Orcas swimmer Higgs qualifies for Canadian Junior Championships
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.