Neptunes make big splash as KSSA season begins
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Nelson Neptunes looked to be in mid-season form, finishing second overall at the first meet of the Kootenay Summer Swim Association season at the NDCC Pool.
Paced by the gold-medal performance by Samuel Matthew and three silvers from Keira Badry, Jaylen Rushton and coach Jacob Verhesen, Nelson scored 437 points to place behind meet winning Grand Forks Piranhas.
“It was a very successful meet and we are excited to see what is to come,” Verhesen said of the season-opening performance.
Kimberley, finishing third, Castlegar Aquanauts and Trail Stingrays rounded out the top five in the team standings.
Creston, Revelstoke and Colville, Washington, were the other teams competing in Nelson.
Matthew finished first in Division eight boys while Verhesen second.
Badry took the silver in Division one girls while Rushton placed second in Division five girls.
Imo Cowan, in Division four girls, Chloe Melefant, Division four girls and Elissa Centrone, in Division six girls, all took home bronze medals.
“Our two swimmers of the meet were Imo Cowan and Laurel Nixon, both for swimming huge best times in all six of their events and being great leaders to the younger swimmers,” said Verhesen, who swims with the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns squad while working on an Education Major.
Verhesen and Matthew form the Neptunes coaching staff along with Junior coaches Elissa Centrone, Laurel Nixon, Paige Ross, Jack Ross and Madeline Holitzki.
Nelson enters the season with 44 swimmers on the roster.
Next meet is June 9-10 in Trail. The Grand Forks B meet, slated for this past weekend, was cancelled due to the flooding the had plagued the Boundary region during the spring.
The season continues with stops in Creston, Revelstoke, Castlegar and Colville before Regionals August 4-5 back in Trail.
The BC Summer Swim Association Championships are August 13-19 in Surrey.
