An 18-year-old Okotokian is riding a wave of confidence all the way to the Western Canadian Championships.
Foothills Stingray Brandon Nori qualified for the Western swimming championships, Feb. 16-19 in Winnipeg, after achieving two swims lower than the western national standard time in the 200m butterfly at the Senior Provincials, Jan. 27 in Medicine Hat.
“I was going in with a 2:16 and I didn’t think I was going to do that great, but I ended up coming with 2:15.20 and the (western national standard) time was 2.15.40 so I beat it by .2 of a second,” Nori said.
The scorching fast morning swim from Nori earned him his first ever berth in the A final of the Senior Provincial meet. Far from resting on his laurels from a personal best morning swim, Nori actually shaved more time off his 200m butterfly swim in the final.
“I went 2.14.90 at night so that was even better, I took even more time off,” he said.
Foothills Stingrays head coach Todd Melton said he’s been coaching Nori for four years during which the swimmer has been striving for an age-group national time in the 200m butterfly. When the swimmer achieved that at a December meet in Edmonton his confidence flourished.
“The next step above age group nationals is western nationals so that was his next goal and so coming off Edmonton with all that new confidence he got (the time) right away in that morning swim in Medicine Hat,” Melton said.
The Stingrays coach said mental preparation and event specific training were points of emphasis with Nori in the weeks leading up to the Senior Provincials.
“That’s been his main focus is the 200m fly,” Melton said. “For him it was more the realization that he was capable of doing it, so it was a confidence thing that we had to overcome.”
Nori will be joining seven Stingray teammates at the Western Canadian Championships: Ryan Jackson, Holly Johnson, Tianna Going, Lauren Hedley, Kirsten Marchak, Carly Ede, as well as twin sisters Kalyna and Christyna Dashko, all of whom attained western national times prior to the Medicine Hat meet.
Nori, Going, Hedley, Marchak and Ede will be making their first appearances at the Western Canadian Championships. The Stingrays are right back in the pool this week as they host their annual Black and Blue Meet, Feb. 4-5 at the Okotoks Pool.
Melton said 16-year-old Cole Midtdal narrowly missed out on his western national time in the 100m freestyle in Medicine Hat, but the Stingray will have another opportunity to swim for the time in their home pool.
“Hopefully he’ll get it this weekend,” Melton said.
For more information log on to www.foothillsstingrays.com.
