The Central Kootenay Swim Club (CKSC) attended its third meet of the short course season in Kamloops, December 14-16. This meet marks the halfway point of the short course season in preparation for the AA and AAA championship meets coming up at the end of February. Having the largest turnout to a meet thus far this season the club had 15 swimmers attend, ranging from ages 9-18. Young swimmers from Castlegar and Nelson (the club practices in both cities) swam up to eight races each plus relays over the course of the weekend in Kamloops.
For the shorter distance events there were consol and final swims in the afternoons, for which three CKSC swimmers qualified to compete in. From Nelson, Niallan Collier made afternoon swims in all of the events he competed in this weekend placing top eight in 50 free, 100 breaststroke, 50 fly, 100 fly, and 200 IM. Collier dropped over a second and a half off his 50 fly and 50 free and over 9 seconds in his 100 fly swim.
Castlegar's Gabby Hanvold placed 10th in 100 fly overall, qualifying for an AAA time in the morning swim and placed 13th overall in the 50 fly, inching within tenths of a second to a national age group qualifying time; Riley Mager swam consols for 100 breaststroke also qualifying for his first AAA time and placing 16th overall. There were two swimmers who successfully competed in their first ever swim meet, Lee-Ann Zaitsoff from Castlegar and Ella Koth from Nelson, both learning the ways of a swim meet and performing exceptionally well for first time meet goers.