SD83 Swimmers Qualify for Provincials at High School Meet

Congratulations and good luck to the SD83 high school swimmers who have qualified to take part in the B.C. School Sports provincial finals in Richmond on November 15-16, 2024!

At a swim meet at Salmon Arm Recreation Centre on October 27, 2024, students from A.L. Fortune (ALF), J.L. Jackson, Pleasant Valley Secondary (PVSS), Silver Creek, and Salmon Arm Secondary (SAS) competed against students from across the region, including Revelstoke, Penticton, Kamloops, Summerland and Kelowna.

Unlike many sports divided by age group, high school swimming brings together students from grades eight through 12 compete. Swimmers who compete year-round participate in the open category, typically racing 100 metres, while summer club or unaffiliated swimmers compete in the B category, where the distance is typically 50 metres. The third category is for para swimmers, also at 50 metres. This format promotes inclusivity across grade levels and abilities, aligning with the Human and Social Development priority area, in the District’s Strategic Plan, by fostering students’ social and emotional well-being through this event.

SD83’s two para swimmers, Brea Duncan of PVSS and Ethan Henry of SMS, placed in the top four of all of their categories and qualified for provincials in all of their events.

The first event of the day set a positive tone as two SD83 teams qualified for provincials. In the Girls’ 200 Metre Medley Relay B, Jackson won the event at 2:23.38 minutes, followed two seconds later by Revelstoke Secondary and eight seconds later by Shuswap Middle School.

Other local results are as follows:

• Jackson boys finished fourth in the Boys’ 200 Metre Medley Relay Open, qualifying for provincials.
• In the Mixed Freestyle Para event, Brea Duncan of PVSS finished second, and Ethan Henry finished third, both qualifying for the provincials.
• In the Girls’ Freestyle B, Vienne Bredick of Jackson finished a close second, just 0.3 of a second behind Lutza Berkenbosch of Revelstoke, securing one of the top four berths to provincials.
• In the Boys’ Freestyle Open, Finn Skofteby of Jackson finished third to qualify for provincials, while Dane Bach, also of Jackson, finished fifth and may qualify as an alternate.
• In the Para Backstroke, Brea Duncan of PVSS took first place.
• In B Category Backstroke Jaidyn Danyluk of Jackson claimed first and earned a spot at provincials. Liberty Vandergrift of SAS was fifth and Adele Bollans of SMS was sixth in that race.
• In Para Breastsroke, Brea Duncan placed second, and Ethan Henry finished third, both earning provincial berths.
• In Girls’ Breaststroke B Division, Adele Bollans of SMS finished second, Katy Calkins of Jackson placed third, and Liberty Vandergrift of SAS came fourth, with all qualifying for provincials.
• In Boys’ Breaststroke B Division, Ian Calkins of Jackson was third and earned a berth to the provincials.
• In Girls’ 100 Metre Freestyle B Division, Vienne Bredick of Jackson was first, Journey Vandergrift of SMS third, and Stella Bollans of Jackson fifth.
• In Boys’ 100 Metre Freestyle Open, Finn Skofteby finished first.
• In Girls’ Butterfly B, Vienne Bredick of Jackson finished second, and Jaidyn Danyluk of Jackson took fifth.

• In Girls’ Open Butterfly, Marrin Harwood of Jackson was fourth and qualified for provincials.
• In Boys’ Open Butterfly, Finn Skofteby of Jackson was fourth and qualified for provincials.
• In the 100 IM, Ethan Henry of SMS placed first and qualified for provincials.
• In the 100 IM B, Vienne Bredick of Jackson placed second and qualified for provincials.
• In IMB Division, Ian Calkins finished third and qualified for provincials.
• In the 200 Metre Freestyle Relay B, Jackson topped the podium (Stella Bollans, Vienne Bredick, Katy Calkins and Jaidyn Danyluk) while SMS finished fourth (Adele Bollans, Grace Bushell, Leila Magneson, and Journey Vandergrift). Both teams qualified for the provincials.

Thank you to all the organizers and to team sponsors Jocelyn Duncan (PVSS), Darcy Calkins (SAS), Soula Kemitzis (SMS), and Rhonda Skofteby (ALF/Silver Creek/JLJ).

The Okanagan High School Swim Commissioner Delano Ducheck thanked everyone who helped organize another successful swim meet. He said he was most impressed with the “B” swimmers who have never competed in a winter or summer club event and came out for the first time. “It was awesome to see,” he added.

Complete Meet Results Here
Team Scores Here