By Nathan Kanter

Orcas swimmer Higgs qualifies for Canadian Junior Championships

Apr 17, 2018 | 12:00 PM

Battlefords Kinsmen Orcas swimmer Madison Higgs has qualified for the Canadian Junior Championships in the 1,500-metre freestyle, after crushing her previous best time and breaking an Orcas club record at the Western Canadian Championships in Victoria, B.C. last weekend.

Higgs also raced in the 50, 100, and 200-metre freestyle races in the women’s 13-15 category, but she saved the best for last, as her 1,500-metre race was 39.82 seconds faster than her previous best time, and more than 13 seconds under the qualification time for the junior championships.

“Qualifying for CJC is a big deal,” Orcas head coach Ally MacLeod said. “It is the next stepping stone in terms of higher levels of competition … [Higgs] has now qualified at the youngest age one is eligible to compete, and this sets her up for many years of national-level racing experience.”

Higgs’ previous personal best in the 1,500-metre freestyle was 20:10.70, but she managed to finish with a time of 19:30.88 in Victoria. Her previous best time had her seeded 39th in that race, but with her new time, she leaped 10 spots to 29th.

It was also her first appearance on the national stage, which MacLeod said is often very nerve-wracking. Yet Higgs’ first three races were consistent, as she finished within half a second of her best time in each of the 50, 100, and 200-metre freestyle races.

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“The fact that she managed to stay within half a second of her month-old best times is very impressive,” MacLeod said. “It’s not uncommon for swimmers to compete poorly at their first big competition. Unreal expectations, nerves and the new competitors sometimes get the best of the green athletes.”

The Canadian Junior Championships this year are in Winnipeg from July 25-30.

Next up on the event schedule for the Orcas is the Laser Invitational in Saskatoon from May 4-6, followed by the Edmonton Keyano Invitational May 11-13. The number of swimmers to attend those events hasn’t yet been decided.

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NathanKanter11