The Estevan Mermaids Artistic Swimming Club had an exceptional showing at provincials this past weekend, with athletes delivering their best performances to date. According to coach Amber Mantei, the weekend was a huge success for the team.
"Our club was very successful," Mantei said. "Every athlete performed to the best of their abilities this past weekend, and they were really excited about the results." She attributes the team's success to their hard work and the extra practices leading up to the competition. "I believe that they were successful because the athletes have been working really hard. We've put in some extra practices in the last week or so to try and get them ready for this competition, and it all just came together," she explained. "Sometimes it just clicks, and I think we had a good click day."
One of the standout moments for the team was the improvement shown by many athletes since their first competition back in November. "All of our limited kids that went to their very first competition in November almost all improved their figure marks," Mantei noted. "They surprised themselves — some of them got 5s, and their faces just lit up like, 'Did I just do that?' And it’s like, yes, you did! Your work paid off."
The 12-year limited team was another highlight, as they took first place in both the routine and championship categories. "That team has struggled all season with kids missing practice due to illness," Mantei said. "And it’s really hard with artistic swimming — it’s hard to practice lifts when you're missing an athlete, especially someone who is a base." Despite these challenges, the team overcame adversity, and Mantei praised coach Kelsey for her leadership. "It was the best swim I've ever seen that team ever do," Mantei said, recalling the moment the team learned of their victory. "They were waiting for awards, and when they announced the third-place winners, they were like, 'Oh my gosh, we’re not third.' Then they announced second, and that’s when it hit them. Their faces lit up when they realized, 'Oh my goodness, we won.'"
The youth competitive team also earned high praise, securing third place at provincials. "They swam an amazing routine," Mantei said. "It was probably one of the best routines I’ve ever seen them do, and they got third place against some really tough competition." Mantei shared how emotional it was to see the team's reaction. "There were tears," she said. "They worked all season long, and it’s a long season. We start at the end of August and go to the end of May, so it was just such an amazing moment for these girls to realize that they had done it. They achieved their goal of getting a medal at provincials."
Looking ahead, the youth competitive team is now preparing for the Canadian Prairie Championship in Winnipeg in May. "That’s a really big competition," Mantei said. "There will be teams from all over, and it’s tough to get a medal there. But now that they got a taste of it, they’re like, 'Holy cow, let’s see what we can do.'"
However, a significant challenge lies ahead for the team. Due to the closure of the local pool, the athletes will be travelling to the University of Regina for training and doing dry land practices. "It’s not the norm," Mantei said. "Most other clubs still have regular in-water practices, but we’re making do. The dedication from these athletes is so important, and this is just fueling them to go out and do even better."
Mantei also praised the dedication and teamwork of the coaching staff and volunteers. "We’re just extremely proud of every single one of them, no matter how they did. They went, they showed up, they worked hard, and they performed," Mantei said. "I also want to thank all our coaching staff who volunteered their time, as well as our stretch coach, Layla Groenveld, who was on deck the whole time, getting these athletes ready."
Looking back on the success of the weekend, Mantei reflected on what makes coaching worthwhile. "As coaches, we’re so proud of these athletes. It’s all volunteer work, and this makes it all worthwhile. This is why we do it," she said. "The Estevan Mermaids really represented this past weekend in awards, and we’re extremely proud of our club."