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Summer National Championships in Victoria
Live Results Valuable first Canadian swimming title for Warren Barnes at Summer Nationals
VICTORIA (July 29, 2010) – Warren Barnes of Toronto earned his first career Canadian title and it came with a ticket to next month’s Pan Pacific Championships on Thursday at the Summer Nationals swimming competition.
This week’s competition is also the second of two trials for the Pan Pacs August 18-22 in California. The first trials were held in April.
Barnes won the men’s 100-metre breaststroke clocking 1:02.07 after posting a personal best 1:02.00 in the morning preliminaries. Scott Dickens of Vancouver, the co-Canadian record holder in the event, was second in 1:02.14 and Richard Funk of Edmonton third 1:02.54.
“This is definitely a memorable victory,” said Barnes, 25. “I was really focused on getting out fast but the difference this time was my second 50. I really held it together this time and I was able to make a big push in the last 10-metres. In the past the second length has given me a lot of trouble.”
Brent Hayden of Vancouver collected a second victory in two days winning the men’s 100 freestyle in 49.19. Other winners in men’s competition were Jake Tapp of Langley, B.C., in the 50 backstroke and Brian Johns of Vancouver in the 400 IM.
In that 400 IM, Johns won the race in 4:17.83 and Jordan Hartney of Vancouver took second in 4:20.57. Johns had qualified for the team at the first trials and Hartney grabbed the second spot with his performance Thursday.
“There was a lot of stress coming into this meet so it’s very gratifying to make the team,” said Hartney. “But I’m a little disappointed with the time. I was really hoping to go a second or two faster but it’s good to know I’ll have another opportunity to do that.”
In women’s competition, Julia Wilkinson of Victoria and Victoria Poon of Montreal are at two wins apiece after victories in the 50 backstroke and 100 freestyle respectively.
Seventeen-year-old Tianna Rissling, a quadruple champion last week at the age group nationals, took the senior 100 breaststroke title this time while veteran Tanya Hunks of Vancouver was the 400 IM victor.
Competition continues Friday at Saanich Commonwealth Place. Preliminaries are at 9 a.m. (local) and finals at 6 p.m.
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Thursday’s leading results at the 2010 Summer Nationals swimming competition in Victoria:
MEN
50 backstroke: 1. Jake Tapp, Langley, B.C., 26.21; 2. Graham Hawes, Scarborough, Ont., 26.58; 3. Matthew Swanston, Newmarket, Ont., 26.88.
100 breaststroke: 1. Warren Barnes, Toronto, 1:02.07; 2. Scott Dickens, Vancouver, 1:02.14; 3. Richard Funk, Edmonton, 1:02.54.
100 freestyle: 1. Brent Hayden, 49.19; 2. Hassaan Abdel-Khalik, Etobicoke, Ont., 50.16; 3. Richard Hortness, Lethbridge, Alta., 50.70.
400 IM: 1. Brian Johns, Vancouver, 4:17.83; 2. Jordan Hartney, Vancouver, 4:20.57; 3. Matt Kwatyra, London, Ont., 4:23.15.
4X200 freestyle relay: 1. Island Swimming, Victoria, 7:23.35; 2. Australia, 7:29.59; 3. University of Calgary, 7:31.81.
WOMEN
50 backstroke: 1. Julia Wilkinson, Victoria, 28.92; 2. Sinead Russell, Oakville, Ont., 29.27; 3. Tess Simpson, Ottawa, 29.33.
100 freestyle: 1. Victoria Poon, Montreal, 55.68; 2. Julia Wilkinson, Victoria, 55.84; 3. Hannah Riordan, Montreal, 55.86.
100 breaststroke : 1.Tianna Rissling, Medicine Hat, Alta., 1:08.68; 2. Jillian Tyler, Calgary, 1:08.94; 3. Chelsey Salli, Langley, B.C., 1:09.11.
400 IM: 1. Tanya Hunks, Vancouver, 4:44.67; 2. Melanie Dodds, Langley, B.C., 4:45.97; 3. Hanna Pierse, Vancouver, 4:47.56.
4X200 freestyle relay: 1. Australia, 8:03.00; 2. Island Swimming, Victoria, 8:11.98; 3. Etobicoke Swimming, 8:15.69.
Julia Wilkinson pounces on first chance for Pan Pacs spot at Summer Nationals Julia Wilkinson of Stratford, Ont., didn’t waste anytime in assuring herself a spot on the Canadian team for next month’s Pan Pacific Championships winning the women’s 200-metre freestyle Wednesday at the 2010 Summer Nationals Championships swimming competition.
At the first qualifying meet for the Pan Pacs this past April, Wilkinson was unable to compete due to a bad flu and the 2008 Olympian was down to her final opportunities at this week’s meet and grabbed it in her first race.
“I’m pretty excited about tonight’s swim, it’s my best time in quite awhile,” said Wilkinson, who moved to train in Victoria this year with coach Randy Bennett. “It’s been a long hard road back since my shoulder injury (last fall) and Randy has brought a new outlook to my training and we’ve been able to overhaul my freestyle.”
Wilkinson took the gold in 1:58.95 with Barbara Jardin of Montreal second in 1:59.13 and Samantha Cheverton of Pointe-Claire, Que., third in 1:59.49.
In the women’s 200 butterfly, Audrey Lacroix of Montreal posted the win in 2:09.89, MacKenzie Downing of Victoria followed in 2:10.10 and Katerine Savard of Quebec City was third in 2:10.80. Downing went under the qualifying standard with her time to grab the second available spot in the event. Lacroix gained the first spot in April.
“This is a race that gives me a lot of confidence,” said Downing, originally from Whitehorse. “I’ve felt a lot pressure because the past couple of years didn’t go well for me. This year I’ve been training really hard and I really wanted to make this team. Now the focus can be on just swimming fast.”
Stefan Hirniak of Victoria also bounced back from a subpar first trials to gain a spot on the Pan Pac team in the men`s 200 butterfly winning Wednesday’s race in 1:59.80. Jordan Hartney of Vancouver was second in 2:00.53 and Zack Chetrat of Oakville third in 2:01.32.
“It was a tough swim and that last 50 I was a little tired,” said Hirniak. “I’ve had a great period of training leading up to this event and I feel this is a stepping stone towards a strong performance at the Pan Pacs.”
In the men’s 50 butterfly, Philippe Bastien, who has only been swimming for four years won the bronze medal for the first ever national championship medal for the TNT Club in St-Lambert, Que. Bastien, 20, clocked 25.20. Kelly Aspinall of Vancouver took the gold in 24.43 and Joe Bartoch of London, Ont., was second in 24.80.
Other winners in men’s competition were Brent Hayden of Vancouver in the 100 freestyle, Jake Tapp of Langley, B.C., in the 100 backstroke and Kier Maitland of Edmonton in the 1,500 freestyle. On the women’s side the other victors were Victoria Poon of Montreal in the 50 butterfly, Sinead Russell of Oakville in the 100 backstroke and Savannah King of Vancouver in the 800 freestyle.
Competition continues Thursday at Saanich Commonwealth Place. Preliminaries are at 9 a.m. (local) and finals at 6 p.m.
Canadian Swimmers set to Compete at Nationals in Victoria Over 500 hundred swimmers will be setting foot in Victoria next week to compete at the 2010 Senior National Championships held at the Saanich Commonwealth Place from July 28th to 31st.
These National Championships will act as a second qualification meet for the Pan Pacific Championships, held in Irving California next August. For local Olympian swimmer Julia Wilkinson, this will be her time to shine with hopes of making the 52 member team.
“I’m really happy to get a second chance to qualify for this team,” said Wilkinson.
Days before the first qualifying meet, the Pan Pacific Trials, in Montreal last April, Wilkinson was struck by a terrible flue and high fever and was not able to fly from her Texas residence at the time. Since then, Wilkinson has completed her University studies at Texas A&M, and moved to Victoria to train at the Academy of Swimming with coach Randy Bennett and Olympians Ryan Cochrane and Alexa Kormanycky.
Several other local international level swimmers will be vying for a spot on the Pan Pacific team. Blake Woresly, Stefan Hirniak and Mackenzie Downing are amongst those who will fight for their chance to represent Canada at what is said to be the fastest international swimming event of the summer with charter nation countries Australia, Japan and USA.
For Canadian swimmers, making the Pan Pacific Championships team is one step closer towards competing for Canada at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India next October as the championships will act as the qualifier.
“This event will kick-off a summer of spectacular swimming,” sais Pierre Lafontaine. “We have several teams competing on the international stage in the upcoming months and this will be a great transition into highlighting summer sports as we lead into the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London.”
These Nationals will also feature a 10km open water race at Thetis Lake on August 1st. Two additional spots will be made available for the Pan Pacific Championships team in this event. Victoria’s Richard Weinberger and Sherwood Park’s Nadine Williams qualified last weekend at the FINA Open Water Championships in Roberval.
Next wave of world level swimmers
The 2010 Summer National Championships in Victoria will also act as a qualifying competition for the Nations Cup, an event that will feature a group of young athletes competing against teams from France, Brazil and Australia, August 5th to the 6th in Victoria.
In addition, a team will be selected to compete at the 2010 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii August 26-30. Canada’s Youth Olympic Games team will be using the 2010 Nationals to fine tune their performances as they prepare to make the journey to Singapore for these inaugural games.
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