ASSA ALL STARS

Each summer, Swim Alberta organizes the A.S.S.A. All-Star team consisting of summer swimmers who are eligible to compete in the Swim Alberta Age Group & Senior Championships Long Course.

The meet which usually occurs in the late June/early July time frame and is an opportunity for A.S.S.A.'s top summer swimmers to compete against Alberta's best year-round swimmers.

UPDATED Information about the 2012 All-Star Team can be found: HERE

2011 ASSA All-Star Competition Summary

The thought of the long travel to Fort McMurray may have deterred some ASSA swimmers from attending the 2011 Speedo Alberta Age Group & Senior Long Course Championships, but it most certainly did not deter any of the ASSA All Stars from showing they were right where they belonged. Edmonton Huma Swimmer Dante Chan lead the way for the All Stars as he raked in silver medals in the 50m Butterfly and 50m Breaststroke and bronze medals in both the 100m and 50m Backstroke events. Chan added a handful of ASSA All Star Team records and a Youth Recognition Time Standard to his medal haul over the course of the weekend. Claire Halford of the Red Deer Marlins capped off a strong weekend by picking up a bronze medal in the 50m Freestyle on the final day of the competition to round out the team’s medal count. Other highlights during the weekend included Lethbridge Orcas swimmer Melia Tipper breaking the ASSA All Star Team record in the Girls 17-Year-Old 50m Freestyle and despite bringing two 12-Year-Olds into the age category, the Boys 13/14 200m Freestyle Relay Team of Scott Elgersma, Ethan Candler, Dante Chan and Austin Jerke narrowly missed a bronze medal by placing 4^th.

Head Coach Kent Aitchison of the Lethbridge Orcas and Mentor Coach Kevin Dennis of Swim Alberta were both very impressed with the strong team comradery that developed over a short period of time. Every single swimmer was able to swim their way into at least one evening session by qualifying during the morning preliminaries. The swimmers also showed a true “summer club” racing instincts by consistently finding ways to improve themselves from one race to the next.

2011 ASSA All-Star Team

Benzie, Amy (11)                    Lethbridge Orcas

Busby, Lexie (14)                   Derrick Devil Rays

Candler, Ethan (14)                Derrick Devil Rays

Chan, Dante (12)                    Huma

Chan, Destin (11)                    Huma

Elgersma, Scott (14)               Brooks Barracudas

Fald, Kennedy (14)                 Stony Plain Sharks

Halford, Claire (10)                Red Deer Marlins

Hill-McLaughlin, Parker (17)  Millennium Marlins

Hopkins, Keely (14)                Lethbridge Orcas

Jerke, Austin (12)                    Wetaskawin Olympian Swim Club

Justice, Lindy (10)                  Ft. Sask Piranhas

Kagel, Alex (19)                     Millennium Marlins

Kruger, Adora (10)                 Cochrane Piranhas

Tipper, Amirita (15)                Lethbridge Orcas

Tipper, Melia (17)                   Lethbridge Orcas

Information on the 2011 All Star Team can be found here.

A.S.S.A. All-Star Team History 

2010 ASSA All-Star Competition Summary
 

On behalf of Swim Alberta I would like to congratulate the swimmers and coaches on another amazing performance at this year's Alberta Age Group/Senior Swimming Championships. I would also like to thank the parents for their time and commitment to the sport as it is their effort that allows the All-Star Team to succeed year after year. This year the All-Stars raked in 9 medals and set 10 new All-Star records.

This year's team was made up of 20 swimmers:

Camille Barr (Ft Saskatchewan Piranhas)

Hayley Basterash (St. Albert Sailfish)

Amy Benzie (Lethbridge Orcas)

Dante Chan (Huma Swim Club)

Cruz Cote (Smoky River Manatees)

Scott Elgersma (Brooks Barracudas)

Aiden Godwin (Lethbridge Orcas)

Keely Hopkins (Lethbridge Orcas)

Scott Hunter (Hanna Seals)

Alex Kagel (Millenium Marlins)

Lisa Kelly (Calgary Swordfish)

Anders Klein (Camrose Sea Serpents)

Cameron Long (Calgary Swordfish)

India McIsaac (Calgary Swordfish)

Tanner Potaka (Okotoks Stingrays)

Nathan Saby (Camrose Sea Serpents)

Taylor Sydorko (Fairview Olympians)

Sydney Thompson (Innisfail Dolphins)

Genna Wright (Lethbridge Orcas)

Ethan Candler (Edmonton Derrick)

Some of the highlights of the weekend include Anders Klein's blazing 200 fly final, in which he qualified for Age Group Nationals and Nathan Saby's perseverance in his 100 breast final. Amy Benzie also showed an impressive killer instinct in her 100 breast final, which allowed her to come away with a silver medal. Last but not least is the senior boys' 200 free relay. All four boys took the feedback provided by the coaching staff and their aggressive takeovers allowed all of them to produce some amazing results.

Ethan was unable to participate in the competition due to health problems. The whole All-Star team is thinking of him and wishes him a quick recovery!

Jim Phelan of the Edmonton Derrick Devil-Rays did a great job as acting head coach and was assisted by Randi Willisko of the Cochrane Comets and Kevin Dennis of Swim Alberta. I would also like to send a special thank you out to Bill Humby, head coach of the U of A varsity team, for helping out the team in his role as mentor coach.

Congratulations again and good luck with the rest of the season!

Additionally, Nathan Saby and Anders Klein, who swim for the Camrose Sea Serpents under coach Shane Gau, posted some great swims at the 2010 Age Group Nationals in Winnipeg. Representing the ASSA All-Star Team, they broke an additional two All-Star team records each.

Sincerely,

Maura Lavoie

Special Events Coordinator

Swim Alberta

Medallists:

Amy Benzie:       Bronze in women's 10 and under 50 breast

                             Silver in women's 10 and under 100 breast

Anders Klein:     Silver in men's 11-12 100 free

                             Silver in men's 12 and under 200 fly

                             Bronze in men's 11-12 200 free

                             Silver in men's 11-12 50 fly

                             Silver in men's 11-12 50 free

                             Silver in men's 11-12 100 fly

Tanner Potaka: Bronze in men's 10 and under 100 free

New Records:

FEMALE

10 and under 100 breast - Amy Benzie (1:33.65)

MALE

13-14 800 free - Scott Elgersma (11:47.16)

Senior 200 free - Alex Kagel (2:16.93)

Senior 50 free- Alex Kagel (26.06)

12&U 100 free - Anders Klein (1:03.45)

12&U 200 fly - Anders Klein (2:38.92)

12&U 200 free - Anders Klein (2:22.42)

12&U 200 free - Anders Klein (2:22.39)*

12&U 50 fly - Anders Klein (31.88)

12&U 50 fly - Anders Klein (31.83)*

11-12 100 fly - Anders Klein (1:10.36)

10&U 50 free - Tanner Potaka (33.58)

15&16 100 free - Nathan Saby (57.39)*

15&16 50 free- Nathan Saby (25.59)*

*Records set at Age Group Nationals

• Nathan Saby of the Camrose Sea Serpents qualified for Age Group Nationals in the 100 Free. He will be competing in Montreal July 16-19, 2009. He also received his Alberta top 25 youth recognition time in the 50 free. Nathan won the 13&14 50 free and while doing so broke former summer swimmer, Kyle Troskot’s All Star record. Kyle now swims for Lethbridge and will be representing Alberta at the 2009 Canada Games in Prince Edward Island. This shows the kind of future Nathan may have in summer swimming.
• The teams first ever para-swimmer, Alexander McCulloch, won one gold in 200 back and silver in both 200 free and 50 free. Alexander qualified for Speedo Can/Am Para-swimming championships which takes place in Edmonton July 30 to August 1, 2009.
• The team finished in 13th with 375 pints out of 32 scoring teams

2008 ASSA All-Star Team

On behalf of Swim Alberta I would like to thank all of the swimmers and coaches for their participation at the 2008 Alberta Age Group/Senior Swimming Championships, and congratulate you all on a hugely successful ASSA All-Stars team. 41 teams from across the country, the Czech Republic and Bermuda attended for a total of 611 swimmers. This season the A.S.S.A All-Stars had 23 swimmers qualify for the meet. The age group team’s placed tenth and the senior team placed 14th overall. The All-Stars also hauled in eight medals and shattered 20 All-Star records.

This year's team hosted 23 swimmers:
Camille Barr (Fort Saskatchewan Piranhas)
Emily Flowers (St. Albert Sailfish)
Elaine Gross (Edmonton Huma Huma)
Tessa Wilson (Derrick Devil Rays)
Jessica Kelly (Lloydminster Aquanauts)
Paige Mohns (Vermilion Vipers)
Jonathan Smyth (Lloydminster Aquanauts)
Anders Klein (Killam Cyclones)
Alex Bowyer (Medicine Hat Waves)
Chad Sieben (Camrose Sea serpents)
Jordyn Baldry (Spruce Grove Barracudas)
Kyle Sieben (Camrose Sea serpents)
Mason Kuhn (Drayton Valley Neptunes)
Joe Wiltshire (Edmonton Huma Huma)
Mackenzie Sommers (Drayton Valley Neptunes)
Nathan Saby (Comrose Sea serpents)
Cory Totman (Lloydminster Aquanauts)
Aaron Flegel (Lloydminster Aquanauts)
Sarah Wishloff (Edmonton Huma Huma)
Jillian Engler (Red Deer Marlins)
Amy Andrew (Red Deer Marlins)
Dillon McGinnis (Spruce Grove)
Connor Jamieson (Spruce Grove)

The coaching staff consisted of AJ Mahoney of the Red Deer Marlins and Ewen Lavoie from the Edmonton Huma Huma. We had the pleasure of having Bill Humby, head coach of the University of Alberta Varsity Team, as our mentor coach during the Saturday and Sunday finals. The entire coaching staff had a great time and would like to thank the swimmers for being so willing to learn, and easy to coach.

Congratulations again on an outstanding competition, and good luck with the rest of your swimming!

Sincerely,
Lauren Gillespie
Swim Alberta
Special Events Coordinator

2008 All Star Record Breaking Swims

FEMALE
Senior 50 Back - Elaine Gross - 33.53
Senior 50 Back - Jessica Kelly - 32.28
Senior 50 Back - Jessica Kelly - 31.87
Senior 100 Back - Elaine Gross - 1:12.96
Senior 100 Back - Jessica Kelly - 1:11.64
Senior 100 Back - Jessica Kelly - 1:10.74

12 & U 50 Breast - Jordyn Baldry - 39.76
12 & U 100 Breast - Jordyn Baldry - 1:26.36
12 & U 200 Breast - Jordyn Baldry - 3:03.23

Senior 50 Fly - Jessica Kelly - 31.25

MALE
10 & U 100 Free - Anders Klein – 1:12.92
10 & U 200 Free - Anders Klein – 2:44.60
15 & 16 200 Free – Connor Jamieson – 2:10.68
10 & U 400 Free - Anders Klein – 5:48.06
12 & U 400 Free - Mason Kuhn – 5:36.01
15 & 16 400 Free – Connor Jamieson – 4:42.12
Senior 400 Free – Cory Totman - 4:42.88
15 & 16 800 Free – Connor Jamieson – 9:50.66
15 & 16 1500 Free – Connor Jamieson – 19:07.33

Senior 50 Back – Cory Totman - 30.94
Senior 100 Back – Cory Totman – 1:05.39
Senior 100 Back – Cory Totman – 1:05.10
Senior 200 Back – Cory Totman – 2:27.48
Senior 200 Back – Cory Totman – 2:26.69

15 & 16 200 Breast – Connor Jamieson – 2:50.18
10 & U 50 Fly - Anders Klein – 38.32
10 & U 50 Fly - Anders Klein – 37.91
12 & U 50 Fly - Joe Wiltshire – 32.35
12 & U 100 Fly - Joe Wiltshire – 1:16.30
12 & U 100 Fly - Joe Wiltshire – 1:15.44
15 & 16 100 Fly - Dillon McGinnis - 1:06.51
15 & 16 100 Fly - Dillon McGinnis - 1:05.30
12 & U 200 Fly - Joe Wiltshire – 3:05.95
12 & U 200 Fly - Joe Wiltshire – 3:00.66

15 & 16 200 IM - Dillon McGinnis – 2:33.40
Senior 200 IM – Cory Totman – 2:30.13
Senior 200 IM – Cory Totman – 2:28.11
Senior 400 IM – Cory Totman – 5:24.16
Senior 400 IM – Cory Totman – 5:20.13

LINKS

All results from the meets that our All-Stars compete in are maintained in the Swim Direct or Swimming Canada website databases. Results for swimmers 14 & Under will usually be found under the "AGE GROUP CHAMPS" heading while 15 & Over swimmer results are found under the "PROVINCIAL SENIOR LC CHAM" heading. The Swimming Canada website lists all the results in one combined meet.

Swimming Canada Website: https://www.swimming.ca/meetlist.aspx (Results for 2008 and later)
Swim Direct Website: (currently not available) https://www.swimdirect.ca (Results prior to 2008)

Click here to check out the Girls ASSA All Star Records
Click here to check out the Boys ASSA All Star Records

Click to enlarge 2002 allstar team picture

Click to enlarge 2003 allstar team picture

Click to enlarge 2003 allstar team picture

Click to enlarge 2004 allstar team picture

Click to enlarge 2005 allstar team picture

Click to enlarge 2007 allstar team picture

Click to enlarge 2008 allstar team picture

Click to enlarge 2010 allstar team picture

Click to enlarge 2011 allstar team picture