A local team of 64 swimmers successfully defended their title as the masters' champions of Ontario.
The Georgian Bay Squall, a Collingwood-based adult swim team, returned to the Etobicoke Olympium on April 19-21 to defend their 2023 provincial championship title.
The Squall earned a second consecutive championship title with an overall score of 6,220 points, according to a news release issued by the club.
The 64 Squall swimmers brought back 160 medals including:
- 30 gold medals, 24 silver medals and 14 bronze medals in the mens' events,
- 18 golds, 26 silvers, and 19 bronzes in the womens' events, and
- nine golds, nine silvers, and 11 bronzes in the relay events.
Three of the local swimmers broke Ontario records over the weekend.
Kevin Hebner set a new record in the 100 backstroke in the men's 65 to 69-year-old category.
Gillian Mayne set a new record in the women's 80-85-year-old 100 freestyle.
Kurt Schubert set two new records in the 50 backstroke and 50 freestyle for the mens' 25-29-year-old category.
Of the 64 Georgian Bay Squall swim team members who went to provincials this year, 20 of them had never been to provincials and one athlete hadn't been to a competition since 1966.
Competitors on the Squall team ranged in age from 24 to 80, including three father/daughter pairs, one of which raced a relay together.
The team will travel next to Windsor for the 2024 Canadian National Masters Swimming Championships.
