Lochlan Rogers made a big splash when he set a new 12-under men’s provincial 200-metre freestyle record at the 15th annual Xmas Cracker Invitational swimming meet in Saanich last month.
In earning the gold medal, the 12-year-old member of the Ravensong Breakers Swim Club lowered the previous record to 2:03.74 while beating runner-up Albert Chen of Vancouver Pacific Swim Club by 14 seconds.
Lochlan had an outstanding swim overall as he brought home six gold medals, having won the 50m free, 100m free, 200m free, 100m backstroke, 100m breast stroke and 200m breast stroke. He also bagged a silver in the 1,500m freestyle.
The Ravensong club sent 26 swimmers to the annual event, which featured 600 swimmers from across B.C. and outside the province. Jakob Mbobela also had a good outing for the Breakers, finishing first in the 50m free, and bagging bronze in the 100m free and 200m back.
Both Rogers and Mbobela received the Ravensong swim club’s Golden Kickboard Award for swimming personal best times in all seven of their individual events, as well as for overall attitude, team spirit and preparation for each swim over the course of the three-day swim meet.
This season, coach Byron Trajan said, many club records have been set, with Rogers setting new marks in 16 different events. In the 13-14 age group, Jakob Brager, 14, rewrote four club records, while Mbobela, 14, and Nick Bennett, 14, each set two new marks.
The Ravensong swimmers will be competing next at the BC Senior Circuit at UBC, Jan. 13; the Campbell River Eliminator Jan. 20-21; and Vancouver Island Championships Jan. 25-28 in Duncan.
— NEWS Staff