Newkirk excited for the future after successful Can Am Para-swimming Championships
Features –
CANADIAN PARA-SWIMMING TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT TO FOLLOW
WINDSOR – When Newkirk’s on the block, she starts breaking records, stroke by stroke.
Not only did Shelby Newkirk lower the Canadian and Americas records in the S7 50-m and 100-m backstroke, but she also has the fastest time of any S7 swimmer this year, in both events.
Needless to say, the 2017 Speedo Can Am Para-swimming Championships was a successful meet for the Saskatoon native.
“I was really proud of how I raced,” she said, “There is definitely more room for improvement, but for now I’m really happy with how it all went.
“I’m really looking forward to what’s to come.”
Newkirk, 20, mentioned that her high intensity pacing in practice helped her prepare for her performances in Windsor, in addition to her dryland and visualization training out of the water.
“Remembering to focus on my own race, on what I can do in the water and not rushing, and focusing on that technique in the water, I think that really helps,” she said. “I did that in finals tonight, and it really helped from this morning.”
Vince Mikuska, Senior Coach of Swimming Canada’s Paralympic Program, was impressed with Newkirk’s swims, among several others.
“We’ve had some very good swims from the veterans on the team,” he said. “I was also looking for some upward push and movement from out NextGen swimmers, and we certainly saw that this weekend as well.”
Looking ahead to the Mexico City 2017 World Para Swimming Championships starting in September, Mikuska emphasized the importance of focusing on small changes that will have a long-term impact.
“We’re going to focus on trying to have everybody get better and something every day between now and then,” he explained, “and just trying to go into the meet and be competitive, and race as hard as we can.”
For now, Newkirk is simply grateful to have participated in the Can Am Championships, looking forward to what lies ahead.
“I’m so excited!” she exclaimed. “This has been a huge meet for me and a huge milestone.
“I’m really proud of how it all went, and I’m just so glad that I had this experience.”
CANADIAN PARA-SWIMMING TEAM,
2017 WORLD PARA SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS MEXICO CITY
WOMEN:
Morgan Bird | Calgary, AB | Cascade Swim Club | Wendy Johnson |
Tammy Cunnington | Red Deer, AB | Red Deer Catalina Masters / Centre de Haute Performance – Quebec | Mike Thompson |
Sabrina Duchesne | St-Augustin de Desmaures, QC | Rouge et Or Université Laval | Johanne Giradin |
Sarah Girard | Montréal, QC | Neptune Natation | Jérémy Bruggeman |
Justine Morrier | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC | Club de natation du Haut Richelieu | France Latendressse |
Shelby Newkirk | Saskatoon, SK | Saskatoon Laser Swim Club | Eric Kramer |
Aurélie Rivard | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC | Académie de Natation de Montréal | Benoit Lebrun |
Tess Routliffe | Caledon, ON | Club de Natation Torpille / Centre de Haute Performance – Quebec | Mike Thompson |
Katarina Roxon | Kippens, NL | Aqua Aces Swim Club | Leonard Roxon |
Abi Tripp | Kingston, ON | Kingston Y Penguins Swim Club | Vicki Keith |
MEN:
Jonathan Dieleman | Telwa, BC | Richmond Rapids | Robert Pettifer |
Alexander Elliot | Kitchener, ON | Region of Waterloo Swim Club | Hans Witolla |
Benoît Huot | Longueuil, QC | Académie de Natation de Montréal | Benoit Lebrun |
James Leroux | Repentigny, QC | Neptune Natation / Centre de Haute Performance – Quebec | Mike Thompson |
Nicolas Turbide | Québec, QC | Club Natation Region de Quebec | Marc-André Pelletier |
Philippe Vachon | Blainville, QC | Mégophias de Trois-Rivières | Charles Labrie |
DAY 3 RESULTS
Full results: https://results.swimming.ca/2017_Can_Ams/index.html
Gold Medallists:
MEN 150-M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
SM3: J. Castorena Velez, MEX
SM4: G. Sanchez Martinez, MEX
WOMEN 200-M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
SM5: Valerie Drapeau, NN
SM6: Sophia E. Herzog, USAR
SM7: Tess Routliffe, TORP
SM8: Julia K. Gaffney, HAK
SM9: Katarina Roxon, AASC
SM10: Ariann Hunsicker, SKSC
SM11: Letticia R. Martinez, USAR
SM13: Madeleine Babcock, BATS
SM14: Angela Marina, BRANT – New Canadian Record
MEN 200-M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
SM6: Zachary Shattuck, UN-MD
SM7: Evan R. Austin, USAR
SM8: J. Andrade Guillen, MEX
SM9: David H. Gelfand, WYW
SM10: Benoît Huot, ANM
SM13: Nicolas-Guy Turbide, CNQ – New Americas Record
SM14: Gordie Michie
WOMEN 50-M BACKSTROKE
S1: Breanna Sprenger, RYD
S3: H. Aceves Perez, MEX
S4: N. Miranda Herrera, MEX
S5: Valerie Drapeau, NN
S7: Shelby Newkirk, LASER – New Canadian & Americas Record
S8: Danielle Dorris, CNBO – New Canadian Record
S9: Katarina Roxon, AASC
S12: Aspen E. Shelton, FAST
S13: Gia N. Pergolini, GOLD
MEN 50-M BACKSTROKE
S4: G. Sanchez Martinez, MEX
S5: Danial Murphy, TCSC
S6: Nik Tolgyesi, KYPAC
S7: Caleb R. Cripe, NASA
S8: Chris Sergeanttsonos, KYPAC
S11: Robert Hampson, KYPAC
S12: Tucker A. Dupree, NTSC
S13: Nicolas-Guy Turbide, CNQ
S14: Tyson MacDonald, WRMS
WOMEN 200-M BACKSTROKE
S8: Abigail C. Gase, BGSC
S9: Gabby Baird, GMAC
S10: Skylar Tierney, BTSC
S12: Aspen E. Shelton, FAST
S13: Gia N. Pergolini, GOLD
S14: April Lam, OSC
MEN 200-M BACKSTROKE
S10: Matt Miller, SEALS
S14: Jesse Canney, FAST
WOMEN 100-M FREESTYLE
S1: Breanna Sprenger
S3: H. Aceves Perez, MEX
S4: N. Miranda Herrera, MEX – New Americas Record
S5: Valerie Drapeau, NN
S6: V. Lopez Gomez, JAL
S7: Shelby Newkirk, LASER
S8: Morgan Bird, CASC
S9: Michelle A. Konkoly, UNNT
S10: Aurélie Rivard, ANM
S11: Amber Thomas, NRST
S12: Aspen E. Shelton, FAST – New Americas Record
S13: Gia N. Pergolini, GOLD
S14: Angela Marina, BRANT
MEN 100-M FREESTYLE
S4: G. Sanchez Martinez, MEX
S5: Danial Murphy, TCSC
S6: Zachary Shattuck, UN-MD
S7: I. Esquivel Ramirez, JAL
S8: Philippe Vachon, MEGO
S9: David H. Gelfand, WYW
S10: Alexander Elliot, ROW
S11: Matthew Cabraja, COBRA
S13: Nicolas-Guy Turbide, CNQ
S14: Tyson MacDonald, WRMS
WOMEN 800-M FREESTYLE
S8: Ahalya Lettenberg, WSC
S9: Alyssia Crook, MLA
S14: Miori Henault, CASE – New Canadian Record
MEN 1500-M FREESTYLE
S9: Henri Coronado-Volta, CASC
S14: Jonathan Pierce, UN-LA
WOMEN 4X100-M MEDLEY RELAY
34 Points: Canada (Sliva, Roxon, Dorris, Tripp)
MEN 4X100-M MEDLEY RELAY
34 Points: Canada (Miller, McDonough, Zona, Sergranttsonos)
MIXED 4X100-M MEDLEY RELAY
56 Points: Canada (Bisset, Rousselle, Marina, Henault)