Sudbury Synchro teams make the podium in Waterloo

Led by a first place finish by the 14 year-old team, as well as an outstanding showing by a group of duets in the 13-15 age classification, members of the Sudbury Synchro Club continued to build momentum at the 21st Annual Waterloo Invitational in late January.

Posting a score of 59.833, the Sudbury crew (Megan Sarmatiuk, Stacie Kohan, Georgia Speck, Laurel Duguay, Sarah Ieropoli, Emily Binks, Bronwyn Ashley) topped a field of nine teams of the same age, and finished second only to London (61.00) in the traditional 13-15 division, which included 17 teams.

It was no surprise that members of this Northern Ontario squad also shone in other events. Coached by Candice Larochelle, the pairing of Sarmatiuk and Kohan earned a bronze medal with a score of 56.833 (12 team field) in duets, followed closely by Speck and Duguay in fourth (56.667 – coach Kristina Muinonen) and Ieropoli and Binks in sixth (56.333 – coaches Lindsay Wandziak and Lyanne Paquette).

Remaining highlights included a fifth place ribbon for the 12 & under tandem of Amy Lacelle and Madison Hood (coach Chelsea Wandziak), who then joined forces with Maeve Caddel and Sofya Mischenko in earning a sixth place finish in the 12 year-old team event (14 teams in all).

Sudbury Synchro Club representatives will now continue to fine-tune their routines in anticipation of the regionals in Scarborough on March 4 and 5, though some six or seven swimmers from the SSC are also off to Etobicoke on Feb. 20, site of the first stage of the provincial team tryouts.