Over 250 athletes from 12 swim clubs throughout North Eastern Ontario came to the Sault this past weekend for the 2025 Dave Kensit Memorial NEOR championship.
Forty-two local athletes represented the Sault Surge Aquatic Team combined to set 210 new personal best times.
See results in the press release below.
The Sault Surge Aquatic Team hosted the North Eastern Ontario Region’s best swimmers this past weekend at the John Rhodes Community Centre Pool for the 2025 Dave Kensit Memorial NEOR championship.
Overall, defending regional champions the Sudbury Laurentian Swim Club earned the large team banner with 1,314.50 points and the Kirkland Lake Aquatic Club earned 393 points to earn the small team banner. The Sault Surge Aquatic Team made strides to close the gap and finished with 1171 points scoring almost 100 more points than in 2024.
In total there were 250 athletes representing 12 clubs throughout North Eastern Ontario. 42 local athletes represented the Sault Surge Aquatic Team combined to set 210 new personal best times. 10 swimmers raced to the wall fastest to win a combined 23 gold medals amongst 69 overall individual medals in individual events. Sault Surge relay teams were also tops in 6 relay events.
Margot Oak, 10, and Emma Vallee, 12, picked up individual high point trophies for their respective age group for their performances. Vallee picked up gold in all seven of her events and in the process set new club records for her age group in the 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 200m and 400m individual medley races. Oak picked up 2 gold, 3 silver and a bronze medal along with 8 new personal best times.
Lenden Ellis, 14, led the Surge with the highest total of personal best times with 11 to go along with a silver medal in the 50m backstroke.
Will Banton,19, swam to 3 gold medals in 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle, as well as a silver medal in the 50m butterfly and a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke.
Oliver Bennetto, 14, swam to silver medals in the 100m freestyle and 1500m freestyle as well as bronze medal in the 50m backstroke.
Alex Bravener, 16, swam to bronze medals in the 100m and 200m breaststroke events.
Owen Clement, 15, picked up a bronze medal in the 1500m freestyle.
Deane Greenwood, 10, dropped almost 30 seconds from his previous personal best time in the 400m freestyle event to earn a bronze medal.
Blake Krivan swam to a podium finish in the 50m, 100m, 200m freestyle events as well as the 50m backstroke.
Asher Leask, 9, swam to a bronze medal finish in the 50m butterfly.
Andrew Li, 15, swam to a medal in 6 of his events including a gold medal victory in the 400m individual medley.
William Paranuik, 11, had a strong meet with silver medals in the 400m freestyle and individual medley events as well as 2 bronze medals in the 800m freestyle and 200m backstroke events.
Brooklyn Barber, 12, picked up a gold medal in the 50m butterfly event as well as a silver in the 100m butterfly and 2 bronze medals in the 50m breaststroke and 400 individual medley events for her age group.
Tayte Borrelli, 16, swam to a bronze medal finish in the 1500m freestyle event.
Madison Erb, 12, picked up a bronze medal in the 50m butterfly for her age group.
Sophia Li, swam to 4 gold medals in the 1500m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 200m Butterfly and individual medley events. Li also earned silver medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke and 400m individual medley events.
Elsa Mackay,12, picked up a gold medal in the 200m butterfly event as well as silver medals in the 800m freestyle and 50m backstroke along with a bronze medal in the 200m backstroke.
Eva Moreau, picked up an additional Ontario Age group qualification time in the 200m breaststroke to go along with a gold medal in the 50m breaststroke and a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke for her age group.
Brie Reid, 15, earned gold medals in the 50m and 100m breaststroke to go with a silver in the 200m breaststroke and bronze in the 800m freestyle and 400m individual medley.
Eva Robinson picked up a gold medal in the 50m freestyle as well as a silver medal in the 800m freestyle to go with triple bronze medals in the 400m freestyle, 50m and 100m backstroke events.
Angela Thomson, 11, swam to two silver medals in the 50m butterfly and 400m individual medley events. Thomson also picked bronze medals in the 200m and 800m freestyle events. Thompson also earned an Ontario Age Groups qualifying time in the 400m freestyle on the last day of competition.
The Surge boys 10 and under relay team of Blake Krivan, Balin Evans, Liam and Asher Leask swam to a gold medal in the 4x 50m freestyle relay.
Elsa Mackay, Emma Vallee, Angela Thomson, Eva Moreau and Brooklyn Barber combined to win both 200m Freestyle and Medley relays for the 11-12 girls.
Sophia Li, Eva Robinson, Emma Vallee, and Madeleine Dagenais combined to earn gold in both 200m freestyle and medley relays for the 13-14 girls.
Balin Evans, Margot Oak, Addison Smith and Blake Krivan swam to a gold medal in the 10 and under mixed 200m freestyle relay.
Next up for the Sault Surge will be the Ontario Age Group Championships to be held in Toronto at the end of February. Qualifiers Alma Da Silva Castillejo, Brie Reid and Andrew Li will be competing at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre Pool. Sophia Li, Emma Vallee, Eva Moreau and Angela Thomson will be competing at the Markham Pan Am Pool.
Registration continues to be open for new swimmers wishing to join the Sault Surge Aquatic Team with information available at www.saultsurge.com