Campbell River Mirror Highlights National Swimmers

As reported in today's Campbell River Mirror. Thanks to Terry Farrell, Sports reporter, for his support!

Aaron Dahl's holidays will start a week later this year and he couldn't be happier.

The swimming season has been extended for the Campbell River Killer Whales swim coach. Dahl is heading to Winnipeg today with five of his best swimmers for the Club Nationals. It's the first trip to Nationals for the Campbell River Killer Whales swim team since Dahl took over the coaching reigns in October of 2002. The Club National Championship is a relatively new program set up in Canada - this is the third year they've done it," Dahl explained. We didn't have any qualifiers last year, but actually had one qualifier the first year. But as a club we weren't quite ready to take young kids on big travel meets like that yet, so we passed on the opportunity. Also, this year there's a whole group of kids that qualified and it's always easier to go to your first national meet with a group, as opposed to being the lone swimmer from your club."The fact that five Killer Whales met the qualifying standard times this season is a testament to the program as a whole. As far as us as a club, our goal is to be better every year," said Dahl. We are certainly much better this year than we were last year."so in that respect we are pretty excited with our program development."Andrea Gilbert, Aven Preston, Kirsten Rowbotham, Brock Hoyt and Simon Fraser University student Kyron Winkelmeyer will be representing the CRKW in Winnipeg. Gilbert started the snowball effect by posting a Nationals qualifying time at a meet in November. Once one Killer Whale met the standard, others soon followed. Dahl wasn't surprised.We're really pleased with this many qualifiers," he said. I don't want to say that we didn't expect it - you always have a number in your mind that you think is possible from your program and when you reach that number of get really close to that number it's gratifying. It confirms that what we are doing is working. I wouldn't want to say that I'm surprised that this many kids made the cut. I think I expected that these kids could make it and I'm pleased that they did.This is going to be the biggest and fastest meet that any of these swimmers have ever competed in so it's going to be very exciting."The Killer Whales will participate in five events apiece. Gilbert, a CRKW rookie, has a finals appearance on her mind as she prepares for her final meet of the season. She is entered in the 50 and 100m freestyle, as well as all three (50, 100 and 200m) backstroke events. Her qualifying time came in her specialty, the 50m free.I want to make finals in at least one race, specifically the 50 free," said Gilbert. I'd love to make the finals in all of them, but I'd be content with the 50 freestyle."Prior to the 2004/05 swim season Gilbert's competitive swimming experience was restricted to the 12-week summer season offered by the Salmon Kings Swim Club. Gilbert surprised herself with her progression this season. Had you told me a year ago that I would be going to Club Nationals this year... I would have just laughed," she said. I've done so many things this year that I never, ever would have thought possible.This was Andrea's first year as a Killer Whale and she's very focused, coimmitted and very goal oriented," said Dahl. She has a very good vision of where she's going in the sport and what she's trying to accomplish. It's fun to watch Andrea. Her progress is visible almost every meet."Rowbotham will swim in the three breast events as well as the 50 free and 200 m individual medley. Her qualifying swim came in the 200m breaststroke.My best time (in the 200m) is 2:53 and I want to beat that this week," she said. I've taken over seven seconds off this year already. If I could take a little more off at this meet it would be a great way to end the season."Kirsten's a very skilled swimmer," said Dahl. She got a taste of success last year at the provincial championships, making the final in the 200 breast. When she came back this year she was even more focused. She went from being a girl that swims to being a swimmer."Hoyt will be swimming in the three breast distances, 200m, butterfly and 200 IM. He qualified in the 100m breast. As a 16-year-old swimming in the 16/17 division, Hoyt will be one of the younger competitors in his division.I'll be focusing on my own personl best times," said Hoyt. For the 100 breast I want to try to get lower than 1:10. My personal best is 1:11.69.I would have never thought I could improve in one season the amount that I've improved this year, but that is all thanks to Aaron. He's an awesome coach. He fixes everything." This is Brock's first year back with the club after a couple of years off," said Dahl. It took him a couple of months to get back into the commitment but since, has turned into a great overall swimmer - not just a breaststroke swimmer but a great IM swimmer and a great distance swimmer too," said Dahl. Preston is going to a national stage after only four years of swimming. He specialty is the fly. She'll race in all three distances, as well as the 50 free and 50 backstroke. Preston qualified for nationals in the 50 fly.I used to never do butterfly in practice but I slowly learned how to do it and just got better," she said. Her improvements have been astonishing. Preston has taken 11 seconds off her best time in the 100 fly this season alone. I want to make a final at nationals," she said. That's my goal for this week."Aven's mental development in this past year has been phenomenal," said Dahl. Her improvement this year comes totally from commitment. She's gone from being an average swimmer to really being a threat. She's going to be a real threat in the 50 fly this week."Winkelmeyer's situation is unique in that he is already a senior qualifier. His performance in Winnipeg will go a long way toward determining his fate as he seeks a spot on the Commonwealth Games team. Winkelmeyer is a breaststroke specialsit and will swim the three breast events (50, 100 and 200m), as well as 50m fre and 200m IM. Kyron came to us having already qualified," explained Dahl. He's a young guy that I used to work with up in Fort St. John a few years ago. Once the University year ends, these swimmers often head out and swim with club teams. Because of the relationship Kyron and I had as a youngster, he wanted to come over and train this summer in preparations for Commonwealth Games Trials in November. So for Kiron this is a huge step for him. He needs to be in the top three to five at this meet to put himself in place to make the Commonwealth Games team."As a team our goal is to go there and see one of our kids get in a second swim," said Dahl. At Club Nationals there are no second swims. It's simply top eight swim in finals, regardless how many are entered in each race. We're hoping that someone is going to go there and have a breakthrough swim and I think every one of them has the potential to do that."