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Eels had outstanding results in winning provincial title

It’s become a familiar sight in Saskatchewan summer speed swimming: the Estevan Golden Eels swim club hoisting the provincial championship banner and trophy. And it’s not getting old for the team’s members, coaches and parents.
Eels pic
The Estevan Golden Eels swim club won the provincial championship for the fifth consecutive year this weekend in Rosetown.

It’s become a familiar sight in Saskatchewan summer speed swimming: the Estevan Golden Eels swim club hoisting the provincial championship banner and trophy.

And it’s not getting old for the team’s members, coaches and parents.

The Eels won their fifth straight provincial title on the weekend in Rosetown, finishing with 1,271 points to outpace the second place Humboldt Hammerheads, who had 1,058 points.

The Regina Piranhas were a distant third with 761 points.

Swimmers received points for their club based on their finish, but need to be at least sixth place to receive a point.

Coach Colin Sutter said the 35 Eels who went to provincials did very well. Some came in with modest expectations, hoping to finish fourth, but came away with individual medals.

“Everyone knocked time off. That’s probably the best improvement that they did is their pacing, and their endurance was definitely really improved, and I was really impressed with all of that.”

Many of the swimmers knocked five or 10 seconds off from their time recorded at the south finals in Assiniboia a week earlier.

Sutter attributed the improvements to having the right attitude going into provincials.

“They were there ready to win and they were there ready to work hard, and I think that gave them the go to just push themselves that much harder, and they realized just how hard they can push themselves with their first race, knocking that time off.”

Aggregate age group winners were: Karson Mvula, nine and 10 boys; Jordyn Tarnes, 11-12 girls; Tristan Threinen, 13 and 14 boys; Alex Andrist, 13–14 girls; Taeghan Hack, 15-17 girls; and Emily Marshall, 18-and-over girls.

Taeghan Hack broke her own provincial record in the 15-17 girls 50-metre butterfly with a time of 31.73 seconds.

Results for the boys swimmers were:

  • Ethan Elliott: First in the 50-metre freestyle, 100-metre backstroke and 200-metre backstroke, second in the 50-metre butterfly and third in the 100-metre breaststroke;
  • Dylan Pryznyk: Third in the 50-metre butterfly and the 200-metre breaststroke, fourth in the 100-metre breaststroke, and sixth in the 50-metre freestyle and the 100-metre freestyle;
  • Carson Stopanski: First in the 100-metre backstroke, fifth in the 100-metre freestyle, sixth in the 50-metre backstroke and the 100-metre individual medley, and ninth in the 50-metre freestyle.
  • Shiven Sangar: First in the 200-metre freestyle, hird in the 100-metre freestyle, fifth in the 50-metre butterfly and eighth in the 50-metre backstroke. 
  • Lyndon Sauder: Third in the 100-metre backstroke and the 200-metre backstroke, fourth in the 200-metre freestyle and fifth in the 50-metre freestyle;
  • Christopher Sutter: Third in the 100-metre backstroke and the 200-metre backstroke, and fifth in the 50-metre freestyle, the 100-metre freestyle and the 100-metre breaststroke;
  • Bennett Walliser: Second in the 50-metre freestyle, the 100-metre freestyle and fourth in the 25-metre butterfly;
  • Carter Yunick: First in the 25-metre breastroke, second in the 25-metre and the 50-metre backstroke, third in the 50-metre freestyle and sixth in the 25-metre freestyle;
  • Mason Yunick: Fifth in the 50-metre breaststroke and 10th in the 50-metre freestyle;
  • Tristan Threinen: First in the 50-metre butterfly, 100-metre butterfly, 100-metre freestyle, 200-metre freestyle and 200-metre individual medley;
  • Jacob Deitz: Fifth in the 200-metre freestyle, sixth in the 100-metre backstroke, seventh in the 50-metre breaststroke and 11th in the 25-metre butterfly;
  • Karson Mvula: First in the 100-metre individual medley, second in the 50-metre breaststroke and the 100-metre breaststroke, third in the 50-metre breaststroke and sixth in the 25-metre butterfly.
  • Sawyer Bombarek also competed in the 25-metre breaststroke.

Results for the girls events were:

  • Gabrielle Deitz: Fifth in the 25-metre breaststroke, 10th in the 25-metre backstroke and the 50-metre freestyle, and 12th in the 25-metre freestyle;
  • Rachel Duncan: Third in the 50-metre butterfly and the 100-metre freestyle, fifth in the 25-metre butterfly and the 50-metre freestyle;
  • Olivia Hockey: Sixth in the 25-metre breaststroke, seventh in the 25-metre backstroke, ninth in the 50metre backstroke and the 50-metre freestyle, and 11th in the 25-metre freestyle;
  • Emily Marshall: First in the 50-metre freestyle, 50-metre butterfly, 100-metre breaststroke, 100-metre backstroke and the 200-metre backstroke;
  • Isabelle Pyra: Eighth in the 25-metre backstroke, 50-metre backstroke and the 50-metre freestyle, and 10th in the 25-metre freestyle;
  • Emily Sauder: Second in the 50-metre breaststroke and the 100-metre breaststroke, fourth in the 200-metre medley, fifth in the 50-metre freestyle and the 100-metre freestyle;
  • Hailey Tangjerd: Second in the 50-metre backstroke, and third in the 50-metre freestyle, the 100-metre freestyle and the 100-metre backstroke;
  • Emily Tarnes: First in the 50-metre freestyle, the 100-metre freestyle, the 100-metre breaststroke and the 200-metre breaststroke;
  • Alianna Young: First in the 50-metre breaststroke, third in the 100-metre breaststroke, fourth in the 25-metre butterfly, and ninth in the 50-metre freestyle;
  • Alandra Young: Sixth in the 50-metre freestyle and seventh in the 100-metre freestyle;
  • Alexandra Andrist: First in the 200-metre freestyle, 200-metre backstroke and 200-metre individual medley, second in the 100-metre backstroke and fourth in the 100-metre freestyle;
  • Josie Andrist: Third in the 100-metre backstroke, 200-metre medley and 200-metre freestyle, and sixth in the 100-metre freestyle and eighth in the 50-metre butterfly;
  • Rebecca Duncan: Second in the 100-metre butterfly and the 200-metre freestyle, fourth in the 200-metre individual medley, fifth in the 50-metre butterfly and the 100-metre freestyle;
  • Taeghen Hack: First in the 50-metre butterfly, the 100-metre freestyle, the 100-metre butterfly, the 200-metre freestyle and the 200-metre individual medley;
  • Lily Knoll: Fourth in the 100-metre backstroke, fifth in the 200-metre freestyle, sixth in the 50-metre backstroke and seventh in the 100-metre freestyle;
  • Jennika Linthicum: ninth in the 50-metre backstroke and the 100-metre freestyle, and 11th in the 25-metre butterfly;
  • Mikayla Hack: Second in the 100-metre freestyle, the 100-metre breaststroke, the 200-metre freestyle, the 200-metre breaststroke and the 200-metre individual medley;
  • Gabrielle Jocelyn: Second in the 200-metre medley, third in the 100-metre butterfly and the 200-metre backstroke, and fourth in the 200-metre freestyle;
  • Mahlyn Bombarak: Sixth in the 100-metre breaststroke and the 100-metre backstroke, and eighth in the 50-metre breaststroke;
  • Jordyn Tarnes: First in the 50-metre butterfly, 100-metre backstroke, 100-metre breaststroke and 200-metre individual medley; and second in the 25-metre butterfly;
  • Hailey Hack: Tenth in the 200-metre medley; and
  • Sophia Deitz: Eleventh in the 25-metre backstroke.

Most of the swimmers who went to provincials competed in four or five events, and came home with an individual medal.

The Eels success also helped the south swim clubs defeat their counterparts from the north for the most cumulative points.

Estevan had the largest contingent at provincials, followed by Humboldt. The size of the team made a big difference, Sutter said, because when they have more swimmers, they’re able to compile more points.

He admits he was a little nervous on the second day, when Regina started to creep closer, but it proved to be Humboldt who was their biggest threat to their dynasty.

“The kids were really excited when we got the trophy there. Everyone was really pumped to touch it. That made me feel really good as a coach that I brought that excitement to win as a team.”

Other clubs at provincials were very good, he said, and there were lots of close races. Many of the swimmers from those other clubs posted personal bests.

“The level of competition was really strong, and I definitely lost my voice on the weekend cheering,” said Sutter.

The team started holding practices in May, and they swam four days per week, an hour per day. Attendance was really high throughout the season, and they practised right up until the Thursday before provincials.

Sutter said the older kids will swim 1 1/2 or two kilometres per day, and they’ll be asking for more by the end of the day.

When a team has success like the Eels have had, Sutter said it gives the athletes incentive for next year. There are a few girls who won’t be back next year, because they will be swimming in Regina. They’re disappointed they won’t be returning.

“I think it goes along with Estevan’s history for success in swimming. It makes you want to swim, and it makes you want to stay in it.”