Sault Surge shows well
WINDSOR — More than 900 swimmers representing more than 20 teams — including 30 competitors from the Sault Surge — made a significant splash at the recent Border City Invitational Swim Meet. The annual event was held here at world class International Aquatic and Training Centre that is located in Windsor’s downtown core.
As for the Sault swimmers, the Surge boys finished 14th overall with 48 points scored while the girls were even more impressive, placing 11th with 141 points.
Surge swimmers held their own in a very competitive meet with 197 new personal best times established. Surge swimmers picked up a total of 12 medals including two gold, five silver and six bronze. It was a definite uptick for the Sault swimmers as last season at the Border City Invitational the team swam to 94 new personal best times and eight total medals.
Following is a tally of how the Sault Surge swimmers fared.
• Emma Vallee, 13, swam to gold medals in the 50 metre and 100 m breaststroke events for her age group as well as to a new personal best time every time she entered the water. Her time in the 100 m breaststroke event has her ranked number 13 in Canada for her age group. Vallee is also ranked in the top 50 nationally for the 50m and 100m breaststroke events. Vallee also finished in the top 10 to score points for the team in all of her races.
• Sophia Li, 14, earned two silver medals in the 400 m freestyle and 100 m backstroke events along with a pair of bronze medals in the 50 m and 200 m backstroke events. Li swam to a top 50 national ranking in four of her events as well as a top ten finish in the 200 m individual medley.
• Eva Moreau, 12, earned a silver in the 50 m breaststroke and a bronze medal in the 100 m breaststroke along with nine new personal best times, including a top 50 ranking in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events.
• Brie Reid, 16, picked up a silver medal in the 50 m breaststroke and a 12th ranked swim in the nation for her age group in that event.
• Asher Leask, 9, swam to a new personal best time in each of his eight events. He also earned a silver medal in the 100 m butterfly event the first time that he swam the event.
• Andrew Li, 16, picked up a bronze medal in the 50 m backstroke event.
• Maddison Erb, 13, earned a bronze medal in the 800 m freestyle.
• Finn Walker, 11, swam to a bronze medal in the first 200 m butterfly event that he swam.
• Addison Smith, Alexis Morin, Harper Krmpotich, and Piper Scott combined to pick up a third place finish in the girls 10 and under 200 m freestyle relay event.
• Adam Abbasy, 13, Oliver Bennetto, 15, Harper Krmpotich, 10, Bo Mackay, 9, Miia Tanninen, 13, Eva Moreau, 13, Jenna Morin, 13, Maxime Morin, 13 and Piper Scott, 10, all picked up new personal best times in every race they swam and earning the team important overall points.
• Other swimmers contributing overall points with top ten finishes included Alex Bravener, 17, Liam Leask, 11, Brooklyn Barber, 13, Haylen Leonard, 17, Mia Lloyd, 17, Elsa Mackay, 13 and Margot Oak, 11.
The Sault Surge will continue to train after a short break for the Christmas holidays with the team hosting the best of North Eastern Ontario at the Dave Kensit memorial NEOR championships in February of 2026, to be held at the John Rhodes Community Centre Pool in Sault Ste. Marie.