The UBC Synchro Advanced and Novice athletes are heading to nationals on a high after their spectacular weekend at the CUASL Western Championships. The athletes made their way to Calgary AB. on Friday and Saturday for the first meet of the season that was on January 25th-27th.
The meet kicked off late on Saturday with the Advanced Team competition. Although the team was put at a bit of a disadvantage being drawn to swim first of the four teams while also adjusting to an altitude change (which makes it harder to breath!), nothing could stop them from having a fantastic swim. Their hard work and training paid off and the team came away with 1st place ribbons! This is the second year in a row that the UBC Advanced Team has placed first at Westerns.
Later that evening it was the Novice Team’s turn. Pulling out one of their best swims of their season thus far, the novice’s left it all in the pool. As they concluded the first day of competition, the team left on a high also coming away with a 1st place finish!
Day 2 in Calgary kicked off early on Sunday morning with Novice Solo. UBC had two competitors in the category: Natalie Hays and our only male athlete Timothy Yaroshuk. You would never have guessed that they had competed the night before, because if they were tired it didn’t show at all. After 2 amazing swims, Natalie placed 1st in the category – which is a huge accomplishment as this is only her second year in synchronized swimming, and following her Tim placed 4th!
Natalie
Tim
Advanced Duets was next, and UBC Synchro again had 2 competitors in the category. Olivia and Katie placed 1st in the category for the second year in a row, a great stepping stone to becoming back to back national champions in the category. Shannon and Natasha, had one of their best swims of the season and came 3rd with less than a point difference between them and the 2nd place team.
Olivia and Katie
Shannon and Natasha
The last event of the competition was Novice Duet. UBC’s duet consists of Natalie and Valie who are both in their 2nd year with UBC Synchro. Although this was Natalie’s third event of the weekend and Valie’s second, both pulled off an amazing performance and placed 1st in the category – an amazing finish to the weekend!
Valie and Natalie
It was all around a very successful weekend, and now everyone is back in the pool and going full force into training for Nationals in Ottawa which is only a couple days away! Live footage and results will be posted on both our Facebook and Instagram so make sure you’re following @ubcsynchro for the latest updates! If you’d like to see the team in action, stay tuned for more information on our end of year water-show scheduled for March 3rd!