Sports

Orangeville Otters have success at Ontario Age Group Championships

April 9, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Strong performances, multiple club records, and a growing team presence highlighted the Orangeville Otters’ showing at the Ontario Age Group Championships held at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre and the Markham Pan Am Centre on March 5 to 8.

The meet brought top swimmers together from across the province for a highly competitive, multi-day event.

The Otters sent 12 swimmers to compete at the event.

In the 15 & Over session, Wesley Halls, 16, delivered a standout performance, placing top 10 in four of six events, including a 6th place finish in the 200m backstroke.

Wesley also set two new club records in the 200 IM (15-16 Open) along with several personal bests.

Kaitlin Malec, 17, finished top 10 in three events with two 4th-place finishes in the 50m and 100m Freestyle. Kaitlin posted five personal bests and set new club records in the 100m Freestyle 17-18 Open.

Maurizio Ruggieri, 17, competed in four events, achieving two personal bests and demonstrating consistent strength across his races.

In Para events, Austin Nellissen, 14, dominated with three gold medals in the 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, and 100m Breaststroke. He also won silver in the 200m IM and 4th place in the 100m Freestyle.

Alyssa Smyth, 16, captured gold in the 100m Freestyle before heading off to compete at the World Para Series in Italy.

At the Markham meet, the Otters’ younger swimmers showed a lot of depth in competition.

Reegan Noronha, 13, made finals in three events and achieved personal bests in all swims.

Kaiden Norris, 13, reached finals twice, including an 11th-place finish in the 50m Fly.

Qyona Egbert, 12, placed in the top 20 in five of six events.

Julia Noronha, 12, posted personal bests in all three of her events.

Jemma Harrison, 12, made a strong provincial debut with personal bests in all of her races.

Ava Yardley, 11, earned two top 10 finishes and gold in the 50m Backstroke with personal bests across all events.

The meet also marked a milestone, with the club’s first-ever girls 12 & Under relay teams achieving top 20 finishes in both the 200m Freestyle and the Medley Relays.

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