200 Medley Relay NAG Highlights Standout UCSC Showing At VPSC Winter Invite

2021 VPSC Winter Invitational

• December 10-13, 2021
• UBC Aquatic Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia
• SCM (25 metres)
• Results

The University of Calgary Swim Club (UCSC) had a phenomenal showing at the 2021 VPSC Winter Invitational in Vancouver, highlighted by a new Canadian National Age Group Record in the girls’ 15-17 200 medley relay.

The quartet of Ella Varga (29.12), Alicia L’Archeveque (30.73), Kamryn Cannings (26.16) and Kaycee Cannings (25.74) combined for a time of 1:51.75, breaking the previous NAG record of 1:52.85 set by the Etobicoke Swim Club all the way back in 2009.

UCSC also came within less than four-tenths of another Etobicoke NAG from 2009 in the 200 free relay, clocking 1:42.61 to narrowly miss the mark of 1:42.23, though they did lower their own Alberta Provincial Record of 1:43.00 from October.

This team included Kamryn Cannings (25.46), Kaycee Cannings (25.77), Katie Graboski (25.99) and Eliza Housman (25.39).

The meet saw a myriad of Provincial Records broken, with Kamryn Cannings leading the way.

Cannings won six individual events, and broke the Albertan Provincial Record for 15-year-olds in the women’s 100 free (54.53), 50 fly (27.09), 100 fly (58.97) and 200 fly (2:10.14). Cannings broke her own records in the 50 fly (27.11) and 100 fly (59.53), both set at the end of October at the UC Dino Cup, and lowered the 100 free record previously held by Canadian Olympic medalist Rebecca Smith (54.59) and the 200 fly mark previously held by Catherine Minic (2:11.13).

Cannings also narrowly missed Smith’s records in the 50 free (25.38) and 200 free (1:57.17), winning both in respective times of 25.49 and 1:57.73.

OTHER ALBERTA PROVINCIAL RECORDS BROKEN

• UCSC’s 13-year-old Maxine Clark lowered the Provincial Record in the girls’ 100 butterfly, clocking 1:01.23 to lower Canning’s mark of 1:01.47 set in December 2019. Clark also narrowly missed Rebecca Smith‘s NAG in the 100 free (56.65)
• Clark also factored in on the relay team that smashed the Albertan Provincial Record in the 400 medley relay by four and a half seconds, swimming the free leg along with Varga, L’Archeveque and Kamryn Cannings as they finished in a time of 4:04.86. The previous record stood at 4:09.41 from the Olympian Swim Club in 2013.
• UCSC’s Aiden Norman took down Cole Pratt‘s Provincial Record in the 15-year-old boys 100 backstroke, first doing so on the lead-off leg off the 400 medley relay on Saturday night in a time of 55.15. That lowered Pratt’s record of 55.50 from 2017. Norman then re-lowered that mark on Sunday, winning the individual race in 55.04.
• On that 400 medley relay, Norman, Jett Verjee, Nicholas Duncan and Gibson Black combined for a time of 3:45.85 to break the Provincial Record of 3:47.00 set by Cascade Swim Club in 2009.

OTHER MEET HIGHLIGHTS

• Island Swimming’s Danielle Hanus walked away with four individual event wins on the meet, leading the way in the women’s 50 back (26.49), 100 back (56.88), 100 fly (58.68) and 200 IM (2:10.38). The 50 back, 100 back and 200 IM swims were all new best times for the 23-year-old.
• UCSC’s Alicia L’Archeveque, 17, won the women’s 50 breast (31.92) and 200 breast (2:32.74) while taking a close second to Chinook’s Eloise Allen in the 100 breast (1:09.44 to 1:09.47).
• In addition to his 100 back record, Aiden Norman came just .05 shy of Cole Pratt‘s Provincial Record for 15-year-olds in the 200 back, clocking 1:57.64.
• 16-year-old Lorne Wigginton of UCSC won three individual events, including putting up a time of 4:18.29 that was faster than the winning time at the Ontario Junior International meet in Toronto (4:19.15). Wigginton also topped the field in the 200 free (1:50.09) and 400 free (3:56.20).
• Two-time Canadian Olympian Markus Thormeyer was competing at the meet, posting a time of 1:48.30 in the 200 free prelims before scratching the final. Thormeyer also dove in and swam backstroke in the 100 free, placing fourth in 51.81.
• Placing first in that 100 free was 16-year-old Billy Dongfang, who won four individual events: 100 free (50.53), 50 fly (25.27), 100 fly (54.68) and 200 fly 1:59.67).