BY KIERAN SIMPSON
This weekend was the last meet of the season for the Creston Wave. At the regional championships, medals are given out to the top 3 swimmers in each event for every division. Many medals were won by the Creston Wave, earning them a sixth place overall finish at the championships in Nelson, B.C.
The Wave had a stronger showing of younger swimmers. Division 1 girls, Elisha Moore, Skylah Schiffke, and Aleena Ziefflie all won at least one medal. Schiffke and Ziefflie both won bronze with their freestyle relay team, while Moore won bronze in the 50m backstroke and with her relays won silver and bronze.
Kaine Gauthier, Ethan Pelly, and Callum Ziefflie all competed in Division 1 boys. Gauthier swam several best times and won bronze with his freestyle relay. Pelly won three gold and one silver in his individual events, as well as a bronze in his freestyle relay. Ziefflie also won three gold and one silver. With his relays, Ziefflie won a silver and bronze. Pelly and Ziefflie both swam fast enough times to put them within the top 8 in BC for Division 1 boys.
Division 2 girls Alexandra Brown and Alexa Moore also had strong swims this weekend. Moore swam four best times and won a silver with her freestyle relay team, which Brown was a part of too. Brown also won a bronze medal in her 100m IM.
Nyla Perry and Annalise Morris represented the Wave in Division 3 girls. Perry swam best times in all of her events and made consolation finals in her 50m fly. Anna Morris swam consolation finals or finals in all of her events, finishing with a top place of sixth.
Creston’s lone Division 4 girl, Maryn Wiens, swam some well earned best times, and finished as well as sixth. With her relays she won silver and bronze. Jake Wiens was Creston’s only Division 4 boy. He broke 1:20.00 in his 100m Freestyle with a 1:18.01. With that swim he also won one of his five medals.
Two boys represented the Wave in Division 5. Jeffrey Roelofse finished as high as fourth in his individual events, narrowly missing the podium. However, his medley relay team won silver on Saturday. Spencer Kilmartin finished fourth in two events before winning a bronze in his 100m Freestyle. Both boys swam several personal bests.
As usual, the Creston Wave had strong performances by the Division 6 girls. Kylee Pemberton, Kailey Morris, Katelyn Wiens, and Carter Pelly made up a relay team that won gold in both the medley and free relays for their division. In individual events, Pemberton made several finals and finished with a top place of fifth. Morris swam great on Sunday and earned best times, as well as a bronze in the 100m Breaststroke. Wiens won gold in the 100m Breaststroke, while also winning several silver and bronze. Lastly, Pelly won three gold and one silver in her individual events. She also swam a well deserved best time in her 100m Backstroke.
Creston’s coaches, Kieran and Emily Simpson, also competed. Emily won the silver medal in every event she competed in, including both of her relays. Kieran won a gold in Division 8 100m Breaststroke, and a bronze and silver in other events.
The team is now finished with competitions in the Kootenays, and the only meet left in the season is the Provincial meet in Kamloops in two weeks. While every swimmer who attended Regionals qualified in at least one event by finishing in the top 3, only Callum and Aleena Ziefflie will represent the club at the Provincial Championship. The team would like to wish good luck to both Callum and Aleena, and will be cheering them on from Creston.