The Harry Bailey Trophy is starting to get a bit of repetitive stress disorder from having ‘Estevan Golden Eels’ punched into it year after year.
The Eels won the trophy for Saskatchewan’s summer swimming excellence after hosting provincials Saturday and having 23 of their 42 swimmers come home with medals in their individual events. This is the fifth year in a row the Eels have won the trophy, earning 1,404 points this year compared to second place Humboldt Hammerheads (1,021).
The winning swimmers included: Marcus DeLeeuw (Gold 25 Free, 100 IM, Silver 25 Breast, Bronze 25 Fly in the 7-8 year old boys) and in the 9-10 year old girls: Lily Knoll (Silver 100 Back), Emily Sauder (Silver 50 Breast, 100 Free, 100 Breast), Hailey Tangjerd (Silver 50 Back, Bronze 50 Free), Jordyn Tarnes (Gold 25 Fly, 100 Free, 50 Back, 50 Fly, 100 IM) and Alianna Young (Gold 50 Breast, 100 Breast, Silver 25 Fly, 50 Free, 100 IM).
In the 9-10 year old boys, it was Blake Andrist (Gold 50 Back, Silver 25 Fly, 50 Breast, 50 Back, 100 IM), and in the 11-12 year old girls, Emily Tarnes (Gold 50 Breast, 100 Breast, 50 Free, 200 IM, Bronze 25 Fly), and Alandra Young (Bronze 50 Breast).
Medalling in the 11-12 year old boys were Logan Dalziel (Gold 50 Breast, Silver 100 Breast, Bronze 50 Back, 200 IM), Lucas Dzeryk (Gold 50 Back, Silver 100 Back, 50 Breast, 50 Free), Ethan Elliott (Gold 100 Back, 50 Free, Silver 50 Back, Bronze 25 Fly) and Tristan Threinen (Gold 200 Free, 200 IM, Silver 50 Free, Bronze 50 Fly).
The 13-14 year old girls got medal winning swims from: Alexandra Andrist (Silver 200 Back), Josie Andrist (Gold 200 IM, Silver 200 Free), Rebecca Duncan (Bronze 100 Fly) and Mikayla Hack (Gold 200 Free, 100 Breast, 200 Breast, Silver 200 IM, Bronze 200 Back).
The 13-14 year old boys were represented on the podium by Carson Wheeler (Gold 200 Back, 100 Back, Bronze 200 Breast), while the 15-17 year old girls had Charlotte Andrist (Bronze 50 Breast), Taeghen Hack (Gold 200 Free, 50 Fly, 100 Free, 100 Fly, 200 IM) and Emily Marshall (Silver 200 Back, 100 Back, Bronze 50 Free) all earning medals.
The 15-17 year old boys who won medals were Logan Marshall (Gold 200 Back, Bronze 200 Free, 100 Back) and Chris Sutter (Bronze 200 Back)
Five of the Eels won the high point award for their age categories. Those included Marcus DeLeeuw (7-8 boys), Jordyn Tarnes (9-10 girls), Emily Tarnes (11-12 girls), Mikayla Hack (13-14 girls) and Taeghen Hack (15-17 girls).
“We practiced relays and we did a bunch of sprints and stuff,” said Emily Tarnes, who, like her teammates was in the pool four days a week in the two months leading up to provincials. “My goal in every race was to drop time.”
Having the provincials at home was a bit of a bonus as well, even if the pool water was little bit colder at home than most on the road.
“When I did my first race I was comfortable with it and I was comfortable with the races after that,” said DeLeeuw, who at age 8 was already at his second provincials.
Some provincial records also fell this season thanks to the work of some of the Eels. Taeghen Hack set a time in the 50 fly at 31.87 seconds, Alianna Yong set the province’s best mark with a 100 breast time of 1:36.12, and Jordyn Tarnes set three records in the 25 fly (16.23), 50 fly (37.54) and 100 individual medley (1:26.95).
The 200 free relay relay team of Emily Sauder, Hailey Tangjerd, Young and Tarnes set a time of 2:35.84.
