Blast Simmers Earn Personal Bests

The Blenheim Blast Swim Team travelled to the International Training and Aquatic Centre in Windsor to compete in the S.E.A.L. Championships Sunday, April 26. Swimmers competed for tiles across their age divisions in five events, with many Blenheim Blast swimmers achieving new personal best times.

Delainey Johnson (14) won the overall championship in 14 & over girls’ age group. Johnson swam five personal best times that day, shaving 2.68 seconds off her time in the 100m Backstroke to win the event. Johnson was second in the 100m Free (1:.09.71), fourth in the 50m Fly (41.27), fifth in the 100m I.M. 1:22.45) and sixth in the 100m Breast (1:37.73).

Olivia Ermers had two tope finishes in the 14 & over girls’ division, finishing sixth in the 100m Back (1:34.79) and seventh in the 100m Breast (1:40.13).

Grace Hansen (14) won the girls’ 14 & over 100m I.M. in a personal best time of 1:14.20. Grace competed in the open girls’ age division for the remainder of her events and placed fourth in both the 100m Fly and Free, and fifth in both the 100m Breast and Back.

Teammate Rain Pfaff (16) had three personal best times Sunday in her second place performances in the girls’ open 100m Fly (1:10.66), Back (1:08.02) and Breast (1:17.84) events. Rain was also second in the 100m Free and 200m I.M.

Brendan Van Herk (15) won five events in the men’s open category, swimming personal best times in four events to win each of the 100m Fly (59.02), Back (1:00.40), Breast (1:09.90) and Free (55.68) races. Brendan also won the 200m I.M. in a time of 2:11.46. Teammate River Pfaff (18) finished second in the 100m with a new personal best time of 1:11.83. River also placed second in each of the 200m I.M. (2:24.17), 100m Fly (1:07.04), 100m Back (1:09.87), and 100m Free (29.25) events.

11 year old Gracin Black tied for third place in the 10-11 year old boys’ age group. Gracin had two personal best swims, shaving 0.76 off his 50m Fly to place second (42.96), and knocking 2.44 seconds off his time in the 100m Free to place fifth (1:23.71). Black also placed third in the 100m I.M. (1:31.10), and fourth in the 50m Back (45.37).

11 year old Emma Pegg set three new personal best times at the meet, placing second in the 50m Breast in a time of 45.77, fourth in the 50m Fly (40.16) and fifth in the 100m I.M. (1:27.81). Emma also placed sixth in the 100m Free. Team mate Talia-Rae Farrow (11) won the 50m Breast in a personal best time of 44.60 9. Talia-Rae had two other personal best swims in the 50 Fly and 100 I.M.

9 year old Linnea Mattsson swam personal best times in each of her events, placing third in both the 25 m Breast (22.98) and Fly (20.16) events. She was fifth in the 100 I.M. (1:45.05), sixth in the 25m Back (21.73) and seventh in the 50m Free. Brielle Farrow (9) finished second in the 25 m Fly in new best time of 20.09 seconds. Farrow had two other personal best times in her 25m Fly and 50m Free events. Lilly Jones had one top ten finish placing fourth in the 25m Breast in a personal best time of 23.90. Jones also swam a personal best in her 100 I.M.

Abha Pradhan (11) had five personal best swims at the meet, shaving almost thirteen seconds off her time in the 100m I.M. to finish in 1:57.18. Cora Holt finished her 100m I.M. in 1:59.52, almost 11 seconds faster than her previous best time. Cora had personal best times in both her 50m Fly and Breast, and 100m Free. Emily Mallott (10) had three personal best times, knocking over eight seconds off her time in the 100m Free (2:10.22). Emily also set new personal best times in her 50m Breast and 100m I.M. Other swimmers who had personal best swims include 6 year old Sadie Black (25m Fly), 11 year old Aidyn Harris (100m Free), and 12 year old Holly Reynolds (100m I.M.).