Sault Surge lap up 33 golds in local swim championships

Over 200 swimmers joined the Sault Surge Aquatic Team as they hosted the 2024 Dave Kensit Memorial NEOR Championships this past weekend at the John Rhodes Community Centre Pool.

Overall Championship banners were won by the Sudbury Laurentian Team in the large team division with 1040 points followed by the Sault Surge Aquatic Team with 821.50 points, with the North Bay Titans in 3rd place with 729.50 points. The Kirkland Lake Aquatic Club picked up the Dave Kensit Small Team Banner with 190 points followed by Kap Swim with 176 points.

The local Sault Surge team was represented by 39 swimmers and all put in a strong showing swimming to 242 new personal best times over the course of the three-day meet. Along with those personal best times Surge swimmers accumulated 33 gold, 41 silver, and 29 bronze medals in individual and relay events.

For more information, including a full list of winners, see the full release below. 

The Sault Surge Aquatic Team played host to the best swimmers of the North Eastern Ontario Region at the 2024 Dave Kensit Memorial NEOR Championships this past weekend at the John Rhodes Community Centre Pool. 

Well over 200 swimmers attended the meet and provided some exciting swimmers for a packed spectator gallery.

Overall Championship banners were won by the Sudbury Laurentian Team in the large team division with 1040 points followed by the Host Surge Aquatic Team with 821.50 points, with the North Bay Titans in 3rd place with 729.50 points. The Kirkland Lake Aquatic Club picked up the Dave Kensit Small Team Banner with 190 points followed by Kap Swim with 176 points.

The local Sault Surge team was represented by 39 swimmers and all put in a strong showing swimming to 242 new personal best times over the course of the 3 day meet. Along with those personal best times Surge swimmers accumulated 33 gold, 41 silver, and 29 bronze medals in individual and relay events.

Ontario Swimming Championship Qualifiers Brie Reid and Andrew LI won the 13-14 age group High Point trophies as well as William Paraniuk for the boys 10 and under. Trophies are awarded to the top scoring female and male in each age group based on 5 points for a gold medal; 2 points for a silver medal; and 1 point for a bronze medal in individual events.

Reid, the current #1 ranked 14 yr old girl in Ontario and #3 in Canada in the 100m breastroke earned 5 Gold and 2 silver medals swimming to 7 new personal best times.

Li, 14, picked up 7 gold medals over the course of the weekend along with 9 personal best times.

Paranuik, 10, swimming in his first ever regional championship meet picked up 5 gold medals and 2 silver medals to go along with 7 personal best times.

Ontario Festival Championship qualifiers Sophia Li, Angela Thomson, and Emma Vallee all had strong showings despite a 2 week turn around before heading to Etobicoke the weekend of February 17-18, 2024 to compete in the Ontario Winter Festival Championships for the best 12/under aged swimmers in the province.

Li, 12, earned 4 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals as well as 8 personal best times.

Thomson, 10, picked up 6 silver and a bronze medal and swimming to 3 additional Festival qualification times and 6 new personal best times. 

Vallee, 11, earned 3 new festival qualifier times and 1 silver and 1 bronze with 6 new personal best times.

Sault College Student Will Banton picked up 8 new personal best times to go with 2 gold, 4 silver and a Bronze medal.

Oliver Bennetto swam to 9 personal best times and 1 silver and 1 bronze medal.

Georgia Burns won 1 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medal along with 8 personal best times.

Xiaokang Cui won a silver and a bronze medal along with 6 new personal best times.

Alma Da Silva Castillejo swam to 8 personal best times to go with 1 gold and a bronze medal.

Erik Kary picked up 11 new personal best times through the 3 day meet along with 2 silver and 3 bronze medals.

Haylen Leonard won 2 bronze medals along with 7 personal best times.

Kevin Li earned 2 bronze medals along with 8 personal best times.

David Lloyd won 1 gold medal and another 3 silver medals with his 6 personal best times.

Jenna Morin picked up a bronze medal and 7 personal best times.

Eva Robinson earned a bronze medal along with 8 personal best times. 

Bernard Santos won 1 bronze medal along with 9 personal best times.

Spencer Smith swam to a silver medal in his first Dave Kensit meet along with 4 personal best times.

The Sault Surge will continue a successful 2024 with 21 swimmers heading to the NEOR Top Fish meet in Sudbury hosted by the Valley East Waves this upcoming weekend. followed by a NEOR Development meet February 24-25 hosted by the Nickel City Aquatics in Sudbury.

The Sault Surge will be hosting an invitational meet the last weekend in April at the John Rhodes Community Centre pool with clubs across Canada and the U.S being invited to attend.