200m I.M. , and 50m breaststroke events. Brendan also won three silver medals in the 50m freestyle, 100m breaststroke , and the 50m fly . Shania Herk won 7 medals in the women’s 15 & over age category. Shania had golden performances in the 50m freestyle , 50m backstroke , 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke ,50m fly, and 100m fly events. She swam to silver in the 100m free, and also finished 5th in 50m breaststroke and 6th in 100 m breaststroke.

13 year old Rain Pfaff also had an excellent meet swimming away with 5 medals . Rain was golden in her 50 m breaststroke and swam away with silver in both the 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke events. Rain received bronze in the 200m backstrokem and was fourth in both the 50m backstroke and 100m breaststroke. She was also fifth in both the 50m freestyle and 50m fly, and placed sixth in the 100m fly. 11 year old Grace Hansen swam to a silver medal finish in the 11 year old girls 200m I.M. Grace had 8 other top ten finishes, placing fourth in both the 50m backstroke and 50m fly, and fifth in the 100m fly and 800m freestyle. Grace was sixth in the100m freestyle and 50m breaststroke , and she also placed seventh in 50m freestyle. 14 year old Mackenzie Rajki swam to a Bronze medal in the 14 year old girls 50 m fly. Mackenzie was fourth in 200m I.M., and swam to fifth in each of the 800m freestyle, 100m freestyke and 50m freestyle events. She was also seventh in th 400m freestyle . 15 year old Riley Johnson had seven top ten finishes in womens 15 & over age group, placing fourth in 50m backstroke, fifth in the 50m fly, sixth in the 50m breaststroke and eighth in 100m backstroke. She was also ninth in both the 100m fly and 50m freestyle, and tenth in 100m freestyle.

Brandelyn Kelly had 5 top ten finishes in the womens 15 & over age group, placeing fifth in both the 100m fly and 200m backstroke. She was also eighth in the 50m fly and 9th in the 50m breaststroke. 11 y ear old Delainey Johnson had 3 top ten finishes ,finishing sixth in girls 11 year old 50m backstroke, seventh in 100m backstroke and eighth in 100m fly. 8 year old Emma Pegg two top ten finishes in the 10 & under girls age group placing tenth in both the 50m fly and 200m I.M.

Other top ten finishes include River Pfaff who had three personal best swims at the meet and placed tenth in mens 15 & over 100m fly. The next meet will be the year end Championship S.E.A.L. Meet hosted by the Chatham Pool Sharks April 28 and 29.