KISU in the spotlight
Some of the top Penticton KISU Swim Club members will be showcasing their talents on national and international fronts in the coming weeks.
Eight swimmers, along with head coach Tina Hoeben left Wednesday to compete in the in the Long Course Far Western Championships in Concord, Calif. against other teams from Canada, Mexico and the U.S..
“This represents a lot of big growth for our team, they’ve been training really well but just the experiences are so important for myself and for them to go to this meet,” said Hoeben during a club practice late last week. “It’s international, it’s outdoors and it’s a totally different format and, in my mind, it’s what they need.
“It’s so important to expand the breadth and range of the things they’ve gone through the last couple of years, what they lost during that time.”
Attending the Western Championship that runs from July 28-31 from KISU are: Issie Grecoff, Paige Dooling, Marlee Winser, Hannah Rutten, Ryan McMillan, Sydney Wilson and Brooke Binding-Sirianni.
Meanwhile, KISU swimmer Taryn Weatherhead is off to Ontario this week to compete in the Canada Summer Games in the Niagara region, something she described as the event of a lifetime.
“I’m very excited to go,” said Weatherhead, who just celebrated her 14th birthday. “It’s my first time in an athlete’s village and I’m excited about meeting all the people.”
For her, it’s not just about the physical preparation for the Games.
“I approach it with the mindset that I’m not going in No. 1,” she said. “I’m here to race and do my part for the team and not worry about what place I get, whether I get a medal and just do it for the team and have fun.”
KISU also had a very successful weekend at the recent provincial championships.
Overall, the club placed 13th out of more than 30 teams with the girls placing seventh overall.
The following are the team’s top three (podium) finishers at the event:
• Hannah Rutten, first in 200-metre backstroke, second in 100 back and 3rd in 400 freestyle
• Taryn Weatherhead, first in 200 fly, second in 100 free, 50 butterfly and 100 fly, third in 800 free
• Marlee Winser, second in 50 free, third in 1500 free.
• Dayla Yamaoka, second in 1500 free. The 13-14yr old girls relays were another highlight. With Hannah Rutten, Charlotte Glynes, Taryn Weatherhead and Marlee Winser, they were third in the 4x50 free and first in both the 4x50 medley and the 4x100 medley relays.
The Provincial Open Water event was held July 18.
KISU had two podium performances there. Dayla Yamaoka was second in the 12 and under 1000m swim. Issie Grecoff was 3rd in the 5000m swim