Hurd, Russell to compete at Pan Pacs

Sports

Aug 04, 2006

Large Medium Small Print This Article Tell a friend

Oakville Aquatic Club (OAK) product Andrew Hurd and Dolphins Swim Club member Colin Russell both qualified for the upcoming Pan Pacific Games with medal-winning efforts at last weekend's senior national swim meet in Montreal.

The 23-year-old Hurd, a two-time Olympian, won gold in both the 200-metre and 400m freestyle events. Now a member of the Toronto Swim Club, Hurd easily won the 400m race, finishing nearly five seconds ahead of the second-place competitor. In the 200m event, he had to overtake Russell and Rick Say down the stretch to win by a tenth of a second.

Russell swam a personal-best time to earn bronze in the 200m freestyle, also finishing sixth in the 100m free. The Dolphins Swim Club is based out of both Oakville and Barrie.

The Pan Pacific Games will be held in Vancouver the second week of August. Hurd and Russell are expected to swim together in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay, in addition to their individual events.

Meanwhile, OAK swimmers Laura Pomeroy, Cam Cummings and Zack Chetrat all qualified for at least one final at the senior nationals, which also served as trials for the Pan Pacific Games.

The 19-year-old Pomeroy was OAK's top finisher, placing 10th in the women's 50-metre freestyle. Cummings, 17, finished 14th in the men's 400m individual medley and 16th in the men's 200m backstroke, while Chetrat, 15, placed 15th in the men's 200m butterfly with a club-record time. Chetrat's time also ranked him first in 200m butterfly amongst 15-year-olds in the country.

OAK head coach Christy Yaremczuk was particularly pleased with the performances of Cummings and Chetrat, both competing at the senior national level for the first time.

"Both Cam and Zack have spent the past four weeks just heating up the pool with outstanding results at both the provincial and age group national championships, so the goal was to come to Montreal and try to make top 16. It was very exciting to see these two rising talents get in there and step up to the best in the country," she said.

Cummings' results will place him in the running for various provincial tour teams and provincial Quest for Gold funding, while Chetrat is eligible for a number of Swimming Canada and Swim Ontario tour teams.

Cummings also finished 28th in men's 200m IM and 29th in men's 100m backstroke, with Chetrat placing 27th in men's 400m freestyle, 34th in men's 100m butterfly (in a club-record time) and 58th in men's 100m freestyle.

Other OAK competitors at senior nationals included Justina Difazio (21st, women's 200m freestyle; 25th, women's 100m butterfly; 28th, women's 100m freestyle; 33rd, women's 200m butterfly) and Kate Plyley (49th, women's 100m butterfly; 73rd, women's 100m freestyle).

Dolphins swimmers also participating were Sinead Russell, Jacinda Smit and Krista Hozian, all of whom posted personal-best times at their first-ever national competitions.