Young competitive swimmers in Williams Lake raced the clock over the weekend during their last chance to qualify for divisional championships at the annual Frost Fest Swim Meet.
"Lots of the swimmers are really, really racing hard," said Amanda Nemeth, head coach of Williams Lake's swim team the Blue Fins.
Sunday, Feb. 2 was the last day for swimmers to hit qualifying times for the upcoming divisional championships in Penticton.
"We have lots of fun meets throughout the year, but this is the only event that their times count," Nemeth added. From Friday to Sunday, a total of 150 swimmers from Prince George, Quesnel and Kamloops joined the Blue Fins in a weekend-long event filled with both short and long distance events.
Swimmers ranged from the age of seven to 17 years old, with some competing in their first ever qualifying swim meet.
"It's really fun for them," Nemeth said.
Shay Mathews and Tiera French of Williams Lake added their names to the list of qualifiers for divisional championships after this weekend's meet.
The Blue Fins took 10 of the top three aggregate rankings, including Riel Dean's first place for boys aged 11 to 12 and Hunter Stokes' first place for boys aged 15 and over. Lilly Reedman, Emmeline Thériault, Gavin Reedman and Jordyn Stokes won second overall in their respective categories, and Emmett Engel, Annika Stalker, Conner Edwards and Tiera French won third overall in their categories.
Stalker and the Reedmans both won first in their categories in the individual medley (IM) showdown, and Riel Dean won second in his category's IM showdown.
Swimmers will be heading to Penticton from February 21 to 23 for regional championships, and in one month they will be going to provincial championships which is attended by the top two per cent of swimmers in the province. The Blue Fins have 14 swimmers heading to divisionals, and currently there are three qualified for provincials.
Nemeth thanked the sponsors for the Frost Fest, including the Cariboo Regional District and the City of Williams Lake. She also said it takes a lot of volunteers to run the meet, often parents giving their entire weekend to make it possible.
"We would not be able to do this without them, thank goodness for the volunteers...the parents really make it," Nemeth said.
