Provincials 2017: Age Group Team 4th, Masters Team 1st

The Orcas closed out a successful season at the 2017 ASSA Provincials in Edmonton. After a second-straight undefeated season in Region F competition (region F in-season winning streak = 19 meets) the Orcas looked to put up fast swims this Championship Season.  Regionals was very strong, as the Orcas captured their 13th straight Regional banner.  At Provincials, the Orcas age group team had their best result since 2014, finishing 4th, while the Master’s team finished 1st, ending a 4-year 2nd place curse.

The Lethbridge Orcas 2017 Provincial Team (including the Age Group and Master’s Teams) Photo Credit: Derek Chomia

To qualify to swim at the Provincial Championships, you must finish top 2 in each event at Regionals, or earn a Wild-Card qualification for having one of the next four fastest times in the province.  In total, the Orcas sent 52 swimmers to compete in Edmonton. In total, 50 medals were earned by Orcas swimmers. Provincial medal winners in individual events were:

• Josh Adams (18): B18&O 100 Back – Gold
• Kira Armstrong (16): G15-17 400 Free – Gold, G15-17 100 Free – Bronze
• Morgan Bos (15): G15-17 50 Fly – Silver, G15-17 100 Fly – Silver
• Olivia Bos (13): G13-14 100 Breast – Bronze, G13-14 50 Breast – Bronze
• Tyson Chomiak (14): B13-14 50 Back – Gold, B13-14 50 Free – Gold, B13-14 100 Free – Gold, B13-14 100 IM – Gold
• Aaron Gamble (35): B18&O 1500 Free – Silver
• Taylor Ginther (7): G7-8 25 Back – Bronze, G7-8 50 Back – Bronze
• Aidan Godwin (21): B18&O 50 Breast – Gold, B18&O 100 Breast – Gold, B18&O 100 IM – Gold
• Owen Guyn (20): B18&O 50 Fly – Gold, B18&O 50 Free – Silver, B18&O 50 Breast – Silver, B18&O 50 Back – Bronze
• Shannon Healy (19): G18&O 100 Breast – Gold, G18&O 50 Breast – Silver, G18&O 100 IM – Bronze
• James Kwan (21): B18&O 200 Free – Gold, B 18&O 100 Free – Bronze
• Lily Petry (10): G9-10 50 Free – Silver, G9-10 25 Fly – Silver, G9-10 50 Fly – Bronze
• Elliott Pilsner-Roberts (8): G7-8 25 Free – Gold, G7-8 25 Breast – Silver, G7-850 Breast – Bronze
• Andie Smith (7): G7-8 25 Fly – Bronze
• Rachel Tkach (23): G18&O 100 Fly – Bronze
• Sean Vanderzee (12): B11-12 50 Back – Gold, B11-12 100 Back – Bronze
• Keeley Watt (19): G18&O 50 Free – Gold, G18&O 50 Breast – Gold, G18&O 100 IM – Silver 

Lily Petry (left) earned 4 medals, including gold in the mixed 10&U medley relay while Sean Vanderzee (right) won 3 medals, including gold in the boy’s 11-12 50 backstroke. Photo credit: Steve Kwan

Bronze:
G17&U Medley Relay: Madeline Vanden Elzen, Olivia Bos, Kira Armstrong, Ali Fournier
B12&U Medley Relay: Sean Vanderzee, Eric Wen, Ben Adserballe, John Vanden Elzen
B14&U Medley Relay: Cole Wirun, Devlan Sheppard, Tyson Chomiak, Tristen Harvey
 
Silver:
None
 
Gold:
G8&U Medley Relay: Taylor Ginther, Elliott Pilsner-Roberts, Andie Smith, Lola Caputo
G8&U Free Relay: Taylor Ginther, Lola Caputo, Elliott Pilsner-Roberts, Andie Smith
G17&U Free Relay: Morgan Bos, Madeline Vanden Elzen, Charlotte Vanden Elzen, Kira Armstrong
GOpen Medley Relay: Keeley Watt, Shannon Healy, Rachel Tkach, Nicole Suarez
GOpen Free Relay: Keeley Watt, Shannon Healy, Rachel Tkach, Olivia Bos
B14&U Free Relay: Tyson Chomiak, Devlan Sheppard, Tristen Harvey, Cole Wirun
BOpen Medley Relay: Josh Adams, Aidan Godwin, Owen Guyn, James Kwan
BOpen Free Relay: James Kwan, Aidan Godwin, Josh Adams, Owen Guyn
X10&U Medley Relay: Jake Odorski, Ottavio Lutterotti, Lily Petry, Hannah Lundquist
X17&U Medley Relay: David Kindley, Jens Watt, Morgan Bos, Charlotte Vanden Elzen 

Lola Caputo (left) prepares to bring home the G8&U medley relay to a gold medal. Owen Guyn (right) launches off the blocks for the final leg of the Provincial Record breaking BOpen free relay. Photo Credits: Steve Kwan

In addition to the 50 medals, Orcas swimmers were also able to attain 6 Provincial Records over the course of Regionals and Provincials.  An extraordinary feat, given that some event records date back to 1974. Provincial records were set in the following events:

• Tyson Chomiak: B13-14 50 Free – 25.02
• Tyson Chomiak: B13-14 50 Back – 30.07
• Aidan Godwin: B18&O 100 Breast – 1:04.44
• David Kindley, Jens Watt, Morgan Bos, Charlotte Vanden Elzen: X17&U Medley Relay – 2:03.05
• Josh Adams, Aidan Godwin, Owen Guyn, James Kwan: BOpen Medley Relay – 1:48.19
• James Kwan, Aidan Godwin, Josh Adams, Owen Guyn: BOpen Free Relay – 1:37.77

Charlotte Vanden Elzen (left) crushes the final leg of the mixed 17&U medley relay to help shatter the provincial record. Josh Adams (right) explodes off the starting block to lead off the boy’s open medley relay provincial record. Photo Credits: Steve Kwan

​Lethbridge Orcas Championship Season Top Performance Awards are awarded to the top female and male swimmer in each age group. The individual in each of these categories who earned the greatest amount of points in their individual events at provincials receive this award (36 pts = max possible points). In the case of a tie or an age group that did not have a swimmer score points at Provincials, this award is given to the top scorer from Region F Regionals. The top performance awards of 2017 were won by:
 
Female:
6&U: Colby Pilsner-Roberts (Regionals: 29 pts)
7-8: Elliott Pilsner-Roberts (Provincials: 27 pts)
9-10: Lily Petry (Provincials: 21 pts)
11-12: Kennedy Smith (Regionals: 17 pts)
13-14: Olivia Bos (Provincials: 13 pts)
15-17: Kira Armstrong (Provincials: 25 pts)
18+: Keeley Watt (Provincials: 29 pts)
 
Male:
6&U: Bentley Togo (Regionals: 36 pts)          
7-8: Jack Schneyder (Regionals: 2 pts)
9-10: Ottavio Lutterotti (Provincials: 11.5 pts)
11-12: Sean Vanderzee (Provincials: 22 pts)
13-14: Tyson Chomiak (Provincials: 36 pts)
15-17: Jens Watt (Provincials: 8.5 pts)
18+: Owen Guyn (Provincials: 29 pts)

Jens Watt (left) earned top performance for the boy’s 15-17 category, while Tyson Chomiak (right) won top performance for boy’s 13-14 category. Photo Credit: Shannon Bos

The Wednesday before Provincials, the rest of the Club awards were presented. Awards were given for club MVP, Mini Orca of the Year, Master Orca of the Year, Most Improved, Coach’s Award, and In-Season Top Performance Award.  The winners of those awards were:
 
Female MVP: Kira Armstrong
Male MVP: Ethan Boras
 
In-Season Top Performance
Female: Elliott Pilsner-Roberts
Male: Tyson Chomiak
 
Master’s Swimmer of the Year: Keith Lundquist
Mini Orca Swimmer of the Year: Parnelle Jonker
 
Coaches Award
Tier I Female: Morgan Bos
Tier I Male: David Kindley
Gold Female: Lily Petry
Gold Male: John Vanden Elzen
Silver Female: Elliott Pilsner-Roberts
Silver Male: Harrison Isfeld
Bronze Female: Emi Polec
Bronze Male: Justin Larue
Bronze Whales: Abigail Clamp
Killer Whales: Nicolas Helwig
 
Most Improved
Tier I Female: Nicole Suarez
Tier I Male: Devlan Sheppard
Gold: Kennedy Smith
Silver: Austin Kremenik
Bronze: Nicole Burgess
Bronze Whales: Zada McLean-Borggard
Killer Whales: Jack Schneyder 
​

Kira Armstrong (left) had an MVP-esque performance in the 400 Fr at Provincials, making up a 4-second deficit in the final 100m to narrowly claim gold. Elliott Pilsner-Roberts (left) has accumulated a mountain of medals and awards this year winning 8 aggregate medals, 6 Regionals medals, 5 Provincial medals, and 3 awards. Photo credit: Shannon Bo

The 2018 Orcas season will start May 1st. Registration will be announced later this year and will take place in early April. Returning and new swimmers welcome as the Orcas will aim for their third straight undefeated season in Region F meets and try to match or better their 2017 Provincials performance.

Photo Links:
Steve Kwan Photo Link
Shannon Bos Photo Link
Derek Chomiak Photo Link