Neptunes finish KSSA season with a Big Splash
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Nelson Neptunes began the 2014 Kootenay Summer Swim Association season like a fish out of water.
However, when the final horn sounded two months later, the Neptunes were a vastly different team, finishing second to powerhouse Castlegar Aquanauts at the Kootenay Regional Championships held recently in the Trail and ready to continue on a roll at this weeks Provincials in Kamloops.
“We could not have asked for a better result and look forward to seeing the provincial qualifiers performing even faster in Kamloops,” said Neptune head coach Cynthia Pfeiffer.
“With not having a season last year the Neptunes started out this summer with lots of hard work ahead of them but they managed to buckle down and finish the year with a bang,” Pfeiffer added.
Castlegar won the Regional team title with 2756 points. Nelson was second followed by Grand Forks in third and Trail Stingrays in fourth.
Creston, Colville, Wash., and Kimberley rounded out the seven-team field.
Twenty-six Neptunes attended the regionals in Trail and finished with 18 medalists, three record holders, 21 provincial qualifiers and 14 swimmers planning to attend the BC Summer Swim Provincial championships beginning Friday in Kamloops.
The Neptunes making the trek include, Imogen Cowan, Enna Cowan, Sage Cowan, Olivia Cowan, Ella Chouinard, Morgan Robterson-Weir, Madeline Holitzki, Matthew Holitzki, Joanna Blishen, Ohia Wintraub, Jaylen Rushton, Chloe Malenfant, Hannah Malenfant and coach Pfeiffer.
“Watch out for Ohia Wintraub who is currently ranked in the top eight in the province for 50 meter butterfly and the Division 1 girls,” Pfeiffer said.
“(Also) Ella Chouinard, Morgan Robertson-Weir, Imogen Cowan and Chloe Malenfant are looking for a top five finish in both their Medley and Freestyle relays,” Pfeiffer added.
Neptune Individual Results:
- Samuel Matthew: “O” Category 2 – 100m freestyle (gold), 200m IM (gold), 100m breaststroke (gold), 100m backstroke (gold)
- Matthew Holitzki: Division 4 boys – 100m freestyle (bronze), 50m freestyle (bronze), 200m IM (gold), 100m breaststroke (gold)
- Olivia Cowan: Division 5 girls – 100m freestyle (silver), 200m IM (gold), 50m butterfly (silver), 100m backstroke (bronze)
- Ohia Wintraub: Division 4 girls – 100m freestyle (bronze), 50m butterfly (gold), 50m freestyle (bronze), 200m IM (bronze)
- Sage Cowan: Division 6 girls – 100m freestyle (gold), 100m backstroke (silver), 200m IM (gold), 100m butterfly (gold)
- Locke Finley: Division 2 boys – 100m freestyle (bronze), 50m backstroke (silver)
- Jaylen Rushton: Division 2 girls – 50m backstroke (silver), 100m IM (gold), 50m butterfly (gold), 50m breaststroke (gold)
- Ella Chouinard: Division 1 girls – 50m backstroke (silver)
- Chloe Malenfant: Division 1 girls – 100m freestyle (bronze)
- Joanna Blishen: Division 5 girls – 100m butterfly (silver), 100m breaststroke (bronze)
- Rebecca Afford: Division 8 women – 50m butterfly (silver), 100m breaststroke (gold), 50m freestyle (silver), 200m IM (bronze)
- Hannah Malenfant: Division 4 girls – 50m butterfly (silver), 200m IM (bronze), 100m breaststroke (bronze)
- Cameron Bibby-Fox: Division 2 boys – 100m IM (bronze), 50m breaststroke (silver)
- Morgan Robertson-Weir: Division 1 girls – 50m butterfly (bronze)
- Imogen Cowan: Division 1 girls – 50m butterfly (silver)
- Cynthia Pfeiffer: Division 8 women – 50m freestyle (bronze), 200m IM (silver), 100m backstroke (gold), 100m freestyle (silver)
- Madeline Holitzki: Division 3 girls – 50m breaststroke (silver)
- Lachlan Bibby-Fox: Division 1 boys – 50m breaststroke (bronze)
Neptune Relay Results:
- Division 2 boys medley relay (Locke Finley, Cameron Bibby-Fox, Lachlan Bibby-Fox, Koa Wintraub) – silver
- Division 1 girls medley and freestyle relays (Imogen Cowan, Ella Chouinard, Chloe Malnfant, Morgan Robertson-Weir) – gold
- Division 6 girls medley and freestyle relays (Sage Cowan, Jaylen Rushton, Madeline Holtzki, Enna Cowan) – gold
- Division 5 girls medley and freestyle relays (Olivia Cowan, Hannah Malenfant, Joanna Blishen, Ohia Wintraub) – silver
- Division 2 boys freestyle relay (Koa Wintraub, Cameron Bibby-Fox, Locke Finley, Hunter Hedges) – silver
