MUSAC, Muskoka’s swim club, has had a phenomenal season, breaking 42 club records and sending swimmers on to regional, provincial and national championships.
Two Huntsville swimmers leave next week to compete in the Canadian Age Group Championships in Calgary July 27 to August 1.
13-year Ally Goldring and 14-year old Mark Cox are capping off an outstanding season with the MUSAC swim club. Mark will be racing in eight events. The backstroke is his best stroke and he will be competing in the 50 metre, the 100 metre and the 200 metre events. Ally’s specialties are the breaststroke and 200 Individual Medley. She will be racing in six events.
Ally Goldring and Mark Cox
The Nationals caps off an exciting season for the MUSAC club which has 225 members. Approximately 120 are in the competitive program and about half of those are from Huntsville. The club is truly a Muskoka club operating in Bracebridge with swimmers from Kinmount, Haliburton, Parry Sound, Gravenhurst and Huntsville.
Owen Jibb
There have been many highlights this season but one that caught everyone’s attention was the performance of 11-year old Owen Jibb of Bracebridge in his first year with the club.
Jibb had a breakout meet at the NEOR Long Course Regional Championship in Sudbury in early June. Since joining the club in November last year, he moved through the levels quickly and earned qualifying times in five events for the Ontario Festivals.
“Making it to Regionals in his first season was a big accomplishment in itself,” said MUSAC coach Morgan Kierstead.
Jibb along with 11-year old Branwyn Shaw of Gravenhurst and Mark Cox earned high point trophies in their age divison.
At the Ontario Summer Long Course Provincial championships June 30-July 3 in Etobicoke, Mark Cox again lead the way with five medals including four gold and one silver. Ally Goldring had three top eight finishes and Andrew Markham of Huntsville, had a personal best which earned him an Age Group National time.
The MUSAC club will be losing five of its members who are off to continue their education. All will be continuing their swimming careers at their new schools. Halle Denardis of Huntsville is going to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Emily Hubert of Bracebridge and Sabrina Schaly of Huntsville are leaving for Queen’s University in Kingston, Samuel Kuntz of Bracebridge will attend the University of Guelph, and Nathan Stafford of Huntsville is going to RMC, also in Kingston. All have attained scholarships, some based on academics others on the swim programs.
I’m proud of our team unity. We’ve created a MUSAC community, a hub for swimming in Muskoka. We draw members from all parts of the district. Everyone comes together under one club now and this enhanced the personal results of each and every one of our competitive swimmers this season. I”ve seen improvement in work ethic, attitude and performance as a result.
MUSAC Coach Morgan Kierstead
Coach Kierstead is very impressed with the success the swimmers had this season where 42 club records were broken. Next year Kierstead wants to expand the program in Huntsville and improve the team performances even more.
Registration for the 2016-17 season is now open online for returning members from July 3 to August 1. After that all open space will be made available to new members. The 2016-17 season begins September 19th.
Photos courtesy of Jennifer Jibb, and Janet Markham
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