Catalina swimmers qualify for Canadian National Championships
A group of Red Deer swimmers made a big splash at the Alberta Summer Championships on the weekend.
Seventeen members of the Red Deer Catalina Swim Club represented the club and several returned home from Edmonton with hardware.
Kyla Leibel and Elizabeth Moore led the way, as Leibel picked up five medals and Moore also won three. Leibel finished first in the 100 and 200 metre freestyle and 100m backstroke.
She also picked up silver in the 50m freestyle and bronze in the 400m freestyle.
Moore was second in both the 400m Individual Medley and 200m breaststroke. She finished third in the 100m breaststroke.
In addition to the medals, eight members of the club qualified for junior and senior Canadian National Championships later this summer.
Lauren Bettenson, Cale Kooyman, Leibel, Moore, Ocean Roos, Daniel Stayer, Jayden Vale and Justin Valentine will swim in Toronto at junior nationals from July 26-31.
The following weekend in Montreal, Leibel and Moore will also compete at senior nationals.
Top ten finishers at the meet in Edmonton included:
Ocean Roos (800m freestyle, fifth, 400m freestyle, eighth), River Roos (400m freestyle, fourth, 200m freestyle, ninth), Jayden Vale (1500m freestyle, sixth, 400m freestyle, 10th), Justin Valentine (200m backstroke, eighth), Daniel Stayer (50m backstroke, 10th), Logan Lopaschuk (1500m freestyle, fifth, 50m butterfly fifth, 200m butterfly eighth, 100m butterfly ninth), Lauren Bettenson (100m backstroke ninth, 50m breaststroke sixth, 50m freestyle eighth, 50m backstroke fifth), Jaden DeBruijin (50m breaststroke, ninth), Claire Halford (400m IM sixth) and Cale Kooyman (100m breaststroke eighth, 50m breaststroke sixth).