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2025 Sandy Ferris Age Group Challenge Meet Summary
Mid-December at the Brookfield YMCA at Seton turned into a high-speed holiday workshop for the Calgary Patriots. As the final meet of 2025, the Sandy Ferris Age Group Challenge provided a stocking full of 17 podium finishes and a staggering 24 new time standards, proving that the winter racing season is the perfect time for a performance breakthrough.
The hardware haul was led by a series of dominant victories, resulting in seven total gold medals for the club. Desmond Phillips was a force throughout the meet, securing five individual gold medals, while Tomas Arroyo Olivera and Weston Phillips each climbed to the top of the podium with gold-medal performances of their own. Additionally, Eva Martino earned a spot on the podium with a bronze in the 50 Breast. These standout swims helped set the tone for a weekend where the Patriots were frequently seen collecting medals from the guest Olympians in attendance.
The meet served as a milestone for several athletes achieving high-level standards for the first time. Haley Quon and Nolan Curtis both secured their first-ever Trials times, while Jameson Young locked in his first 12-year-old Festival standard. The charge toward provincial benchmarks continued with Aliya Haggarty, Ivan Dehtiarov, Jaydon Ondic, Maddyn Rushfeldt, Owen Chen, Owen Percival, and Yuseung Lee all hitting new time standards.
Our 11-year-old relay teams were equally impressive, rewriting the club history books before the year's end. The mixed 4x50 Free relay team of Desmond, Nolan, Yeonu, and Veronica claimed the #1 spot in the all-time club records, with Maddyn, Amelia, and Josie also contributing to the record-breaking speed. The boys' 4x50 IM relay also secured a bronze finish to round out a highly successful weekend for the team.
The sheer volume of personal improvement was perhaps the most exciting part of the weekend. Gabriel Ellis led the way with a massive 21.6% time drop in the 200 Back, showing the results of consistent training. Ava Stokman delivered an equally impressive 21.5% improvement in the 50 Fly, while Ria Veronica Mangubat, Evan Ng, and Sebastien Proulx each posted double-digit percentage drops in their respective events. These performances ensure the team heads into the holiday break with plenty of momentum.