Thirteen was a lucky number for an Okotoks swimmer at the provincial championships.
Not that Tanner Potaka needed any luck to win four gold medals at the Alberta Summer Swimming Association’s (ASSA) Provincial Championships, Aug. 17- 20 at the Kinsmen Centre in Edmonton.
“I was trying to get a record in every single one and I got the record in the 100m free,” said Potaka, who celebrated his 13th birthday one week ahead of provincials. “It was mine, but I was sharing it with another person so I broke that.”
Potaka eclipsed the provincial record he shared with Andres Klein from Camrose in the 100m freestyle, of the boys 11 and 12 division, with a 1:00.91 gold medal swim in the final.
The swimmer also won gold in the 400m freestyle, the 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle, finishing the provincials with four gold medals and 36 points, tied for the most of any swimmer at provincials.
“I took off time in every single swim except the 400m,” Potaka said. “So I thought it was a good meet.”
Potaka was just one several Okotoks Summers Stingray swimmers to medal in Edmonton. All told, the Okotoks Summer Swim Club earned five gold medals, one silver and four bronze as well as 20 personal best swims.
In the overall aggregate, the Stingrays were 10th in Alberta with 135 points garnered at provincials.
Okotokian Teghan Inglis was tops among nine to 10 year-olds in the 50m breaststroke.
“I tried my hardest and got a best time so that was really good,” Inglis said of her gold medal in the 50m swim. “I was at a 45.09 seconds and went to a 43 so I took off at least two seconds.”
She followed her gold medal with a bronze in the 25m breaststroke, in a time of 20.75 seconds, and a fourth place finish in the 100m individual medley.
Inglis said she was happy with her meet, but it didn’t quite measure up to her 2010 provincial performance in which she medaled in all four of her events in the eight and under age category.
Twelve-year-old Carla Mitchell won the bronze medal in the grueling 1,500m freestyle swim in a field of girls 17 and under. Mitchell swam to a time of 21:56.43. Cameron Mitchell, 15, finished fourth in the boys 17 and under 1,500m swim.
Turner Valley swimmer Michael Duval, 13, swam to personal bests in the 400m and 800m freestyle, winning the silver and bronze, respectively, in the 13 and 14-year-old boys division.
Stingray Joseph Haworth earned four personal best swims in Edmonton. The 12-year-old won the bronze medal in 200m freestyle, in a time of 2:34.71, and was fourth in both the 100m butterfly and 100m individual medley. Logan Broadley won the 50m backstroke Para-final, in a time 1:17.56.
For full results go to www.assa.ca and for more information on the Okotoks Stingrays go to www.okotokstingrays.com
