HAY RIVER - The strength and skills of three Deh Cho swim teams placed them on the medal podium at the Mackenzie Regional Swim Meet in Hay River.

The Trout Lake swim team won first place in the waterfront division at the Aug. 12-14 meet. They were followed by the Jean Marie River team in second place. In a field of four competitors, the Fort Providence club took second place in the pool division.

Members of the Trout Lake swim team Deanna Jumbo, left, Aaron Chonkolay-Jumbo, Katrina Deneron and Jada Lamalice proudly display the first place banner they won in the waterfront division at the Mackenzie Regional Swim Meet held Aug. 12-14. - photo courtesy of Brenda Jumbo

Brenda Jumbo, who was one of the chaperons for the Trout Lake team, said the swimmers were surprised with their finish.

"They didn't expect to get the first place banner. They were there to swim, have fun and do their best," she said.

The four team members, Katrina Deneron, Aaron Chonkolay-Jumbo, Deanna Jumbo and Jada Lamalice, all performed well, said Brenda. The youngest members of the team Chonklay-Jumbo, 8, and Lamalice, 6, had some difficulty with the butterfly stroke but they did their best, she said.

"They just liked being in the pool. It was something different," Brenda said.

The team members didn't do any formal preparations to get ready for the meet. Their only practice was spending time almost every day in the lake.

"All the swimming they did all summer paid off," she said. "They're looking forward to next year."

The teams competing in the meet won points based on the performance of the swimmers in individual and relay events.

Trout Lake won 52 points for first place while Zaida Sanguez, Alisha Norwegian, Rhonda Norwegian and Cody Hardisty of Jean Marie River accumulated 32 points for second place in the waterfront division.

Fort Providence's six member team of Megan Antoine, Erin Sullivan, Mikaela Vandell, Christina Bonnetrouge, Bradley Thom and Adeline Landry compiled 199 points for second place in the pool division. Hay River took first place in that division while Dettah took third.

"We have some very good swimmers here," said Chris Kirwan, the manager of the Fort Providence aquatic centre. "I think they did very well."

The team members competed in the four possible stroke divisions: backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke and front crawl. Some of the swimmers also competed in the individual medley, where they had to do a lap using each of the different strokes.

To prepare for the meet the swim team practised twice a week all summer, said Kirwan.

A total of six teams took part in the Mackenzie Regional Swim meet at the Don Stewart Recreation Centre in Hay River.

The meet started with a day-long swimming clinic led by two coaches from Yellowknife. Competitors had the chance to work on making proper starts and turns, said Claire Mousley, a senior guard at the facility.

The races took place on Thursday and Friday. Overall, everyone had fun and that's what the meet is all about, Mousley said.