Swimmers from a pair of Peninsula clubs have been making waves lately, in pools from UBC to Ontario to Australia.
At a masters swim meet last Sunday at the University of British Columbia, 10 members of the White Rock Wave found themselves on the podium, led by 21-year-old Rachel Venner, who was first in 50- and 100-m breaststroke, 200 individual medley and 1,500 freestyle.
Wave teammate Meghan Wilson, 19, won gold in 100 backstroke, 200 breast and 800 free, and won silver in 200 IM. Kristi Martin, 22, won gold in 100 IM, silver in 100 free and 50 back, and bronze in 50 breast; and Mark Stewart, 19, took top spot in 50, 100 and 200 back, and was second in 100 IM.
Stephanie Howes, 42, finished first in both 100 and 200 back, as well as in 200 free, and won silver in 400 free.
Nancy Waterman scooped two silvers – in 50 breast and 200 free.
Brad Weiss, 22, was first in four events – 50 breast and 50 fly, and 50 and 100 free. Ian Siebel won gold, too, in 100 IM, and added silver in 50 breast and back, and bronze in 50 free.
Rounding out the Wave winners were Andy Ji, 28, who was second in 200 and 400 free, 100 back and 200 IM; and 72-year-old Tony Pease, who won gold in 100, 200 and 400 free, as well as 100 breast.
Wave’s relay team of Martin, Siebel, Weiss and Wilson also scored gold in the 4x100 relay, setting a B.C. record in the process.
And while Wave swimmers were winning medals at UBC, Pacific Sea Wolves Swim Club member Hillary Caldwell was scoring a top-five finish in Sydney, Australia.
Caldwell, in Australia as part of the Victoria Academy of Swimming, was competing at the New South Wales State Championships. She finished fourth in women’s 200 backstroke, while also adding 11th-place finishes in 50 back and 200 IM.
Also last weekend, Caldwell’s PSW teammate Lynnaea Mulligan, who is in her first year swimming at McMaster University, swam to an eighth-place finish, and a new CIS qualifying time, in the women’s 200 butterfly.
Sea Wolves fared well, too, at B.C. AA Championships in Chilliwack.
Momi Milijenovic, 14, won gold in 400 IM, silver in 200 IM and 400 free, and bronze in 200 back; Bailey Mothe, 12, was first in 200 back, second in 100 back and third in 100 fly and 200 free; and Anna Koch, 16, won gold in 100 back and 400 free, silver in 200 back and bronze in 100 free.
Rounding out the competition, Annabella Epp, 11, was sixth in the 200 breast, Emily Liang, 12, was fourth in 100 breast and Anja Pocuca, 14, was sixth in 100 fly and eighth in 200 free.