Thunderbirds team swims to top 5 finish

The CFB Thunderbirds Swim Club, conisting of 20 swimmers, recently participated in the 2005 Division 3 Provincial Team Championships in Etobicoke. The T-Birds ended up in 5th place among 36 teams from Ontario, with 288 points 1 point out of 4th place and 22 points behind the 3rd place team.

The Thunderbirds swam well during the three day meet with the top swimmers being Jennifer Piper (15) who earned gold medals in 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, and 100m Butterfly, silver medals in 200m Freestyle and 4th in 100m Backstroke along with 3 personal best times and Bryanna Penno (12) who earned gold in 100m Butterfly and 200m Butterfly and silver in 100m Breaststroke, 200m Breaststroke and 400m Individual Medley along with 1 personal best time. Other top swimmers for the T-birds were Emma Hives (12) silver in 50m Freestyle, bronze in 200m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke and 4th in 100m Freestyle and 200m Backstroke and 3 personal best times; Jesse Hives (9) gold in 100m Backstroke, bronze in 50m Backstroke and 100m Individual Medley and 8th in 50m Breaststroke and 3 personal best times; Gregory Katsuno (12) silver in 400m Individual Medley and 8th in 200m Individual Medley and 4 personal best times; Jamie Lee Udeschini (10) silver in 200m Freestyle, bronze in 200m Individual Medley, 6th in 100m Individual Medley and 4 personal best times; Andrew Palangio (13) bronze in 200m Butterfly, 4th in 200m Individual Medley, 5th in 100m Butterfly, 6th in 400m Individual Medley and 4 personal best times; Jayden Jackson (10) bronze in 100m Backstroke, 6th in 50m Backstroke, 7th in 50m Freestyle and 100m Freestyle and 4 personal best times. Other swimmers who placed were Vendela Edmonds (10) 4th, 7th and 4 personal best times; Sierra McCourt (11) 6th and 3 personal best times; Teagan Preston (10) 6th, 7th and 3 personal best times and Marissa Rodger (11) two 5th, two 6th, 8th and 4 personal best times.

The relay teams did extremely well with the Women 10 & under 200 Free relay team of Jesse Hives, Jayden Jackson, Vendela Edmonds and Jamie Lee Udeschini earning a silver medal and the Women 10 & under 200 Medley relay team of Teagan Preston, Marissa Rodger, Jesse Hives and Jamie Lee Udeschini also earning a silver medal. The Women 11-12 200 Free relay and the Women 11-12 200 Medley team of Emma Hives, Sierra McCourt, Megan Menard and Bryanna Penno earned a silver medals in both races. The Women 13-14 200 Free and 200 Medley team of Bryanna Penno, Emma Hives, Antoinette Busch and Constance Leavitt earned 5th place ribbons in both races. Other members of the Thunderbird team were Jane Ferguson, Sierra Guido, Megan Hives, Dylan Jackson, Tessa Preston, Antoinette Busch, Megan Menard and Constance Leavitt.

The CFB Thunderbirds Swim Club will be back in action May 7th for the Top Fish Meet at the CFB pool and then on May 13-15/05 with part of the team joining the North Bay Y Titans as Nipissing Swim Association in Buffalo, New York for a meet and the rest of the team participating in the East Side Mario Swim Meet in Sudbury.

Submitted to BayToday.ca