A group of young Airdrie swimmers took gold in a relay at the Alberta Age Group Championships, March 11-13, beating out top-ranked teams from the University of Calgary and Cascade swim clubs.
Nose Creek Swim Association swimmers Reid Glatz, Zac McLeod and Alex Pratt, all 10, along with Calgary Winter Club swimmer Lorenzo Ford took home the gold in the 10 and under 200-metre freestyle relay with a time of 2:19.34.
“They were hungry, they swam well and they were ready,” said the trio’s coach Robin Hill.
“They wanted it more; that is why they won.”
The team was ranked third going into the final, and managed to shave off six seconds from their preliminary time to take home the gold.
“They beat out all the heavyweights,” said Hill.
“They made me look good.”
Glatz topped the medal count for NCSA with bronzes in the 100-metre back in a time of 1:23.08, the 100-metre butterfly with a time of 1:24.57 and the 50-metre butterfly with a time of 37.19 and earned a silver in the 50-metre freestyle event with a time of 32.73.
Alex Pratt received a bronze in the same freestyle event with a time of 32.90.
Hill said this has been a great year for the swimmers, with a new coaching staff, board and keen and motivated swimmers.
“There is so much fresh, new energy and it is contagious,” she said.
Head Coach Dave Loyola agreed.
“The future is very healthy,” he said. “The staff that we have now is great and we are all thinking long-term with the kids. Their times are getting better every month.”
Loyola said the club continues to grow with a flourishing I Can Swim program and more than 80 competitive swimmers.
NCSA has kids swimming at Calgary’s Thornhill and Talisman pools and Airdrie’s Genesis Place. Earlier this year, the club held its first swim meet in Airdrie in about 10 years, a key event for Loyola.
“It is fantastic to see Airdrie flourish,” he said. “There is a lot of energy and a lot of backing from the pool staff.”
