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Mavericks seniors, youngsters impress at Championships

Swimming: Finlay Knox stars in final Alberta meet with team
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The Okotoks Mavericks Swim Club's Megan Deering, Finlay Knox, coaches Emma Hesterman and Todd Melton, Justin Lisoway and Lorenzo Ford at the Summer Championships in Edmonton. (Okotoks Mavericks Photo)

No rest didn’t mean no results in the pool.

The Okotoks Mavericks Swim Club came away from the Summer Championships in Edmonton with eight medals from its 14 swimmers despite its older group not tapering for the July 4-7 meet.

“My kids we swam through it, I didn’t give them any rest or anything because our key events are Tucson in about two weeks and then next for Finlay is going to Budapest near the end of August,” said Mavericks head coach Todd Melton. “The goal was just to be close to their best times so when they get rest I know they’re going to be going best times.

“Overall we were pretty excited about how the kids swam.”

Most of the older Mavericks athletes are headed to the Arizona State Championships July 24-29 in Tucson, an outdoor swim meet that allows for a larger contingent of swimmers to in a highly competitive setting.

Knox is zeroing in on the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Hungary next month to bookend a tremendously busy summer for the Foothills Composite graduate.

The Okotokian is pretty used to performing without rest.

He picked up gold medals in all five events, the 100m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 50m butterfly as well as 400m and 200m IM. He earned the FINA High Point for his performance in the 200m IM, his signature event which brought home Youth Olympic bronze in 2018.

Justin Lisoway picked up silver in 100m backstroke and bronze in 200m IM. Lorenzo Ford as 8th in the 50m breaststroke, Domenic Griesser advanced to five finals, Justin D’Ailly qualified for four finals with Megan Deering swimming to two finals and earning the Youth Recognition Top-10 award.

Lisoway, Knox, D’Ailly and Ford combined to produce a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay in a time of 3:55.98.

The Championships performance will likely be Knox’s final time swimming in Alberta with the Mavericks.

Knox will be swimming out of the Swim Canada High Performance Centre in Toronto starting in the fall while fellow-seniors Lisoway is off to the University of Hawaii and both Deering and Ford are bound for Western University in London, Ont.

“It was a little bit sad that was his last meet with us in the country,” Melton said. “But he did really well.”

For the relative newcomers on the Championships, formerly known as the provincials under the Swim Alberta banner, it’s an important meet as a stepping-stone in their development.

 “Emma’s (assistant head coach Emma Hesterman) swimmers did really well. They were tapered and shaved and everything like that so they were rested,” Melton said. “Champs is a great experience when you’re young and for them that is the top level.

“But, it’s kind of a lead up to hopefully other meets in the future, like nationals and even trials. The more experience they can get at that level and more confidence, the better.”

Thirteen-year-old Caden Kotowich turned in another sterling performance in the pool in what’s been a big season for the Maverick. Kotowich earned two top-10 finishes, the 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke.

“He’s up and coming fast,” Melton said. “He’s had a great year.”

Summer Fedor, 13, qualified for three finals in Edmonton, highlighted by a 13th place showing in the 50m backstroke while Tess Barber earned four final swims, topped by a 9th place finish in the 50m breaststroke. Emma Hicklin advanced to three finals and came away with a top showing in the 50m backstroke where she was 10th to touch the wall.

For more information go to okotoksmavericks.com


Remy Greer

About the Author: Remy Greer

Remy Greer is the assistant editor and sports reporter for westernwheel.ca and the Western Wheel newspaper. For story tips contact [email protected]
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