It’s been a busy three months for the Penticton-based KISU Swim Club, both at home and on the national stage.
From Penticton to Victoria and east to Winnipeg, local athletes have competed at several competitions since February.
After hosting more than 250 athletes for the SwimBC Winter Divisionals, KISU headed to Victoria for the provincial championships from March 7 to 10.
The local swim club finished ninth in the province.
“I was very pleased with our overall performance and achieving our goal of top 10 in the province,” said Tina Hoeben, head coach at KISU. “We had many swimmers who improved their times and moved themselves up in the rankings. KISU swimmers rose to the challenge and qualified for additional Westerns and Trials times.”
The club’s top athletes later headed to Winnipeg for the 2024 Speedo Western Canadian Championships, from March 21 to 24.
Marlee Winser, Kyah De Mitri, Taryn Weatherhead, and Hannah Rutten won bronze in the girls’ 13 and over 400-metre ‘Medley Relay,’ marking the Penticton club’s first-ever girls’ medal in the event.
Ten swimmers medaled in individual events, with KISU placing eighth overall, representatives from the team said.
At the aforementioned KISU-hosted event in February, KISU swimmer Jack Dodds was the club’s top point earner.
Several KISU-based swimmers also achieved personal bests during the event, including Lorenzo Atilano, Julius Bartkowicz, Paige Barton, Charlotte Boone, Will Bourne, Adeline Duda, Fraser Glynes, Rivkah Greyling, Emmanuel Hagel, Norah Hamilton, Miles Illingworth, Hope Isaak, Holly MacIntosh, Max Mackenzie, and Barrett Scherger.
For the Victoria-hosted provincials, Julius Bartkowicz, Charlie Bourne, Kyah De Mitri, Hercules Gilman, Issie Grecoff, Nina McEachern, and Marlee Winser achieved new Western Championship time standards.
De Mitri, Rutten, Weatherhead, and Winser also achieved new Canadian trial qualifying times at the event.
The KISU Swim Club was founded in 1981 and hosts province-wide events throughout the year at the Penticton Community Centre.
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