Selkirk Swim Club Records Fall, Club Impressive in Western Canada
The Columbia Shuswap Selkirks Swim Club has had an amazing winter championship season. The success of the club is a direct result of the dedication of the coaches, parents, board of directors and our community sponsors.
This year the club took 13 swimmers to Kamloops for the North and Interior Divisional Championships from February 23 to 25, 2024. That is more than twice as many swimmers taken to Divisionals in 2023. This year they more than doubled their point tally at the meet, placing 6th overall. Again, Coach’s Healey, Perkins, and Leyenhorst were more than impressed that all swimmers had close to 100% best times at the meet and all swimmers made finals or scored points. Swimmers making the finals were Dane Bach (who was the top point scorer for the team), Marin Harwood (who was the top point scorer for the girls and highest medal winner), Shaya Brink, Brooke Eppel, Felix Leyenhorst, Annabel Louw, Nicola Louw, McKenzie McKnight, Becca Perkins, Ben Perkins, Finn Skofteby, Clara Tracy and Lena Warden.
The club’s depth is also growing having just returned from Calgary where the club swam in the Alberta Provincial Championships from March 7 to 10, 2024. Six swimmers traveled to the large event and were able to race the very best swimmers in Alberta. The club saw all swimmers do personal best times with 5 making the A or the B finals. Finn Skofteby won 4 Gold, 1 Silver, and 2 bronze.
Other highlights within the club include swimmers re-writing the Selkirk record board after every meet, with most of the records falling in the younger age groups. So far around 60 records have been broken since September. Leading the younger age group record breakers was Holly Scranton breaking 14 records in the 10 & under age group. Also, in 10 & under girls was Lauren Tracy who to date has broken 4 club records. In the 11-12 age group girls McKenzie McKnight and Nicole Louw have had an amazing winter season having nearly wiped the record board clean, which Coach Barry Healey feels is quite a feat seeing most of the records were already fast. Amazingly, the two girls have broken 24 records in 12 different events. On the boy’s side, Finn Skofteby is taking over the record board. This year he has set records in both the 11-12 and 13-14 age groups. Dane Bach is also having a brilliant year with 100% best times done in both the short course and long course pools in multi-events. He is also very close to making the standards for joining the Swim BC provincial team.
In the distance events, the club sees new swimmer Felix Leyenhorst making a big impact. He is only in his second year with the club and following up on his medal performances at the BC Divisional Championships in February, made big improvements in Calgary swimming in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle finals establishing best times in those events.
Catherine Currach is also excelling within the club. She is on the BC Provincial Team and is very strong member of the Swim BC Para Team. Catherine recently swam in Victoria at the Swim BC Provincial Championships where she won 1 gold and 4 silver medals. This week Catherine then attended the Western National Championships in Winnipeg where she placed top 10 in every one of her events with 100% best times. Catherine and Finn are currently on the BC Provincial Team and the club has 2 more swimmers who are very close to making their standards.
The Selkirk Swim Club has a proven track record of helping young people with 99% of swimmers that have stayed with the club and swam as a senior making it to university, college or trade school. That is something the club is very proud of and it looks like that success rate will continue in 2024-25. They have also seen three swimmers swim for Canada, and many represent B.C. The investment the club makes in its youth to make new friends, improve time management, communication, health and how to work in a team environment are invaluable. These skills will translate to school, college, university, and later in the workplace and all their journeys in life.
Swimming is a life skill and it is something everyone needs to be able to do. We in Salmon Arm are surrounded by water so it is imperative that children are strong swimmers to be able to enjoy what we have. The club is always looking for new members and sponsors so please take time to look at what we have to offer on our web site.
2024 of course is an Olympic year and all eyes will be on Paris who will surely put on a wonderful and exciting event. The Selkirk swimmers will be watching and will surely gain inspiration from those very talented athletes.