Medal haul in fall for Vernon Kokanee
Published 6:30 am Thursday, November 20, 2025 By Roger Knox, The Morning Star
In life, kokanee salmon return to freshwater streams to spawn in the late fall. In swimming, Vernon Kokanee return to chlorinated water and swim fast. The local club hosted its final Nolan’s Pharmasave Fall Invitational meet at the Vernon Recreation Complex’s aquatic centre Nov. 7 to 9. The pool will close in 2026 as the Kokanee and public move to the new Active Living Centre, being built on the former Kin Race Track site on 43rd Avenue.
“The Nolan’s Fall Invitational is a celebration of swimming in the Okanagan region,” said Kokanee head coach Cole Bergen. “The event has been a staple in the provincial swimming calendar for decades, providing a mid-cycle check in for athletes as they continue to train for meets at the end of the year.” The early season, said Bergen, has been focused on technical development and aerobic capacity for the Kokanee athletes. This was highlighted at the home meet by 100 per cent best times in the 800-metre freestyles on the first night of the meet, with all swimmers racing it faster than their previous benchmark.
It was also the first opportunity for the teams in the region to field relays, lending itself to some high energy racing at the conclusion of the sessions, with the Kokanee taking top honours in many of the team events. In individual events, the Kokanee took home 71 medals – 40 gold, 19 silver, and 12 bronze. The celebration of the swimming community isn’t attributed to the swimmers alone, as it includes the incredible volunteer base in Vernon.
“Swimming as a sport is simple in nature, but logistically very volunteer heavy to make competitions happen,” said Bergen. “We can consider ourselves lucky to have such an amazing membership base, plenty of Kokanee alumni, and those who simply love swimming and are willing to give their time to help these athletes compete at our home pool.” With much more fast swimming still to come, the Vernon meet highlights the value that sport provides to the community rather than the value of performance itself. “Vernon has such an incredible sporting culture, and weather its swimming, hockey, skiing, or anything else,” said Bergen. “It is the people who choose to give back and connect directly through the sports that make them so special. “We leave this weekend with immense pride in our community, and a passion to continue sharing our love of sport in an increased capacity with the ALC set to host these events and bring athletes from around the country to our beautiful home for years to come.”
Read more at: https://vernonmorningstar.com/2025/11/20/medal-haul-in-fall-for-vernon-kokanee/
