PORT HAWKESBURY – Six young swimmers swam to a second-place team standing at a recent regional Nova Tech meet in Port Hawkesbury.
“The Spartans may have been the smallest team on deck, but we were ready to compete,” said coach Manson Gloade. “Each swimmer recorded best times during the meet and everyone ranked in the top ten in at least one of their events.”
New to competitive swimming, Chelsea Elliott, Gemma Leslie-Dowe and Ava Taggart, were competing at the entry level of the Nova Tech program.
Taggart recorded best times as she swam to first in the 25-metre fly and 100-metre Individual Medley, and sixth in the 25-metre freestyle events.
Elliott’s personal best swim in the 25-metre free earned her a fifth-place finish, while Leslie-Dowe claimed ninth in the same event. She recorded best times in the 25-metre fly, 25-metre free and 100-metre IM events.
The other three Spartans competed at the top level of the tiered Nova Tech program.
Simon Buske swam to second in the 50-metre free and 200-metre IM, and claimed fourth in the 50-metre fly events. He recorded personal bests in the 50-metre kick and 200-metre IM events.
Aurelia Mitchell swam best times to place second in the 50-metre fly and fourth in the 200-metre IM. She earned a top ten ranking in the 50-metre free event and qualified to graduate to age group swimming.
Olivia Elliott placed eighth in the 200-metre free and 200-metre IM, and collected three best time awards.
The team is currently training towards an inter-provincial meet in PEI later in March.
