The Hyack Swim Club rode a strong wave of performances at the B.C. Age Group championships to finish second overall last month in Victoria.
When it comes to the peak meets, the club has a track record of rising to the occasion, and this one was no different. The New Westminster-based club, which features swimmers from New West, Burnaby Surrey and the Tri-Cities, posted the top aggregate score for male swimmers, as it did at the winter short course B.C.s.
Leading the way were Sergey Chernomorchenko and Yutong Wu, who share a healthy rivalry in the boys 11-under division. Wu won eight events, including the 200-metre butterfly, 400m individual medley and 800m freestyle, each with Chernomorchenko in second place. For Chernomorchenko, it was part of an eight-medal week. The Burnaby swimmer also topped the 200-metre breaststroke.
“The male group is especially strong, they form a good training dynamic and challenge each other daily in workout, so we expect that we will be seeing them race well when we get to the meets,” said Hyacks coach Mark Bottrill.
Brodie Young picked up four gold medals in his 14-15 year old division, while Michael Cai, in 50m breast, and Justin Kiedrzyn, in his 50-metre butterfly event, accounted for more gold.
On the girls side, 14-year-old Octavia Lau of Burnaby broke a 40-year-old club mark, set by Olympic medallist Shannon Smith. Lau’s time of 58.52 seconds in the 100m free was good for a silver.
“Those old records stand for a reason,” remarked Bottrill. “Some great swimmers have come through the club over the past 43 years and having Octavia break that record is good to see. She didn’t even realize it at the time.She can go faster yet, too.”
Lau also won the provincial 50m free race and picked up a pair of silver finishes.
She teamed with Zoe Froh, Kyra Tamagi and Victoria Tocheva for two freestyle relay wins, as the Hyack quartet took the 200- and 400m races, nearly establishing a new B.C. mark in the former.
Ten-year-old Madisen Jacques, meanwhile set five new club records and placed third in both the 50m fly and free events.
Here are more Hyack provincial results: BOYS, 11u – Sergey Chernomorochenko, 1st 200 br, 2nd 50 fly, fr, 100 bk, 200 fly, 400 IM, 800 fr, 3rd 200 fr; Peter Huang, 3rd 200 fly, 4th 100 fly, 6th 800 fr, 8th 200 fr; Calin Lucus, 4th 50 fr, 6th 100 fr; Yutong Wu, 1st 100 fly, 200 bk, fly, fr, IM, 400 fr, IM, 800 fr. 13u – Andy Cho, 1st 1500 fr, 2nd 200, 400 fr, 3rd 100 fly, 4th 200 fr, 5th 50 fly; Sean Li, 6th 50 br, 9th 50 bk; Eric Sue, 3rd 1500 fr, 4th 400 fr. 14-15 – Martin Dimitrov, 3rd 200 fly, 400 fr, 4th 200 fr, 400 IM, 6th 100 fly, 8th 1500 fr, 9th 50 fly; Sehajvir Singh, 3rd 400 IM, 7th 1500 fr; Brodie Young, 1st 200 br, fr, 200 IM, 400 fr, IM, 2nd 100 br, 3rd 50 br, 4th 1500 fr. 16 over – Chris Baker, 2nd 200 fly, 6th 100 fly; Michael Cai, 1st 50 br, 4th 100 br, 6th 200 br; Amar Fejzic, 9th 50 bk; Roland Hernandez, 2nd 200 fr, 4th 200 IM, 5th 50 fr, 200 IM, 400 fr; Justin Kiedrzyn, 1st 50 fly, 5th 200 fly; Micah Lau, 1st 200 fr, 7th 1500 fr; Chun Sing Leung, 5th 1500 fr.
GIRLS, 11u – Madisen Jacques, 3rd 50 fly, fr, 6th 200 fr, 7th 800 fr; Regina Saenz, 3rd 200 bk, 400, 800 fr, 4th 100, 200 fly, 400 IM, 5th 200 fr, 7th 100 fr. 12-13 – Carleen Gao, 8th 800 fr; Victoria Tocheva, 3rd 50 fr, 4th 100, 200 fr, 6th 400 fr. 14-15 – Zoe Froh, 4th 200 fly, 400 IM, 5th 800 fr, 7th 400 fr; Octavia Lau, 1st 50 fr, 2nd 100, 200 fr, 400 IM, 3rd 400 fr, 5th 100 fly. Yedam Lee, 2nd 200 br, 7th 100 br, 8th 50 br.
