Stingrays Compete at the Ontario Junior International The Ontario Junior International (OJI) is a prestigious swim meet that brings together young swimmers from across Canada and around the world to compete and showcase their talent—right here in Ontario. For more than a decade, the OJI has given athletes the chance to challenge themselves against top-level international competition. Each year, the meet continues to grow, now offering opportunities in both the Olympic and Paralympic streams. This growth has helped make the OJI a special event, welcoming swimmers from near and far...

Alan Swanston Classic 2025 Our first hosted meet of the season, the Alan Swanston Classic 2025, was proudly named in honour of Coach Alan Swanston — the driving force behind the incredible success of the Newmarket Stingrays. Coach Swanston has built a program that grew from just 35 swimmers into a powerhouse team of more than 200 athletes, ranging in age from five to 18, from beginners to Olympians. He is also the longest-serving head coach in any sport in Newmarket’s history, making his impact on our club and community...

MAC Rising Star Meet Season Opener for Wave and Development Groups The weekend of November 8 marked the season opener for our Wave and Development groups, as forty-seven of our youngest swimmers travelled to Markham to compete at the MAC Rising Star Meet. With eleven clubs in attendance and more than five hundred young swimmers sharing the deck, the atmosphere was full of energy, team spirit, and anticipation. This meet provided an excellent opportunity for our athletes to showcase what they have learned over the past two months of hard...

RHAC Fall Classic 2025 The short course season kicked off last weekend at the Markham Pan Am Pool, where ninety-five Stingray swimmers took to the water. For some, it was their very first competition, and for everyone, it marked the exciting start of a new season. After two months of dedicated training, the team was eager to see their hard work pay off. The swimmers raced with enthusiasm and determination, achieving many personal best times and earning several spots on the podium. Congratulations to all our athletes and coaches for...

This past weekend, the Newmarket Stingrays proudly hosted the Division 1 Regional Championships at the Markham Pan Am Centre. Over 33 clubs from across the region gathered for an action-packed, three-day competition filled with high energy, intense racing, and inspiring performances. We are thrilled to announce that the Stingrays finished in the Top 10 overall in the team standings—an incredible achievement reflecting the dedication and hard work of our athletes and coaching staff. Despite the scorching heat, the meet ran smoothly thanks to the incredible support of our volunteers, officials,...

Newmarket Stingrays at the 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials The 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials, held last week in Victoria, British Columbia, brought together many of the top swimmers in the country. Over six days of competition, 787 athletes representing 148 clubs from nine provinces competed for the chance to represent Canada at several upcoming international events. The meet served as the official selection opportunity for four major competitions this summer: World Aquatics Championships in Singapore 2025 FISU Games (Summer Universiade) in Berlin, Germany World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania...

Earned, Not Given: The Road to Trials By Ashley Peterson With just one week to go before the 2025 Canadian Trials, we’re celebrating the determination, passion, and resilience of our athletes in our Swimmer Spotlight series. Each feature takes you behind the lanes to explore the unique journey of a swimmer—from their first splash in the pool to the challenges they've faced and the goals that fuel their drive. As the team prepares to fly out this Friday, we caught up with Claire for an inside look at her path...

Rising to the Challenge: The Road to Swimming Trials By Ashley Peterson May Spotlight #1 : Lucas Amaral With the anticipation of the upcoming swimming trials this June reaching new heights, we're diving into the inspiring stories of the athletes in our Swimmer Spotlight series. Each feature offers a behind-the-scenes look at the path of a dedicated swimmer—from their early days in the sport to the obstacles they've overcome, and the dreams that keep them pushing forward. With just one month to go until the 100 fly prelims at Trials,...

Stingrays Shine at Marilyn Bell and BTSC Spring Meets It was a back-to-back racing bonanza for the Stingrays over the past two weekends, as our swimmers delivered standout performances at both the Marilyn Bell and BTSC Spring Meets. At the Marilyn Bell Meet, our Trials qualifiers tackled long course competition with determination and speed, preparing for the big meets ahead. This past weekend, 128 Stingrays traveled to Barrie to compete in the BTSC Spring Meet, delivering phenomenal performances across all age groups. Both meets featured multiple personal bests, outstanding swims,...

Chasing Excellence: The Road to Swimming Trials By Ashley Peterson As the excitement builds for the upcoming swimming trials this June, we’re diving into the inspiring stories behind the athletes in our Swimmer Spotlight series. Each feature takes you inside the journey of one of our dedicated swimmers—their beginnings in the sport, the challenges they've conquered and the ambitions driving them forward. April Spotlight : Onna Okeke What inspired you to start swimming? “When I was younger, I was a figure skater and a swimmer. I had originally wanted to...