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INUVIK
Inuvik's own Mackenzie Muskrats are aiming to make a splash in an upcoming swim meet, and they're willing to work to get there.

Jenna Guy, front row, left, visiting coach Cassie Mooney, Kierra McDonald, Kyra McDonald, Leesha Setzer, volunteer coach Alice Graham, Marshall Brown, visiting coach Jane Mooney, as well as Tyson Mistakenchief, back row, left, Courtney Perry, Nina Verbonac and Annika Krizan sit on the edge of the hot tub at the Midnight Sun Complex Sunday. - Laura Busch/NNSL photo

The hard-working Muskrats spent a good part of their weekend working out at the pool in the Midnight Sun Complex for a series of swimming clinics with visiting coach Jane Mooney from NWT Swimming.

Participating Muskrats attended four sessions over the weekend, one Friday, two Saturday, and one on Sunday. This was the third year in a row that Mooney has held this kind of clinic in Inuvik.

"We've seen a remarkable improvement in the standard of swimming in the last three seasons," Mooney told Inuvik Drum.

The Muskrats' regular coaches were also happy with the extra effort put in by the team.

"Any chance to get some feedback and improve is a good thing," said Alice Graham, volunteer coach.

These weekend sessions were a chance for the Muskrats to receive a lot of individual attention and be exposed to fresh ideas on how to improve their strokes, said Graham.

"Competitive swimming is all in the technique, so for swimmers to be efficient, they need to learn good technique, and, if they want to have any speed at all, they need to be efficient in the water," she said.

Whatever skills these Muskrats picked up or improved upon last weekend will soon be put to the test. The team is gearing up to travel to Yellowknife on May 11 for the BHP Billiton Kimberlite Classic Swim Meet.

"I think the competition is pretty stiff, and the Inuvik kids are quite competitive," said Graham of her team.

Last year, most of the Muskrats placed in the top three in their age groups at the meet.

"We're hoping for the same thing this year," she said.

Other than watching the steady improvement of the Inuvik swim club members, Mooney said what draws her back up to Inuvik year after year is that improving the competition benefits all swimmers in the North.

"We need to have swimming represented throughout the whole of the North," said Mooney, who is also the head coach of the Yk Polar Bears Swim Club. "We like to get as many kids involved as we can."

As a club, the Muskrats have been around for a number of years, led by head coach Vince Brown.

This year, though, the group is enjoying a bump in popularity, with more kids signing up and higher attendance at the bi-weekly workouts, said Graham.

This increased interest will only help the club, said Graham, and that's a good thing for everyone all around.

"You're only as strong as your competition," said Mooney.

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