Edward Little’s Izzy Bellefleur competes in the individual medley during the 2021 KVAC Class A virtual swim meet in Lewiston. She is shown here doing the butterfly stroke. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
Izzy Bellefleur had another dominating season as a senior and for the second straight year has been named the Sun Journal’s All Region Swimmer of the Year.
Breaking Edward Little’s school record in the 100-yard breaststroke was Bellefleur’s motivation in a shortened season. She barely missed Olivia Paione’s school record of 1:08.03 — set at the 2015 Class A state championships — by nearly two-tenths of a second.
Her personal record came at this year’s virtual KVAC championship, her final high school meet, as she came in first place with a time of 1:08.21. That time was also second in the state this season, behind only Greely’s Audrey Cohen’s time of 1:06.09.
“I was so close, I was (two-tenths) off of it, but it was what was motivating me throughout the whole season and (the KVAC race),” Bellefleur said.
She won every 100-yard breaststroke event she entered in this season.
Coach Scott Morrison felt like if Bellefleur had a full season she could have had the school record.
“If we had a full season in the water, I think she would have had the opportunity to set it,” Morrison said. “That was a really big thing for her. The competition around the state, the KVAC (conference) and as well as the competition around the state, Izzy, she wants to be No. 1 and she wants to perform well. All those things are driving forces for her.”
Also, at the KVAC championships — which was the Red Eddies’ lone postseason meet this season — Bellefleur finished second in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:22.86. She also helped Edward Little to a third-place team finish in the meet as a member of both the 200-yard medley relay and 200-yard freestyle relay. The Red Eddies finished in second in both races.
As a team captain, she did what was best for the team in some of the meets this year. That’s one thing she will remember about the unique season.
“This year (against Lewiston), I took myself out of my best events, for the team,” Bellefleur said. “That meet stands out to me. It just symbolized what I was doing for my team. I was putting myself out of my best race and putting my team (first).”
In the final regular season meet against the Blue Devils, Bellefleur didn’t race in the 100-yard breaststroke. She won the 200-yard IM and 100-yard backstroke, along with helping the Red Eddies win the 200-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle relays.
Bellefleur will continue her swimming career at the College of Wooster, a NCAA Division III school in Wooster, Ohio, where she will go in their biology department on a pre-med track.
“Izzy rates up there as one of the best all-around athletes that I have ever had the privileged to coach,” Morrison said. “Her attitude and her ethics in the pool, her academic skills are just absolutely amazing. She and Samantha Poirier are (National Strength and Conditioning Association) Academic All-American, which is an amazing accomplishment in itself.”
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