Several young Hope swimmers will be heading to provincials after qualifying at a recent meet.
And they’ll be going as part of Hope secondary’s brand new swim team.
“Very exciting times for the HSS swim team,” said Jeremy Smith, the school’s athletic director. He says it’s been at least 10 years since the school has had a team, and that they have already done well individually and as a unit.
They already have 10 swimmers, and at a recent zone meeting (Hope to Langley), the under-15 girls earned a third place finish.
While the swimmers are pulling their weight in the pool, Smith said applause also has to go to two parents on the team.
“It’s all thanks to the efforts of Catherine and Mike Freimark who have really made things happen for students,” he said. “We thought it would be a process, [with] a few kids this year and then grow with the years. So to see 10 students on the roster, and a 3rd place finish for our under 15 girls team at a zone meet was a huge accomplishment for this team.”
Of those 10 swimmers, five of them earned their way to provincials in Richmond, to be held Nov. 19 and 20.
“To see our girls relay team get first was astonishing. These girls were competing in a Grade 10 event, with only one Grade 10, Chantel Hadd. Avery Loring and Danika Hope are both Grade 9’s and Isobel Polishak a Grade 7!” Smith added.
He also noted that Violette Freimark had a “stellar” meet, and qualified for provincials in three different events.
All five of those swimmers will head to provincials.
It was Hadd’s first swim meet, ever.
Freimark noted in an email that the school’s principals Rosalee Floyd and Barb Ziler also helped make it happen, as well as her husband as coach and others as officials.
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