CALGARY – A dramatic duel in 200-metre individual medley between Danika Huizinga and Danielle Hanus highlighted the final night of the Canadian Age Group Championships.

At the Talisman Centre, Huizinga claimed the girls 16-18 200-m IM gold by the slimmest margin, clocking to edge Hanus (2:20:00, silver) by one-hundredth of a second.

“Today coming in, I really really wanted to finish with a gold in the 200 IM because it’s my last Age Groups,” said Huizinga, 17, who represents Markham Aquatic Club. “I knew it was going to come down to the last wall, and I am really strong with my underwaters. So I was like, ‘Okay, Danika, 50 metres underwater – go!’ And then I saw the last five metres it was Danielle and I, and then it was just head down. Then it was just touching the wall and hearing all the screaming. I was out of words when I saw the time. I just screamed.”

Huizinga’s gold went toward Markham, which took in several swimmers from the defunct Ajax Swimming, clinching the girls’ team title.

“Age Groups is always the funnest meet – you’re racing kids your age, but it’s such a team dynamic,” related Huizinga. “This year has been really difficult with the change in clubs. I find the Ajax and the Markham kids have really come together, become a great team.”

Hanus said she met a goal for reaching 2:20 while in training. The 18-year-old will represent Canada at the Aug. 24-27 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Maui, Hawaii.

“I’ve been doing 8K (eight km) every day,” she said. “Even getting out-touched, it’s always fun, knowing you have a buddy pushing you. I’m pretty excited now to go on to Junior Pan Pacs, where I will be tapered and not tired.”

I really really wanted to finish with a gold in the 200 IM because it’s my last Age Groups.  I knew it was going to come down to the last wall, and I am really strong with my underwaters.
– Danika Huizinga

Markham had three wins in 200 IM, including 17-year-old Philip Kay’s winning swim of 2:06.95 in the boys 17-18 devision.

“I was a lot better on that back half, and that will help for Junior Pan Pacs,” Kay said. “This has been a good meet for learning to race under stress.”

Also in the boys 17-18 division, Etienne Paquin-Foisy of Natation Elite Longueuil dominated 400-m freestyle. The 18-year-old went below 4:05, swimming 4:04.17 to prevail by more than three seconds.

In the 14-year-old girls’ flight, Jade Hannah wrapped a strong week with a 27.78-second 50-m butterfly, prevailing against promising Faith Knelson (28.03, silver). Knelson, undaunted, won her 200-m IM in 2:22.30.

“I was really trying to push myself to get as close as I can to my best times before summer nationals,” said Hannah, of the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club. “I’m looking forward to racing older kids at summer nationals.”

For many improving 13-year-olds, the Age Groups get less daunting the second time around. Bailey Herbert, of the Langley Olympians Swim Club, illustrated that by completing an impressive week by winning her 200 IM in 2:22.90, more than two seconds swifter than the next best 13-year-old.

“I just really focused on the mental part – that is the half the battle,” Herbert said. “I felt really nervous, but I told myself to use the nerves to push myself to go faster. Last year I got out-touched a lot for silver, but I showed I could come back.”

Many of the competitors will go on to the Canadian Swimming Championships begin on Thursday in Edmonton. The Edmonton Keyano Swim Club hosting.

For full results: results.swimming.ca/2016_CAG/.

GIRLS 200-M IM
12& Under
Gold: Ashley McMillan, KISU, 2:22.90
Silver: Elan Daley, MAC, 2:30.95
Bronze: Jacqueline Buche, PCSC, 2:35.65

13
Gold: Bailey Herbert, LOSC, 2:22.90
Silver: Amanda McCallum, RAPID, 2:25.16
Bronze: Pilar McCann, OSC, 2:28.16

14
Gold: Faith Knelson, LCSC, 2:22.30
Silver: Avery Wiseman, TRIT, 2:22.95
Bronze: Jade Hannah, HTAC, 2:23.63

15
Gold: Kayla Sanchez, MAC, 2:20.46
Silver: Rachel Anderson, CAJ, 2:23.04
Bronze: Victoria Kwan, MAC, 2:23.14

16-18
Gold: Danika Huizinga, MAC, 2:19.99
Silver: Danielle Hanus, NEW, 2:20.00
Bronze: Monica Babits, MSSAC, 2:20.81

BOYS 200-M IM
13 & Under
Gold: Cole Pratt, CASC, 2:14.77
Silver: Max Maximenco, PCSC, 2:19.05
Bronze: Joshua Liendo, TORCH, 2:20.92

14
Gold: Gabe Mastromatteo, KSS, 2:14.55
Silver: Ethan Placek, WD, 2:16.20
Bronze: Joshua Kim, LOSC, 2:17.43

15
Gold: Brodie Young, HYACK, 2:09.42
Silver: Owen Huang, MAC, 2:11.10
Bronze: Tyler Wall, KISU, 2:11.45

16
Gold: Joshua Young, RDCSC, 2:09.09
Silver: Sean Murray, MSSAC, 2:10.28
Bronze: Eric Pelletier, PCSC, 2:11.63

17-18
Gold: Philip Kay, MAC, 2:06.95
Silver: Fred Kamminga, KEYANO, 2:07.91
Bronze: Ryan Telford, MAC, 2:08.83

GIRLS 400-M FREESTYLE
12& Under
Gold: Gabrielle Dunn, TRIT, 4:46.96
Silver: Brooke Wenger, KILLER WHALES, 4:48.31
Bronze: Ashley McMillan, KISU, 4:50.00

13
Gold: Sophie Lorette, UVIC-PCS, 4:32.25
Silver: Amy Meharg, SWA, 4:35.72
Bronze: B. Douthwright, CVAC, 4:37.65

14
Gold: Octavia Lau, HYACK, 4:29.52
Silver: Kyla Ross, ISLAND, 4:31.29
Bronze: Madison Archer, HTAC, 4:33.46

15
Gold: Victoria Kwan, MAC, 4:26.61
Silver: Kayla Sanchez, MAC, 4:30.43
Bronze: M. Hebert, CNQ, 4:31.84

16-18
Gold: Megan Dalke, KCS, 4:22.02
Silver: Rebecca Schamber, STSC, 4:25.96
Bronze: Stephanie Hussey, PCSC, 4:27.10

BOYS 400-M FREESTYLE
13 & Under
Gold: Mathieu Cyr, UCSC, 4:21.10
Silver: A. Gutierrez, UVIC-PCS. 4:21.58
Bronze: Brayden Martin, KSS, 4:25.96

14
Gold: Drew Edwards, KEYANO, 4:17.28
Silver: Philipp Robins, PCSC, 4:18.94
Bronze: Finn Tucker, OTTSC, 4:20.03

15
Gold: A. Katelnikoff, CASC, 4:07.35
Silver: Alex Woinoski, SFA, 4:12.71
Bronze: Wood-Anderson, SSAT, 4:13.02

16
Gold: Alexander Pratt, CASC, 4:04.17
Silver: Connor Walker, MAC, 4:07.21
Bronze: K. Grillo, RAMAC, 4:10.42

17-18
Gold: E. Paquin-Foisy, ELITE, 4:04.17
Silver: Nicolas Duke, CHENA, 4:07.47
Bronze: Kade Wist, ISLAND, 4:08.72

GIRLS 50-M BUTTERFLY
12& Under
Gold: Elan Daley, MAC, 25.59
Silver: Stephanie Lee, PSW, 30.05
Bronze: Jacqueline Buche, PCSC, 30.58

13
Gold: B. Douthwright, CVAC, 28.62
Silver: Kyla Nelson, KEYANO, 28.78
Bronze: Lauren Wright, MSSAC, 28.82

14
Gold: Jade Hannah, HTAC, 27.78
Silver: Faith Knelson, LCSC, 28.03
Bronze: Laura Albers, UCSC, 28.63

15
Gold: Sarah Watson, UMAN, 27.93
Silver: Morgan Pool, MSSAC, 28.10
Bronze: Kayla Sanchez, MAC, 28.19

16-18
Gold: Rebecca Smith, CASC, 27.34
Silver: Danika Huizinga, MAC, 27.73
Bronze: Emma Ball, GMAC, 27.78

BOYS 50-M BUTTERFLY
13 & Under
Gold: Joshua Liendo, TORCH, 26.93
Silver: Cole Pratt, CASC, 27.12
Bronze: Michael Sava, RAMAC, 27.43

14
Gold: Eric Louie, INCONNU, 26.54
Silver: Lucas Seto, CRUSADERS, 26.92
Bronze: Sterlyng Blair, TRIT, 26.94

15
Gold: Nicolas Fauteux, ROW, 26.30
Silver: Ryley McRae, KCS, 26.40
Bronze: Marco Bagnasco, KEYANO, 26.41

16
Gold: Tai Long Singh, NEPTUNE, 24.85
Silver: Alexander Pratt, CASC, 25.63
Bronze: G. Cruz Zuniga, ELITE, 25.80

17-18
Gold: Alex Perrault, OTTSC, 24.86
Silver: Josiah Binnema, KEYANO, 25.10
Bronze: Skyeler Kerr, UNCONNU, 25.33

GIRLS 4×100-M MEDLEY RELAY
12& Under
Gold: UCSC, 4:46.42
Silver: MAC, 4:47.30
Bronze: MANTA, 4:51.91
13-14
Gold: KEYANO, 4:28.34
Silver: PCSC. 4:35.60
Bronze: UVIC-PCS, 4:35.75
15-18
Gold: MSSAC, 4:18.00
Silver: CASC, 4:18.13
Bronze: PCSC, 4:18.30

BOYS 4×100-M MEDLEY RELAY
13 & Under
Gold: UVIC-PCS, 4:15.40
Silver: CASC, 4:22.15
Bronze: UCSC, 4:28.15

14-15
Gold: PCSC, 4:04.40
Silver: CASC, 4:06.17
Bronze: KEYANO, 4:06.85

16-18
Gold: KEYANO, 3:50.14
Silver: CHENA, 3:55.12
Bronze: KISU, 3:56.31

Team Scores

Girls

1 MARKHAM AQUATIC CLUB

2 POINTE-CLAIRE SWIM CLUB

3 UNIV OF CALGARY SWIM CLUB

4 CASCADE SWIM CLUB

5 UVIC-PACIFIC COAST SWIMMING

6 HALIFAX TROJAN AQUATIC CLUB

7 EDMONTON KEYANO SWIM CLUB

8 PACIFIC SEA WOLVES

9 MISSISSAUGA SWIMMING

10 C. N. ST JEROME

Boys

1 POINTE-CLAIRE SWIM CLUB

2 CASCADE SWIM CLUB

3 MARKHAM AQUATIC CLUB

4 EDMONTON KEYANO SWIM CLUB

5 UNIV OF CALGARY SWIM CLUB

6 HYACK SWIM CLUB

7 MISSISSAUGA SWIMMING

8 UVIC-PACIFIC COAST SWIMMING

9 CLUB WARRIORS

10 ISLAND SWIMMING CLUB

Aggregate Winners

Girls

12 & Under: Stephanie Lee, PSW

13: Brooklyn Douthwright, CVAC

14: Jade Hannah, HTAC

15: Kayla Sanchez, MAC

16-18: Rebecca Smith CASC

Boys

13 & Under: Cole Pratt, CASC

14: Gave Mastromatteo, WDSC

15: Alexander Katelnikoff, CASC

16: Alexander Pratt, CASC

17-18: Etienne Paquin-Foisy, ELITE