Submitted/Okotoks Stingrays Summer Swim Club
The Okotoks Stingrays Summer Swim Club capped its season with a standout performance at the Alberta Summer Swim Association provincials in Edmonton earlier this month.
Eighteen swimmers qualified for provincials, four more than last year, and Club president Rachel Thompson said the team’s success was evident both provincially and at the regional level.
"In order to qualify for provincials, you have to place either first or second in regionals, which includes this area around Calgary," said Thompson. "So we had a really top-notch team this year... Of those 18, we actually had 19 personal bests."
One of the club’s top performers was Julia Wiebe, who took Gold in the Girls 13-14 50 Metre Fly, 100 Metre Fly, and 100 Metre IM, and Silver in the 50 Metre Free in Edmonton.
Thompson said she was most impressed by the local athletes' drive and stamina.
"They swim every weekend from early June until provincials," she said. "Even at the very end of the season, after two months of swimming every weekend, they’re still beating their own records. They just keep going."
More information on the Okotoks Stingrays can be seen on their website.