2007 CENTRAL REGION S.C. CHAMPIONSHIPS
FEBRUARY 8-11 2007

Central Regions can be a very enlightening meet for a lot of swimmers. Some finally realize that they can do their goal times, they can win a medal, and they can compete with the kids they had previously put up on pedestals. Maybe they can even beat them. It's about breaking boundaries that have never been breached before. It's about realizing that achievement is truly within your own grasp. Sometimes, it's about taking failure and making it into a future victory. It's about the right effort and attitude. It's about drive and determination with no excuses given.
Congratulations to all the swimmers who swam at Central Regions this past weekend. We saw a lot of great swimming from the first day to the last one even though it was a long, tiring 4-day meet with finals for the older kids. Some swimmers even came back on Sunday night after finals for time Trials!

Here are some of the highlights of the meet.

MEDAL WINNERS

Tyler Tong-McDermot 9
BRONZE 100 fly
(took off 26+ seconds for the meet, 1st provincial time @ 9 yrs old!) STELLAR PERFORMANCE!

Tiffany Got 10
BRONZE 100 breast
(took off 9 seconds in total for the meet)
KEEP ON CUTTING!

Jocelyn Lee 11
GOLD 200 fly
SILVER 200 Breast
2 BRONZE 100 fly 200 IM
(took off 24 seconds in these 4 events, 2 provincials in back to back events) STUPENDOUS!

Alex Hamilton 11
GOLD 100 free
SILVER 200 free
(took off 10+ seconds in these 2 events, 2 provincial times, swam 2 time trials trying to get more cuts…very gutsy…you should be proud) EXCELLENT JOB!

Clement Cheng 11
3 SILVER 400 free 100 fly 200 IM
(took off over 30 seconds in these 3 events alone, 3 provincials) AWESOME MEET!!!

Andrea Dobrescu 11
SILVER 100 breast
(first year swimmer made 11 yr old Provincial cuts but turns 12 just before meet!) WOW!

Lily Godawa 12
SILVER 400 IM
2 BRONZE 200 breast 100 fly
(took off 14 seconds in these 3 events, nearly passed out after 400 IM...serious drive) GREAT JOB!

Caitlin Hodge 12
2 BRONZE 800 free 200 fly
(took off 28 seconds in these 2 events alone, all best times,1st provincial cut) FANTASTICO!

Runyi Zhou 13
SILVER 100 breast
(took off 8 sec. for the meet, made provincials in 100 breast, so close in 100 free) WAY TO GO!

Rebecca Chud 14
GOLD 400 IM
(took off 17 seconds in this event)
NICE BREAST STROKE!

Jacquelyn Kicksee 14
SILVER 1500 free
(took off 21+ seconds in this event, made finals in 200 free)
GOOD JOB!

Carolyn Laski 14
GOLD 200 free
2 BRONZE 50 free 100 free
(took off 9 seconds for the meet, 3 finals…3 medals, 1st provincial cut) BELIEVE IT!

Kelly Lui 15
BRONZE 100 breast
(took off 19 seconds for the meet, made finals in 100 & 200 breast) BREAKTHROUGH!!

Alvina Ho 16
HIGH POINT TROPHY WINNER
3 GOLD 50 free 200 free 400 free
SILVER 800 free
BRONZE 200 fly
(took off over 19 seconds in these 5 events, broke 1:10 100 fly) CONGRATULATIONS!

14 NEW PROVINCIAL TIMES ACHIEVED BY 10 SWIMMERS

Tyler Tong-McDermot 9 100 fly
Clement Cheng 11 400 free ……. 100 IM …….. 100 fly
Alex Hamilton 11 200 free ………….. (so close in 200 IM & 100 free!!)
Jocelyn Lee 11 200 breast …. 200 fly
Bronwyn Colford 12 400 free ……. 400 IM
Lily Godawa 12 400 IM ………….. (so close in 100 fly!!)
Caitlin Hodge 12 200 fly ………….. (so close in 800 free & 100 fly!!)
Runyi Zhou 13 100 breast ………. (so close in 100 free!!)
Carolyn Laski 14 200 free
Matthew Chu 15 200 free

MENTIONABLES

Gavin Lifman improved a total of 49 seconds at this meet. He only recently came back to swimming from a broken ankle yet was still able to come within 0.23 of a provincial time in 100 back. He put in a great effort at the time trial. I bet we'll see him at long course provincials!

Lev and Yaakov Oumanski both took off huge amounts of time over the weekend.

Allison Martin 8, improved in all of her events. She took off 26 seconds in the 400 free.

Lee Anne Liberta 9, improved in all her events: a total of 18 seconds.

Sarah Lychy took off 10 seconds in her 2 events. What a great Medley relay girls!

Bronwyn Colford swam exhibition at this meet. She took off a total of 19 seconds for the meet, made 2 new provincial cuts and had the best meet of her season, so far, with all best times.

Kelvin Lui made finals in the 200 breastroke.
Kyle Lui made finals in the 200 free.
Ronald Lam made finals in 100 fly and 200 breast. He had a breakthrough swim in the 200 breastroke at finals.
Sarah Spitz finaled in 100 fly
Roland Drews improved his time in 400 free by 17.77 seconds.
Relays were looking sharp and fast.
Welcome back Kyungsoo Yoon.

I am sure that I have forgotten to include a few great swims or names. Please forgive any such mistakes.

Keep up the good work everyone.

Remember to stay positive, get tough and strive for the next gold.
Let's go NYAC!