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Dec 17th Long Course Winter Qualifier
Winter in Calgary usually means hunkering down, but on December 17th, the Patriots were busy turning the pool into a high-speed hardware store. With 32 podium finishes—18 of them being the top step—our crew clearly decided that gold medals are the most efficient way to stay warm during the Winter Quali.
The team’s depth was on full display as we collected 13 new standards, including two Westerns and seven Trials times. Federico Martino led the charge by sweeping three gold medals and securing a fresh Westerns cut. Samuel Bygrave was equally relentless, matching that triple-gold tally while picking up two new Champs standards along the way.
The record-breaking continued as several swimmers climbed into the top three of the club’s all-time rankings. Hudson Blough moved up to the #2 spot in the 100 Breast following a dominant two-gold performance, while William Cameron secured the #2 all-time slot in the 50 Fly. Szilard Szep also made his mark, taking two gold medals and a new Champs standard.
The podium remained a very crowded place thanks to Jade Boake and Hailey Cameron, who combined for three gold medals. Levi Hildebrand and Zack Schwanke kept the momentum going with their own medal-winning swims. We also saw major benchmarks hit by Emily Pegg and Gibson Hurd, who both locked in new Trials standards, and Willa Shortt, who fought her way onto the all-time top 10 list. Finally, Ivan Ramirez Amador, Leah Thompson, and Aaron Macdonald all contributed vital points and medals to cap off a fantastic day of LC racing.