Seventh Annual Xmas Cracker

Zero degrees ... and colder! +
One snowstorm +
Two overnights +
Three pools +
Four printers +
Five computers +
Six sessions +
Seven safety vests +
Eight whistles +
Nine stacks of curtains +
Ten potted trees +
Eleven portable bleachers +
... and twelve months until the 2009 Xmas Cracker Invitational!!

Thanks to Saanich Commonwealth Place for TERRIFIC staff and facility and as always HUGE thanks to all our volunteers - of course our PCS families & friends, and those from other teams as well, especially Ravensong, Whitehorse and Chena. As everybody knows, our kids' swim meets happen because of dedicated volunteers and we have a great group!!

The 7th Annual PCS Xmas Cracker Invitational featured all of the above, with 24 teams and 600+ athletes & coaches from BC, Alberta and the Yukon.... and FAST swimming.

Our event winners were Whitney Buczkowski, David Creel, MacKenzie Downing, Caileigh Filmer, Cody Flegel, Ryan Howe, David Killy, Lauren McMillan, Jeff Saganski, Nicholas Sinclair and Aidan Thirkell.

Further top-3 places were achieved by Salin Bol, Hanna Carter, Ryan Clouston, Carlene Creyke, Eleanora Dalling, Emily Ding, Derek Doerksen, Ian Mattock, Rachael Newman, Ben Partridge, Jessica Pietrusiak, Stefanie Schmidt, Annika Schmuck and Richard Weinberger.

Rounding out the top-8 were Sophia Borchers, Stacey Gossman, Abby Irving, Colin Jones, Evan Letkeman, Jacob McKee, Kody Mitchell, Remy Mock, Rosie Moulton, Tracey Nguyen, Stephen Olmos, Zac Parkes, Kaela Richardson, Julia Schmidt, Jade Simpas, Elizabeth Sissons, Tyler Smith, David Vizsolyi and Leanna Woo.

Xmas Cracker meet records fell in numbers, including to the following UVPCS swimmers, all in the 15 & over age group - David Creel (1500 Freestyle), Nicholas Sinclair (100 & 200 Backstroke), Cody Flegel (100 Freestyle), MacKenzie Downing (100 Butterfly), David Killy and then Jeff Saganski (100 Butterfly) and Whitney Buczkowski (100 Backstroke).

Several UVPCS team records fell as well: Rachael Newman (13-14 50 Butterfly); Whitney Buczkowski (Senior 100 Backstroke); John Willcox and then Justin Howe (10 & Under 200 Breaststroke); Ryan Howe (11-12 50 Breaststroke; 100 & 200 Backstroke); Aidan Thirkell (13-14 100 & 200 Breaststroke); Nicholas Sinclair (15-17 1500 Freestyle; 50, 100 & 200 Backstroke; 50 Butterfly; 200 IM) and Cody Flegel (Senior 100 Freestyle).

The team also re-wrote three UVic records: Whitney Buczkowski (100 Backstroke); Ben Partridge (50 Backstroke) and Cody Flegel (100 Freestyle). Cody’s new record breaks the previous one set in 1982 by Olympian Wayne Kelly.

Finally, and not least, congratulations to the following swimmers on achieving new time standards:
A - Savannah Barratt (12), Daniel Hatenbour (13), Rebecca MacKenzie (10), Victoria von Sacken Nash (10)
AA - Rebecca Thomson (14), Lauren Crisp (10), Patricia Horwood (10)
AAA - Stephen Olmos (12), Abby Irving (11)
Age Group National - Emily Ding (12), Ryan Howe (12), Lauren McMillan (12), Jade Simpas (15)
Westerns - Salin Bol, Sophia Borchers, Daniel Borowiecki, Ian Mattock, Kody Mitchell
CIS - David Killy, Carlene Creyke, Danielle Newton

Congratulations to our swimmers and coaches on a great meet!

Check out our results page for details.

Happy holidays to all our families, friends, supporters and sponsors, thanks again and see you at the next Cracker!