Malwina Bukszowana got her first taste of Glacier Bears competition this weekend during the Ryan Downing Memorial Meet in Whitehorse.

The new head swim coach stood on the pool deck with her clipboard and watched as her young swimmers set records and achieved a

number of AAA and AA time standards in the first meet of the new competitive season.

Needless to say, she was impressed.

"Everything was very good,” she told the Star Sunday. "It went very smooth with the organization and the swimmers. They did really well. I think all of the coaches were very happy. The kids were really improving from every single group. We had kids from every single group beating their times and swimming much, much faster.”

More than 100 Glacier Bears swimmers competed in the meet.

Youngster Thomas Bakica broke seven meet records in the Boys 10-and-under category, including the 100 Free, 200 Breast, 400 IM, 800 Free, 200 IM, 50 Breast, and 100 IM.

Rennes Lindsay also broke two meet records in the Girls 11-and-12 category, including the 100 IM and 400 IM. She also achieved a AAA time, as did her sister Cassis Lindsay (3), Aidan Harvey and brothers Thomas and Luke Bakica.

Thirteen-year-old Luke qualified in the 100 Breast. He said coach Bukszowana's style has helped swimmers become more competitive.

"She's taught us to be more cutthroat in competition,” Bakica said.

Twelve different swimmers achieved AA standards, while the majority of swimmers set new personal best time standards. Matthew Blakesley and Brooklyn Massie had five AA times each, while both Thomas Bakica and Dannica Nelson had four.

Bukszowana said the sheer volume of personal best times achieved during the first meet of the season took her by surprise.

"I didn't know what to expect to be honest, because I've never seen them racing,” she said. "The kids are new for me, so I was just waiting for surprises. Compared to September when I came to now, I can see a big improvement in the strokes, which is great.”

Bukszowana, who spent the last four years as a swim coach in Ireland, said she has nothing but good things to say about the Glacier Bears program.

"They're a good group of kids,” she said. "They never complain and they're happy to work hard. I think it's going quite well.”

A group of 18 from the Haines Dolphins swim club also participated in the event.

Star swimmers Haley Braga (allergies) and Adrian Robinson (shoulder injury) did not compete at the Ryan Downing meet. Last year, Robinson set eight new meet records and four club records in this competition.

The meet is held in memory of Ryan Downing, a star Yukon swimmer who died tragically of heart complications when he was just 13.

Ryan's mother, Jane Downing, watched the meet from the deck, just as she has for the past 17 years. It was the first time she attended the meet without her husband, David, who was attending a wedding in Toronto.

She said the annual weekend meet is "unbelievably significant” for the Downing family.

"When we're here, he gets to be here,” she said. "This meet is such an honour for our family ... it's hard to find words to explain it.”