Area splashers busy as meets unfold

Locally, at Sunnybrooke Pool in Dollard des Ormeaux, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, it was time for summer splashers only to shine in the limelight as the North Shore Aquatic Association (NAA) presented its first-ever competition designed specifically for swimmers not part of the winter swim club system. Over 500 athletes gathered for the Summer Swimmers Meet, believed to be the largest competition of its kind ever organized in Montreal.

“We know the Canadian swim club system has competitions all through the year for swimmers who swim several times a week all year,” said NAA president Chris Vandersluis. “This meet allowed our summer pool association to have a unique opportunity of bringing together athletes from our 17 pools who were not part of that program; swimmers who were true amateurs and competed together in this huge championship.”

Those who follow the NAA know its showcase event each summer is the Big Meet, held in mid-August. Comprised of many winter swimmers, it’s the final step of a summer-long process aimed at determining the NAA’s top outdoor swim clubs in three separate categories. For the past seven years, helped by its many indoor swimmers, Dollard des Ormeaux’s Elm Park Pool has captured the event. Last weekend, with each club having no advantage from winter swimmers, Thorndale Pool finished first with 459 points, while host Sunnybrooke came second with 451. Glenmore Pool finished third with 402. Elm Park finished out of the race with 285 points.

Meanwhile, at Jean Drapeau Park Pool on Île Ste. Hélène, competitive swimmers from the Pointe Claire, Dollard des Ormeaux and Beaconsfield Bluefins swim clubs gathered for the annual age group nationals. The Bluefins hosted the five-day meet, which began on Thursday and wrapped up Monday. It featured more than 1,200 competitors from across Canada battling for national titles in under-12, -13, -14, -15 and 16-18 age groups for girls, and under-13, -14, -15, -16 and 17-18 age groups for boys.

When all was said and done, 25 area swimmers captured medals, including Pointe Claire’s Steven Bielby, who won gold in the 400- and 1,500-metre freestyle and silver in the 200- and 400-metre individual medley competing in the boys’ 17-18 category. Pointe Claire’s Ashley MacGregor won silver in the 200-metre breaststroke and bronze in the 50- and 100-metre breaststroke in the girls’ under-14 category, while the Bluefins’ Garbrielle Soucisse won gold in the 100-metre breaststroke and silver in the 50- and 200-metre backstroke while competing in the girls’ 16-18 category. Dollard’s Dillon Babb won silver and bronze respectively in the 100- and 200-metre backstroke in the boys’ 17-18 category.

For full results of how all local fared at the age group national championships, check www.swimming.ca.