The Elliot Lake Secondary School (ELSS) sent five swimmers to the recent Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) provincial meet in Toronto with locals scoring a strong showing in a meet that saw 2,000 students competing from across the province.
The team of Alyssa Hebert, Gareth Hebert, Kyle Beaulieu, Owen Parsons and Emma Young represented the Northern Ontario Region at the OFSAA meet held March 3 and 4 at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto.
“The honour to represent at this calibre of meet requires hard work, discipline and overall grit,” coach Shawn Beaulieu said. “Our swim team proved their talent amongst 2,000 fellow competitors from across the province.”
Results from the event saw Young swim a solid 100-meter backstroke, earning her a top 20 provincial finish, while Kyle Beaulieu managed to shave six seconds off his personal best time in the 200-meter freestyle event.
Parsons proved his sprinter skills and swam a 30-second 50-meter freestyle event.
Gareth Hebert earned a top 20 provincial finish in the 100-meter freestyle event, while Alyssa Hebert, swimming as a para-athlete, competed in two events, picking up a provincial top 15 place in the 50-meter freestyle and a provincial top 7 in the 100-meter freestyle.
“(It was) truly an honour and accomplishment for each of our athletes as the atmosphere was nothing less than overwhelming,” coach Beaulieu said, thanking coaches and staff for their help in having the athletes compete at the provincial level. “Our community support and spirit helped our team succeed.”