CANUSA 2025 Swimming Tryouts Recap: New Personal Bests and Top Performances
The 2025 CANUSA Swimming tryouts took place on Saturday, June 7th at Jimmy Thompson Memorial Pool, showcasing some of Hamilton’s top young swimmers across all age divisions. With over 80 athletes in attendance, the event served as both a competitive tryout and an early indicator of the city’s strength in the pool heading into the 2025 CANUSA Games this August.
Notable Performances and Personal Bests
Several athletes made their mark with impressive swims and improvements from previous meets. Notably:
- Amy Meng (12) led the way in the 11–12 age group, finishing first in the 100 Free with a time of 1:01.81, and in the 200 IM at 2:33.25 — both personal bests.
- Pia Hansen (11) set a dominant tone in the 50 Fly, touching in at 31.29, while also swimming 1:16.16 in the 100 Fly and 33.22 in the 50 Back, showing continued improvement from her 2024 record-setting pace.
- Edward Gallardo (12) continues to impress with a 1:19.87 in the 100 Breast and a swift 27.48 in the 50 Free.
- Zoe O’Sullivan (14) delivered an all-around elite performance, posting 1:18.88 in the 100 Breast, 2:10.00 in the 200 Free, and an impressive 2:25.95 in the 200 IM — all times that rival past CANUSA record performances.
Record Watch – Comparing to 2024 Standards
While no records were officially broken, several swims came close to CANUSA benchmarks set in 2024:
- Amy Meng’s 1:01.81 in the Girls 11–12 100 Free is just shy of the 2024 CANUSA record of 53.75 held by Gracie Olsen (Flint, 2017), but strong enough to be one of the top times in recent Hamilton tryout history.
- Pia Hansen’s 50 Back time of 33.22 is well off her own age group’s 2024 CANUSA record of 30.17, but she continues to improve in butterfly and backstroke events.
- Zoe O’Sullivan’s 50 Breast in 37.09 would place her among Hamilton’s top contenders, especially with the 2024 record being 33.64.
Young Standouts in the 10 & Under Division
Athletes in the youngest categories also brought energy and talent to the pool:
- Emme Sueter (10) won the 50 Free in 31.29, the 100 IM in 1:22.01, and the 100 Free in 1:12.46, cementing her spot as a top swimmer to watch.
- Scarlett Varadi (9) clocked in at 1:32.79 in the 100 Back and 2:50.68 in the 200 Free, demonstrating maturity and pace beyond her age.
Improvements Across the Board
The tryouts weren’t just about speed — they were about growth. Dozens of swimmers posted personal bests, including:
- Christopher Breid (13), who dropped over 21 seconds in his 100 Breast, finishing at 1:24.20.
- Kitney, Eoin (9), who took over 5 seconds off his 100 Breast to finish in 1:44.71.
Looking Ahead to CANUSA 2025
With a mix of experienced returners and new faces, Hamilton is fielding a strong swimming team for this year’s CANUSA Games, set to take place in Hamilton from August 8–10, 2025. Final team selections will be confirmed following upcoming practices on June 24 and June 25.
Families and athletes are reminded that billeting is a required part of the CANUSA experience, fostering international friendships and tradition. More info is available at canusagames.com/volunteers/screening.
Congratulations to all athletes who participated in this year’s tryouts. We’re proud of the effort and spirit shown — and excited for what’s to come in the pool this August.
2024 Records
