Blast Golden At Division 3 Team Champs

A small contingent from the Blast travelled to the new Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre last weekend to participate in the Division 3 Team Championships. Sibling sensations Brendan Van Herk and Shania Van Herk swept the podium with won four gold medals each. Shania (17), won gold in the 200m Individual Medley (2:29.75), 200m Backstroke (2:23.11), 100m Backstroke (1:06.88) and 200m Freestyle (2:11.65) events. Shania also won a bronze medal in the 200m Butterfly (2:37.44). 14 year old Brendan, won gold in the 200m I.M. (2:18.31), 200m Butterfly (2:23.98), 400m I.M. (4:56.75) and 100m Butterfly (1:02.87) events. Brendan also swam to a silver medal in the 200m Backstroke (2:18.45).

Another Blenheim Blast sibling duo achieved great success at the meet; 14 year old Rain Pfaff swam away with a gold medal in the 200 Breaststroke (2:56.25) for 14-year-old girls. She was fifth in the 100m and 200m Backstroke and 400m I.M. events and sixth in the 50m Freestyle. 16 year old River Pfaff won Bronze in the men’s 200m Breast (2:40.78) and just missed the podium placing fourth in the 100m Breast (1:13.14). River was eighth in both the 50m and 400m Freestyle events.

9 year old Gracin Black had two fifth-place swims in the 50m and 100m Breaststroke events. 10 year old Emma Pegg had three top-10 results, and Riley Johnson (17) had two. Three other teammates all swam to a personal best swim time in one of their events at this prestigious meet: Georgia Blackshaw (10), Jill Clendenning (13) and Delainey Johnson (13).

The 11 member Blenheim Team finished 13th overall out of 25 teams, which is impressive since most teams carried up to the maximum of 25 swimmers on their roster.