Canadian Pan Pacific Trials and National Championships Underway

MONTREAL, Canada, July 28. MACKENZIE Downing of Whitehorse became one of several swimmers to earn their initial Canadian title on Thursday at the 2006 Pan Pacific Trials and National Championships in Montreal.

Based in Victoria for the past two years, Downing won the women’s 200-meter butterfly clocking 2:11.07. She upset heavy favorite Audrey Lacroix of Montreal, who finished second in 2:11.28, while Kayla Rawlings of Langley, B.C., placed third in 2:13.56. The top-two from each event and the best 18 and under swimmer earn berths on Canada’s team for the Pan Pacific Championships Aug. 16-21 in Victoria.

“In the prelims, I muscled my way too much to the finish so I focused on staying relaxed for the final and it worked,” Downing said. “I didn’t expect to beat Audrey. I’m definitely thinking of my coaches in Whitehorse who helped me so much and my parents of course. We used to drive for three days to get to Vancouver so I could compete.”

In the women’s 1500 freestyle, 14-year-old Savanah King of Vernon, B.C., took the gold in a personal best 16:34.27 in another upset. She passed double world championship medalist Brittany Reimer of Victoria in the last 100. Reimer clocked 16:42.57 and Tanya Hunks of Vancouver finished third in 16:51.06.

“My strategy was to stay with Brittany the entire race,” King said. “I was confident I could do that but I knew I would be difficult. I’m surprised to get the win.”

“Savannah can battle through the pain that builds up in such a race,” King’s coach Claude-Yves Bertrand said. “When I saw how strong she was in the end, I was so excited that I forgot to write down the splits. Her improvement this year has been simply phenomenal.”

Chanelle Charron-Watson clocked a personal best 1:59.99 to win the women’s 200 freestyle for her first title. Julia Wilkinson of Toronto placed second at 2:01.79 and Melanie Bouchard of Quebec City third at 2:01.84.

“I’ve been dreaming about winning a Canadian title for a long time and to do it tonight is beyond my expectations,” Charron-Watson said. “I swam a personal best initially in the morning prelims. I was nervous but confident for the final.”

Kelly Stefanyshyn of Vancouver and Erin Gammel of Calgary went 1-2 in the women’s 100 backstroke.

In the men’s races, Matt Hawes of Vancouver and Nathan O’Brien of Victoria in the 100 backstroke, Adam Sioui of Calgary and Stefan Hirniak of Victoria in the 200 butterfly and Andrew Hurd of Toronto and Brent Hayden of Vancouver in the 200 freestyle picked up top-two finishes.

Junior swimmers also gaining Pan Pac team spots were Rawlings, Karah Stanworth-Belleville of Beaconsfield, Que., in the 100 backstroke, Emily Wong of Nepean (Ottawa), Ont., in the 200 freestyle and Monika Stitski of Etobicoke, Ont., in the 1500 freestyle. Jake Tapp of Langley in the 100 backstroke, Jonathan Blouin of Quebec City in the 200 butterfly and Joel Greenshields of Calgary in the 200 freestyle earned spots for the men.

Competition continues through to Sunday at Parc Jean-Drapeau.

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