>> Synchro Ontario Honours Season's Best

It was a time to look ahead and to look back as club executives, officials and coaches came together for Synchro Ontario’s 2007 Visions of Excellence Leadership Conference, held November 17 & 18 at the Kempfelt Conference Centre in Barrie. Delegates spent most of the weekend focused on the future, attending seminars and workshops to discuss their developmental needs, but it was during the awards ceremony on Saturday evening that Synchro Ontario took time to honour the season’s best.

In its first year of celebrating the province’s best national stream athletes and coaches, Synchro Ontario called upon members of the Olympium Synchronized Swim Club to receive awards in each of four categories that included Tier 6 Athlete of the Year, Tier 7 Athlete of the Year, Tier 6 Coach of the Year and Tier 7 Coach of the Year.  The awards, which recognize the accomplishments of outstanding synchro personalities based on results at events such as Provincial Championships, Divisionals, Nationals, as well as participation on Provincial and/or National Teams, emphasized well the extremely successful season that OSSC enjoyed in 2006/07. 

Rachel Kowalski received top honours as recipient of the 2007 Tier 6 (15&U) Athlete of the Year award which was bestowed for her many outstanding accomplishments this past season. Highlights of her successes include Tier 6 All-Round Athlete at Provincial Championships as well as first in the individual aggregate ranking, and a gold medal performance in the team event at the 2007 Espoir Championships in New Brunswick where she also placed second in figures, solo and duet. Rachel qualified for the national Tier 6 Team and was the top qualifier for the Ontario team that finished ahead of Santa Clara (USA) to win the gold medal at the V Synchro Perú Aquatica Cup in July.

The Tier 6 (15&U) Coach of the Year award was presented to Kelly Hogan for her exceptional work with OSSC athletes during the 2007 season. Undoubtedly Kelly was the inspiration behind the Gold Team’s phenomenal season that saw them go undefeated and ultimately crowned Canadian National Champions at Espoir in St. John New Brunswick. She also coached multiple solo and duet routines that regularly had podium finishes. The season concluded with Kelly being appointed Head Coach of the Ontario Provincial Team that struck gold in every event at the V Synchro Perú Aquatica Cup.

Jennifer Knobbs – what else can be written about one of the most decorated athletes in OSSC’s recent history? Jennifer was the recipient of the Tier 7 Athlete of the Year Award, commemorating her many outstanding achievements in 2007, including being named the Tier 7 Junior All-Round Athlete at Provincial Championships in February, and winning silver in both figures and solo at the Canadian Open Championships in Victoria British Columbia in May. Jen went on to earn her spot on the Canadian Junior National Team for a third consecutive year and traveled to Waipahu Hawaii to compete in the US Open Synchronized Swimming Championships in July. In August, Jenn reached the pinnacle of her swimming career to date, by being named to Synchro Canada’s short list of potential team candidates for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Kerri Morgan and Elena Podolsky were co-recipients of the Tier 7 Coach of the Year award for their extraordinary leadership and motivational qualities that contributed to their athletes’ many successes in 2007. Aside from her role as OSSC’s Head Coach, Kerri Morgan was responsible for many of the club’s Tier 7 routines, including Junior Team and multiple solo and duet entries (both Jr and Sr) that enjoyed many successes throughout the season. At the Canadian Open Championships in Victoria British Columbia in May, Kerri had routines medal in the solo (silver), Sr duet (bronze) and team (bronze) events.

Elena Podolsky was also honoured for her extraordinary influence in the Tier 7 section in 2007, playing principal roles in the successes of the Junior National Team at the 10th FINA World Junior Championships in China in October 2006 and again with Team Ontario at the 2007 Canada Games in Whitehorse Yukon in February 2007. Her positive influence was also evident at the 2007 Canadian Open Championships in May, where she played a substantial role in preparing club athletes for their respective events.

Also presented during the awards ceremony were Service Pins to acknowledge the many dedicated volunteers who have made a significant contribution to the synchro community through their work as officials, provincial committee members, Synchro Ontario Board of Directors, Meet Managers, and Club Presidents. Again, OSSC was well represented in this group, a testament to the commitment of our valued members who devote countless hours of their time, knowledge and expertise to promote and support the sport and its participants at various events each year. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to Catrine Klein, Chris Knobbs, Lori Kowalski and Linda Todd. Congratulations as well to Valerie Lukezic who was named Synchro Ontario’s 2007 Volunteer of the Year during the 3rd Annual Tier Championships Athlete Banquet held in Ottawa on May 31.