A dozen swimmers from the White Rock Wave masters swim club helped the team to a podium finish on Vancouver Island late last month.
Competing at a meet in Nanaimo alongside 19 other teams – from as far away as Oregon, Ontario and Alberta – the Wave placed third overall, behind only two larger teams from Victoria and Vancouver.
In total, Wave swimmers scooped 27 individual medals and four relay victories.
White Rock's podium finishes included Victoria Surtee, who was first in 400-m freestyle and third in 50-m backstroke and 25-m butterfly; Andy Ji, first in 100-m breaststroke, 50-m fly, 100-m free and 200-m individual medley; Karlene Clapham, first in 100-m free and 100-m backstroke and second in 100-m breast and 100-m fly; Tamiko Fry, first in 100-m backstroke and 25-m free, and second in 400-m free and 100-m fly; and Helen Raven, who won three silver medals in breaststroke and bronze in 25-m backstroke.
Elsewhere in the pool, Tracy Wright won gold in the 100-m IM and silver in three races – 25- and 50-m back and 50-m free; Joanne Christopherson was first in 400-m free and 200-m IM, second in 25-m fly and third in 25-m free; and Joanna Lam was first in four events – two backstroke distances and two freestyles.
Craig Slater was first in both 50- and 200-m back, 50-m free and 100-m IM; Karen McCreath was first in 200- and 400-m free, and second in 50-m free and 100-m IM; Nastaran Hassani-Zadeh was first in 50-m back and 25-m fly, and second in 50-m free and 100-m IM; and Theo Manley won three gold medals – in 200- and 400-m free and 200-m IM – and one silver, in 50-m free.
Next up for the Wave swimmers is a Feb. 14 meet in Vancouver. The team is set to move into the new Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre in early March – a move which will be followed by a March 5 meet in Chilliwack.