NYAC swimmers break club records at meet

NYAC swimmers break club records at meet. NYAC club member Casey Gallagher, 15, set a new senior national time standard and was a first-time national qualifier in the 200m backstroke (2:17:72) at a recent meet. Photo/WILLIAM WILLIAMS

The Youth Cup, in its 27th year and held at the Etobicoke Olympium pool, is a high-calibre meet featuring more than 40 clubs from across the country - and one from New York City - while the Mega City, in its 11th season, is more of a developmental meet for some of the Greater Toronto Area's newer, emerging talent.

Hamilton, one of the top swimmers in the country for his 14-year-old age class and a student at Vaughan Road Academy, a school for elite athletes, broke a club record at the Youth Cup in the 200m freestyle (1:56:82), the 200m butterfly (2:10:84), 800m freestyle (8:39:30) and 50m fly (28:04).

"He's very talented and he's got the work ethic to match," said club head coach Murray Drudge, who heads NYAC's elite division and has been coaching at the club for 14 years. "And when you put those two things together you get a really exciting swimmer."

Fourteen-year-old Mierzynski, who produced some fast times at the short course provincial championships last March, including first-place finishes in the 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 200m IM and the 100m backstroke, rewrote club bests in the 100m freestyle (54:29) and 50m backstroke (28:88).

Freestyle specialist Hodge, 15, who registered four new club standards at the Canadian Age Group Championships last summer in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle, broke the 1500m (17:02:36) freestyle and finished a close second in the 100m freestyle at the Youth Cup.

Another emerging standout, Casey Gallagher, 15, set a new senior national time standard and was a first-time national qualifier in the 200m backstroke (2:17:72).

"It couldn't have happened to a better young lady. She's worked very hard to get it and to finally do it is a pretty great feeling," said the head coach.

All of the above swimmers have been with NYAC since their swimming beginnings.

Drudge, who also heads the club's national group and triathlon swim programs, said the fact that club records are falling so early in the short course season is a pretty clear indication of what's to come in February and March at the Eastern Championships, Provincial Championships and the Senior National Championships.

"I would say the fact that they broke them (records) now is outstanding. It's unusually high for best times," he said referring to the club's results, noting the rest of the season "promises to be a great."

"When they swim this well so early it just makes the rest of the year exciting because now you've sort of galvanized everybody and motivated everybody."

NYAC uses the swimming facilities at Douglas Snow, Northview, Newtonbrook, Forest Hill, Northern and A.Y. Jackson.