Two swimmers from the Kitimat Marlin Swim Club returned from the Terrace Swim Meet this past weekend with bronze medals, with one earning a spot at the divisional championships in Kelowna later this month.
“We were kind of expecting them to do well. It’s nice to see them rewarded for all their hard work,” said head coach Kayla Hume.
Dieyne Hart took bronze in the 14-and-under boys category and achieved divisional times in the 50-metre freestyle, 50-metre breaststroke, and 100-metre freestyle. That qualifies him for the divisional competition in Kelowna, set for June 26 to 28.
Sadie Rego also earned a bronze medal in the 12-and-under girls category.
Hume described the atmosphere in Terrace as “the best meet all year”, with high energy and strong camaraderie. “Not just Kitimat, but all the kids—they’re laughing and smiling and hanging out with their teammates, cheering each other on,” she said.
The pair have delivered strong performances across multiple meets this year. At the Terrace Regional Championship in January, Rego was the top qualifier in both the 50-metre breaststroke and freestyle. Hart led the boys' team, making the finals in several events and winning the club’s only medal at that meet, a silver in the 12-13 boys category.
Hart now prepares for divisionals in a new age category after recently turning 13. Hume said he is aiming for provincial times in his breaststroke events.
“He’s doing wonderful,” she said. “He’s dedicating a lot of his mental strength into the sport. He and Sadie are definitely the two that are performing with a lot of self-motivation and reaching their goals they set out to do at the beginning of the year.”
Looking ahead, Hume expects more swimmers to qualify for divisionals next year, noting that several narrowly missed the cut this season by mere milliseconds.
The Marlins are also planning to relaunch their silver group, part of an effort to rebuild after pandemic-related restrictions saw swimmer numbers drop from about 30 to fewer than 10. The club has gradually bounced back, with renewed support from dedicated parents and athletes.
Dryland training is expected to begin in September while the club waits for the pool to reopen.
