By Nathan Kanter

Battleford Kinsmen Orcas make their mark in Regina

Jan 17, 2017 | 11:00 AM

The Battlefords Kinsmen Orcas sent just seven swimmers to Regina for the Optimist Prairie Cup swim meet this past weekend, yet they came back with 13 first-place finishes, six second-place finishes, and three thirds.

“The kids did very very well,” club president Mike Nord, also swimmer Brandon Nord’s father, said. “It’s really a result of the kid’s hard work.”

Leading the way were 12-year-old Madison Higgs, 15-year-old Nord, and 15-year-old Taylor Parker. Higgs had five firsts and a second, Nord had five firsts and a third, and Parker had three firsts, three seconds, and a third.

Higgs, Nord, and Parker swim a little bit more often than other club members, estimated to be about 35 km per week. They are in the pool five to seven times per week, plus they do dry land training.

“The result of the things that they are getting is because of the dedication to the sport and their hard work,” Nord said. “On top of [that], they are all very good students.”

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Although there were no clubs from out of province and fewer competitors than usual at the Optimist Prairie Cup, the estimated number of swimmers was still 340.

“This was pretty much a provincial meet,” Nord said. “Normally at meets, there are typically a few clubs from out of the province.”

The seven Orcas not only made a statement to the other 10-12 clubs competing, but also set club records of their own.

Parker set four new club records, in the 50-metre freestyle, 100-metre freestyle, 200-metre freestyle, and 400-metre individual medley. Nord set club records in the 200-metre individual medley and the 100-metre butterfly. Higgs also set two club records.

Jael Basaraba and Reece Gilbert did well too, despite competing in their very first long course meet. The Orcas practice in a 25-metre pool, but long courses are double that, at 50-metres in length.

Thirteen-year-old Basaraba came in second in both the 25-metre butterfly and the 25-metre breaststroke. Fourteen-year-old Gilbert came top-10 in both the 50-metre backstroke and the 50-metre breaststroke.

Not to be forgotten are Lindsay Reimer and Reece Sommerfeld.

Reimer placed top-10 in the 100-metre individual medley, 200-metre freestyle, 50-metre butterfly, and 50-metre breaststroke. Sommerfeld finished top-10 in the 100-metre butterfly and 200-metre freestyle.

The next meet for the club is the Saskatoon Winter Classic in February.

“There will probably be 10, 12 clubs from Alberta and Manitoba and maybe even B.C. that will come,” Nord said. “This meet I think there was something like 300 and some swimmers competing. I think the next one in Saskatoon will be something like double that.”

Nathan Kanter is battlefordsNOW’s sports reporter and voice of the Battlefords North Stars. He can be reached at Nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca or tweet him @NathanKanter11