Competitive members of the Weyburn Synchro Stars attended their first competition and development camp at the Shaw Center in Saskatoon on November 13 and 14, receiving many team successes.
Athletes and their families attended the annual Synchro Saskatchewan Awards Banquet where Kimberly Rothwell was the recipient of the Recreational Coach of the Year award.
Rothwell has beena synchronized swimmer sincekindergarten. She retired as an athlete last year and has since coached entry level competitive athletes with the Weyburn Synchro Stars.
She is currentlyin grade 12 at the Weyburn Comprehensive High School; she also works part-time at the leisure center as a lifeguard.Her love ofcoaching has helped her decide to attend the University of Regina next year in the faculty of education.
Arlene Geisler and Joanne Fraser received awards for 10 years of volunteer service with Synchro Sask. and John Barrett received a five-year award.
The athletes attended a "Whole Athlete Development Camp" with two members of the Canadian National team as guest clinicians. The Weyburn Synchro Stars (WSS) athletes worked in the water and were inspired on deck by these dynamic young Canadian stars, and then were treated to a water-show featuring excerpts from their Bronze medal winning routine in China.
Following their performance, the 2011 Saskatchewan Canada Winter Games Synchro Team performed their thrilling team routine, which they will be performing at the Canada Winter Games this February in Halifax.
There have been many challenges this season with Synchro Saskatchewan's change from tier levels to age groups. Athletes are being challenged technically at a younger age in hopes of increasing the talent pool provincially and eventually, nationally.
WSS is very proud to have athletes in each Provincial age group this season, a first for their club. The following are their placing in their respective age groups. Awards were handed out to the top six in each age group.
*10 years and under: (coached by Meagan Rothwell and Katelyn Fraser) eighth - Julie Vogel, 10th - Piper Abel, 12th - Savannah Pohl, 13th - Alexis Vandermey, and 14th - Katie Robinson.
*12 years and under: (coached by Kimberly Rothwell) second - Rachel Ryan, 11th - Jillian Harder, 13th - Renee Bobier, 16th - Ensley Akins, 17th - Emma VonHagen, 20th - Nicole Ulmer, and 21st - Breanne McCormick.
*13 to 15 years: (coached by Tracey Rothwell) second - Katherine Ryan, third - Keisha Mowchenko, fourth - Hailey Wiberg, fifth - Sarah Barrett, and 31st - Jordan Zackrisson.
*16 to 18 years: (coached by Arlene Geisler) second - Meagan Rothwell, fifth - Michaella Klassen, sixth - Katelyn Fraser, and seventh - Lauryn Ryan.
