The Pacific Sea Wolves Swim Club sent nearly three dozen young athletes to 2022 Winter Provincial Swim Championships in Victoria earlier this month, and the swimmers made the most of the first provincial meet in two years, bringing home a handful of medals.
Of all the podium finishes – and there were plenty – the Sea Wolves’ 12-and-under boys relay team may have made the biggest waves. The foursome – Matthew Cao, Neil Zhou, Borui Zhang and Max Wu – broke a pair of provincial records, in the 4-by-50 freestyle relay (clocking a time of 1:49.88) and in the 4-by-100 freestyle relay (4:00.28).
Cao was also named the top 11- 12-year-old boy at the meet, after scooping eight gold medals, seven silver and one bronze in total over the course of the meet, which was held March 10-13.
Zhou, meanwhile, also stood atop the podium plenty of times over three days, winning six gold medals while also adding a bronze. Zhou, 12, won three gold and one silver; and Wu scooped four gold medals, one silver and two bronze.
As well, Brielle Woodruff, 18, won a silver and bronze medal; Sebastian Massable, 17, won six bronze medals; Sergey Chernomorchenko, 16, won three bronze; while Matthew Wang, Elden Wu and Ray Cao each won one bronze medal.
The individual results were enough to propel the Sea Wolves to a sixth overall team finish. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, provincial championships had not been held since the spring of 2020.
READ MORE: South Surrey swimmers score medals, break records at virtual meet
A few team records were also shattered in Victoria. Matthew Cao set a number of new marks in PSW’s 11/12 boys record book, setting best times in the 50-m breaststroke (both short-and long-course), 100-m breaststroke (both short- and long-course), and the 50-m butterfly (long course).
Also in the 11/12 boys category, Zhou set a new PSW mark in the 100-m freestyle (long course) and the 50-m freestyle (both short- and long-course). In the 15-17 category, Chernomorchenko set a new club record in the 200-m individual medley (short course).
sports@peacearchnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter