Ban, Thompson, relay team set new Prince Edward Island records during meet in HalifaxPublished Apr 15, 2025 • 4 minute readThe Charlottetown Bluephins Aquatic Club team of, from left, Luke Ostridge, Andrew Sauer, Keegan MacDougall and Avery Fleischhauer, recent set a new P.E.I. provincial record in the 4×100-metre men’s freestyle relay race at the East Coast swimming championships in Halifax. Ostridge, Sauder, MacDougall and Fleischhauer stopped the clock in 3:48.96. Photo by Contributed /ContributedThe Charlottetown Bluephins Aquatic Club (CBAC) had an impressive showing in every aspect at the East Coast swimming championships in Halifax recently.Team-wise, the Bluephins finished fourth out of 37 teams from six provinces – P.E.I., New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec and Ontario.Individually, the 26 Bluephin swimmers posted best times in 65 per cent of their races while winning 11 gold medals, four silver and four bronze.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentOverall, the Bluephins recorded 99 personal-best times, including several P.E.I. record-setting performances.“It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our athletes,” said Bluephins head coach Tom Ponting in a media release. “This meet served as a fantastic stop on the road to the Canada Games this summer, providing valuable training and racing experience.“We’re excited to continue building on these results as we head into the net phase of our journey to the (Canada) Games in (St. John’s) in August.”The East Coast championships, which were hosted by the Halifax Trojans Aquatics Club and Swim Nova Scotia at DalPlex, attracted 360 swimmers.The Bluephins’ Ivy Ban won the top female award for the 13-14-year-old female category after recording the most points overall.Ban excelsBan was one of six Bluephins, along with Erik Thompson, Luke Ostridge, Andrew Sauer, Keegan MacDougall and Avery Fleischhauer, who set new P.E.I. provincial swimming records.Article contentBan, 14, broke her own P.E.I. 50-metre butterfly standard from July 2024 by 0.43 seconds with a time of 28.97 seconds to finish first out of 22 swimmers in her age group and second overall out of 84 competitors.Ban qualified for the 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria, B.C., from June 7 to 12.Ban also set a new provincial record in the 100-metre butterfly with a time of 1:06.31 – 0.29 seconds faster than Ban’s previous mark set in January 2025.In the 100-metre butterfly, Ban placed first in her age group out of 22 competitors and second overall out of 53 swimmers.Ban completed a hat trick of new P.E.I. records in the 50-metre freestyle. Ban, who set the previous mark in July 2024, knocked 0.32 seconds off the old record with a time of 28.06 seconds.In her age group for the 50-metre freestyle, Ban finished first out of 47 swimmers and fifth overall out of 117 swimmers overall. Ivy Ban, left, and Erik Thompson of the Charlottetown Bluephins Aquatic Club each set three P.E.I. provincial records at the East Coast swimming championships in Halifax recently. Photo by Contributed /ContributedThompson sets recordThompson, 14, also set three new provincial records in the 13-14 age group.Article contentIn the 50-metre freestyle, Thompson set a new time of 25.46 seconds in the 50-metre freestyle. Thompson knocked 0.12 seconds off the previous record, established by Charlie Morse in July 2017.Thompson is also the fastest Maritimes swimmer in this event, eclipsing the provincial records in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.Thompson was the first-place swimmer out of 42 swimmers in his age category and fifth overall out of 122 swimmers.Thompson set a new provincial record in the 50-metre backstroke by 1.39 seconds – 28.77 seconds. Thompson set the previous mark in January 2025.To further illustrate Thompson’s achievement in this event, not only did he break the provincial records for the 13-14 age group in the 50-metre backstroke, but he also broke the standard for the 15-and-over age group in P.E.I. That record – 30.02 seconds – was set by James Profit in July 2011.Thompson finished first out of 14 swimmers in his age group in the 50-metre backstroke and was second overall out of 58 swimmers.Article contentThompson completed his run of provincial records with a time of 1:05.48 in the 100-metre backstroke. Thompson time knocked 0.26 seconds off the previous record set by Profit in July 2009.In the 100-metre backstroke, Thompson finished second in a 16-swimmer field in his age group and 14th overall out of 58 swimmers. The Charlottetown Bluephins Aquatic Club had a strong showing at the East Coast swimming championships in Halifax recently. Bluephins’ medal winners were, front row, from left: Avery Fleischhauer, Jack Smith, Steve Shi, Veronica MacLellan, Ivy Ban and Emily Gosbee. Back row, from left: Levi Wilmot, Erik Thompson, Keegan MacDougall, Phoenix Li and Sam Gaudet. Missing from photo are Andrew Sauder, Luke Ostridge and Robert Li. Photo by Contributed /ContributedRelay markThe Bluephins’ relay team of Fleischhauer, 15; Ostridge, 15; Sauer, 17, and MacDougall, 16, set a new P.E.I. time for the 4×100-metre freestyle of 3:48.96. That time eclipsed the previous mark, set by Profit, Nigel Champion, Rudi Hurnik and Kyle Bryenton in 2010, by 6.70 seconds.Fleischhauer, Ostridge, Sauer and MacDougall finished third out of 14 teams in the relay race.Grassroots programsPonting said a big part of the Bluephins’ success is many of the swimmers in the East Coast championships came through the Miniphins Pre-Competitive Program.“The swim program is thriving with approximately 100 eager participants in classes this spring session,” said Ponting. “The program continues to grow in popularity each year.Article content“It’s exciting to see so many young swimmers gaining confidence and skills, and we’re proud to be a part of their aquatic journey.”Bluephins president Tammie Rose said these are exciting times for the club, based out of the Bell Aliant Centre.“The Charlottetown Bluephins are part of a long tradition of swimming here on P.E.I., and it’s amazing to see how the sport continues to grow,” said Rose. “We’re so proud of our athletes and everything they’ve accomplished at this meet… and can’t wait to see them swim at the Canada Games in August.”Medal WinnersCharlottetown Bluephins’ medal winners at the East Coast swimming championships:Avery FleischhauerJack SmithSteve ShiVeronica MacLellanIvy BanEmily GosbeeLevi WilmotErik ThompsonKeegan MacDougallPhoenix LiSam GaudetAndrew SauerLuke OstridgeRobert LiClub InfoAnyone interested in joining the Charlottetown Bluephins Aquatic Club (CBAC), or learning more about the organization, can find information on the club’s website.Jason Simmonds is the sports editor at The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached at jsimmonds@postmedia.com and followed on X @JpsportsJason.Article content
Charlottetown Bluephins shine at East Coast swimming championships
