SSMAC weathers stormy London meet

The Sault Ste. Marie Aquatic Club won the high point trophy in the small team division at the Dr. Paul Hauch Invitational Swim Meet in London over the weekend.

Blaine Dolcetti captured high point honours for the club in the 15 and over male category while Shannon Hazelton finished second in high point competition among 15 and over female swimmers.

Dolcetti placed first in the 100- and 200-metre butterfly, the 100-metre breaststroke, and the 200-metre individual medley. He also recorded seconds in the 50-metre backstroke and breaststroke while capturing the bronze medal in the 50-metre freestyle and butterfly events.

The meet capped off a strong career with SSMAC for Dolcetti, 23, who will be the assistant coach at Oakland University in Michigan next fall while continuing his studies in engineering.

Hazelton, who begins a full-ride swimming scholarship at the University of Toledo to pursue a career in education in September, won gold medals in the 200-metre individual medley and the 100-metre butterfly. She recorded second-place finishes in the 50-metre breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly, and the 100-metre backstroke and breaststroke.

She garnered bronze medals in the 50- and 100-metre freestyle events.

The meet was held at London's Thames Pool, a 50-metre outdoor facility. Thunder showers and lightning forced postponement of some of Saturday's competition until Sunday afternoon and a portion of Sunday morning's races were rained out.

The meet attracted 20 teams, mostly from Southern Ontario. The Valley East Waves contingent from Sudbury was the other Northern Ontario entry.

Patrick Bonne, 12, captured bronze medals in the 200-metre backstroke and individual medley events. Alex Bonne finished third in the 15 and over male 200-metre backstroke. Peter Olinger placed third in the 15 and over male 200-metre butterfly.

Brothers Jack and Christopher Carlyle rounded out the team. Jack helped SSMAC to a fourth place finish in the 15 and over male freestyle relay, teaming up with Dolcetti, Alex Bonne and Olinger. Dolcetti, Olinger, and Alex and Patrick Bonne formed a freestyle relay team to place third in the 15 and over male category.

Coach Bill Park was enthused with the results.

"To place as we did with seven swimmers was outstanding," he says. "It goes to show we have strong swimmers throughout our roster. We were competing against some top teams in this meet.

"This is one of the most fun meets our club goes to and, at the same time, it gives swimmers a flavour of what swimming used to be, in the outdoor setting. It was also good to give some of our younger club members some good experience in a top-level meet."

Meanwhile, Park is travelling to Winnipeg Wednesday for Club Nationals with SSMAC swimmer Kyle Matthews, 13.

(Submitted by David Olinger)