HAC Highlights
MELANIE PRICE (AKA VICE COACH!) CONQUERS LAKE ONTARIO!!!
Melanie Price entered the water in Port Dalhousie at 12:23 last night. The water was mostly calm according to the updates but there were spots where the winds picked up and made it tough for a while. Doris, Sam and I had the good fortune of being able to drive down to watch the finish in Oakville. We met up head coach Carmen and we waited for Melanie to arrive. From the shore we could see Melanie and her crew in the distance and figured that she was about a mile away from the finish. Once Melanie touched the large boulder her crew lifted her out and put her into the coast guard boat so that they could make sure that she was o.k.. She did manage to wave to everyone and give that big broad smile that she is so well known for! Her husband William was so proud of Melanie's accomplishment and was with her througout the entire journey. CHCH was there and the interview should be on the 11 o'clock news this evening. To everyone who helped Melanie on her journey - thank you. To Melanie - you are an inspiration. We've stolen a quote that was posted on your blog as it seems most fitting. We hope you don't mind:
"To make this is going to be so sweet, to fail will be disappointing. Either way, it is going to be painful, but the experience of a lifetime, and life will go on. But those who strive, those who leave nothing on the table, those who will take the risk, will all be winners. Life is truly sweeter for those who truly live it. The world belongs, and will always belong, to the people who participate. Don't stand on the outside, take a risk, you might fail, but you will understand the beauty of each breath of life. So don’t feel sorry for those who fail, feel sorry for the majority that never participate. They’ll just never understand, let alone feel, all that life can and should be. "
Follow melanie on her Blog!
Check her out on the HAC Blog as well.
BRIDGET COLEY WILL REPRESENT CANADA AT THE 2011 PAN AMERICAN GAMES IN GUADALAJARA, MEXICO!!!
A special congratulations is in order for HAC swimmer Bridget Coley. After having won the 800m freestyle event at Canadian Summer Nationals and Nations Cup, Bridget has been selected to represent Canada at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. The games take place October 14th-30th. Coley will be the first Senior National team member for HAC since Joanne Malar. We wish Bridget all the best!
FRANK DESPOND SELECTED TO REPRESENT CANADA AT THE 2011 PAN AMERICAN GAMES!!!
More great news for HAC! Frank Despond has been selected along with Bridget Coley to represent Canada at the 2011 Pan American Games based on his performance in the 400m freestyle at Summer Nationals. Despond has made the jump to a Senior National team after two years on Junior and Development national teams. HAC has not had two senior national team members in a very long time. Congratulations Frank and Bridget!
BRIDGET COLEY WILL REPRESENT CANADA AT THE 2011 PAN AMERICAN GAMES IN GUADALAJARA, MEXICO!!!
A special congratulations is in order for HAC swimmer Bridget Coley. After having won the 800m freestyle event at Canadian Summer Nationals and Nations Cup, Bridget has been selected to represent Canada at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. The games take place October 14th-30th. Coley will be the first Senior National team member for HAC since Joanne Malar. We wish Bridget all the best!
BRIDGET COLEY WINS GOLD FOR CANADA!!!
Bridget Coley, of the Hamilton Aquatic Club, continues to excel at competitions in Point Claire, Que.
Read full story in Hamilton Spectator
Read full story in SportsXpress
THREE HAC SWIMMERS ACHIEVED NATIONAL TIMES
Three HAC swimmers achieved national times: Jennifer McNaughton, 16, Scott Buttenham, 18, and Adam Vowles, 17. All three swimmers have been developed this year under Carmen Escobar Thorburn, who was appointed as HAC's new head coach in 2010.
JUNIOR WORLD OPEN WATER PREPARATORY TOUR
Adam Vowles has arrived in Memphremagog and will compete in an open water competition tomorrow. The distance will be either a 5K or a 10K route. The meet begins at 10:30 tomorrow. Saturday is a day of rest and then the team travels to their second destination (Lac Megantic). They will train all next week and the final competiton will be on Saturday August 13th.
NACC UPDATE - BRYCE KWIECIEN-DELANEY BRINGS HOME 2 MORE MEDALS!
Just mere days after breaking a 28 year old record in the 100 fly, Bryce breaks the record for a 2nd time at North America Challenge Cup (NACC). Bryce arrived in Mexico on Tuesday after having spent 6 days at AGN in Montreal. The meet opened today and Bryce continued his winning ways by positng a time of 59.77 and winning a bronze medal. The weather in Mexico is very hot and sunny and swimming outdoors in these conditions is very difficult so hydration is extremely important. Last night the Canadian relay team added a silver medal to their collection. Today's action saw Bryce bring home a silver medal in the 50 free. Last night it was the "blind leading the blind" in the mens 4X100 relay. In the dark of night and all of the kids swimming with smoke goggles and without pool lights, Bryce Kwiecien-Delaney lead the relay team to a Gold medal. In fact Canada won all of the male and female relays last night. Way to go Canada!! Today Bryce raced in the 100 free and the 200 back. Bryce won bronze in the 100 free swimming near his best time.
INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S GAMES
In Lanarkshire, Scotland, Osvald brought home silver in the 200 fly. This is quite an accomplishment because at the ICG you race against swimmers in the 12-15 year old category and Ozzie is only 13. At the time of writing this I wasn't able to find race results just the medal winners. Well done Ozzie. You have represented HAC well. On the other side of the pond in Lanarkshire, Scotland, Osvald raced in the the 100 fly and the 200IM. Ozzie won the B final in the 100 free and placed 8th in the 200IM. Well done Ozzie.
JUNIOR WORLD OPEN WATER PREPARATORY TOUR
Adam swam his first ever 10K race! He managed to stay with the pack for the first 5K but had some difficulty in the last half of the race. Adam dug deep and finished the race and proved something to himself. Anyone who can finish a race of that distance deserves a medal! Adam will now spend tomorrow watching some racing and will start training again on Sunday in preparation for another 10K race next Saturday.
REPORT FROM POLAND
Adam and Martyn Siek are currently in Poland and are participating in a meet there. They are swimming in a 14-18 age category and are bringing home the medals! Martyn's medal haul was a whopping 9 (2 Gold, 6 silver and 1 bronze) while Adam scooped up 5 medals (2 Gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze). Congratulations to you both.
CANUSA GAMES
Many HAC swimmers will arrive at Ivor Wynn Stadium tomorrow to eagerly await meeting up with old and new friends. Thanks to Lisa Hodge for volunteering to coach along side Mike Vukmir. Both Canadian and US teams will practice at Jimmy Thompson on Friday night before the Saturday morning competiton. Flint won the meet last year so it's Canada's turn to take the title back! What an exciting day at Jimmy Thompson pool. 7 records were broken by HAC swimmers today! The swim of the day though has to go to Naomi Hunt. In the 4X50 relay the Flint team was ahead of Hamilton at the 150M mark. Little Naomi entered the water and was behind by several meters but dug deep and managed to overtake the Flint swimmer to touch the wall first. Hamilton won the event by 3/10th of a second. Well done Naomi.
Records broken are:
Girls 13/14 free relay - Sarah Hodge, Olivia Strevett, Lauren Diehl, Marissa McComb
Girls 13/14 50 free - Olivia Strevett
Boys 13/14 500 Free - Sam Forrester
Boys 13/14 50 free - Sam Forrester
Boys 15/17 50 free - Kieran McElroy
Girls 13/14 50 free - Sarah Hodge
Boys 11/12 400 free relay - Brennan Alejado, Dion Renaud, Lee Higgins, Billy Thorpe
Flint has arrived! Old and new friends have met up and practiced together this evening. Tomorrow they will compete and then spend the afternoon bonding.
GO CANADA GO!!