2019 U SPORTS Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2019 U SPORTS ODLUM BROWN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Day 2 finals from the U SPORTS Championships in Vancouver will feature six different events: the 200 free, 50 back, 100 breast, 400 IM, 50 fly, and the 800 free relay.

Two of last night’s winners in Kylie Masse and Emily Overholt will both be swimming an individual double tonight, with Masse contesting the women’s 50 back and 50 fly and Overholt the 200 free and 400 IM.

Masse won her fourth straight title in the 100 back last night, and will be looking to do the same tonight in the 50 (back).

Overholt had a standout swim in the 400 free last night, hitting a new best time, making her poised for a big 400 IM, an event in which she was the 2015 World Championship bronze medalist and also finished 5th at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Rebecca Smith of Toronto won the 100 fly on day 1 and is favored to win the 200 free tonight after breaking the SCM U SPORTS Record in the heats.

Markus Thormeyer is the one to watch on the men’s side tonight after he almost broke the super-suited Canadian Record in the 100 back last night. Tonight he goes after the 200 free where he comes in as the defending champ.

Women’s 200 Free Final

  1. Emily Overholt, UBC, 1:57.26
  2. Rebecca Smith, UT, 1:59.69
  3. Aleksa Gold, UT 2:01.17

After her big win in the 400 free on day 1, Emily Overholt followed up with another dominant showing in the 200 free as she won gold in a new personal best of 1:57.26. Overholt’s previous best was 1:57.55 from the 2015 Pan Ams (the 400 free best time she earned last night was also from 2015).

Top seed from prelims Rebecca Smith led through the first turn but couldn’t hang with Overholt on the back half, ultimately touching 2nd in 1:59.69. Both Overholt and Smith were under the meet record of 2:00.83.

Aleksa Gold of Toronto ran down Maia Brundage (2:01.64) and Katerine Savard (2:03.36) on the last 50 to win bronze in 2:01.17.

Men’s 200 Free Final

  • U SPORT Record: 1:50.28, Keegan Zanatta (UBC), 2016
  1. Markus Thormeyer, UBC, 1:48.02
  2. Davide Casarin, OTT, 1:49.03
  3. Alex Pratt, UBC, 1:51.41

Markus Thormeyer of UBC successfully defended his title in the 200 freestyle with a new U SPORTS Championship Record of 1:48.02, falling just shy of his personal best from last summer of 1:47.66.

Ottawa’s Davide Casarin, the 400 free winner on day 1, dropped a tenth from his best time to take 2nd in 1:49.03, finishing with a fast 27.05 final 50. Alex Pratt of UBC picked up his second medal of the competition with a 3rd place finish in 1:51.41.

Another UBC swimmer Justin Konik dropped a 1:51.91 from the ‘C’ final, the 4th fastest time overall. He was also faster than he was in the short course prelims (1:52.54).

Women’s 50 Back Final

  1. Kylie Masse, UT, 27.94
  2. Danielle Hanus, UVIC, 28.78
  3. Ingrid Wilm, UBC, 28.81

Kylie Masse missed her U SPORT record by a tenth but it didn’t matter as she won the women’s 50 back for the fourth year in a row in a time of 27.94.

Danielle Hanus repeated as the silver medalist in 28.78, and Ingrid Wilm (28.81) won bronze to make the podium the same as it was in the 100 back. 2018 bronze medalist Rachel Rode (29.06) of Toronto took 4th.

Men’s 50 Back Final

  • U SPORT Record: 25.98, Josh Dow (UOFC), 2016
  1. Clement Secchi, MCGILL, 26.15
  2. Josh Dow, UOFC, 26.18
  3. Robert Hill, UOFC, 26.23

It was McGill first year Clement Secchi who came away with the gold in the men’s 50 back, edging out the meet record holder Josh Dow (26.18) of Calgary in a best of 26.15.

Robert Hill made it two Dinos on the podium as he snagged bronze in 26.23, providing some valuable points as they’re currently leading UBC in the team race.

Women’s 100 Breast Final

  • U SPORT Record: 1:07.76, Fiona Doyle (UOFC), 2015
  1. Kelsey Wog, UMAN, 1:08.23
  2. Renae Ledoux, UOFA, 1:10.44
  3. Hillary Metcalfe, UBC, 1:10.60

Kelsey Wog of the University of Manitoba picked up her third individual gold medal of the meet in the women’s 100 breast, topping the field by over two seconds in a time of 1:08.23.

A big second 50 from Alberta’s Renae Ledoux denied Hillary Metcalfe a third individual silver, as Ledoux broke 1:11 for the first time for 2nd in 1:10.44. Metcalfe was close behind for bronze in 1:10.60.

Men’s 100 Breast Final

  • U SPORT Record: 1:02.43, Eli Wall (TOR), 2016
  1. Jonathan Naisby, SHER, 1:03.98
  2. Benjamin Blackmon, UOFC, 1:04.34
  3. Ruishen Yu, UBC, 1:04.40

It was Calgary Dino Benjamin Blackmon who was the early aggressor in the men’s 100 breast, being the only swimmer out sub-30 in 29.43, but Sherbrooke fifth year Jonathan Naisby charged back with the only back half under 34 seconds (33.79) to run him down and seal the win.

Naisby touched in 1:03.98, with Blackmon 2nd in 1:04.34 and UBC rookie Ruishen Yu moving up from 7th at the 50 into the bronze medal position in 1:04.40. Naisby won bronze last year, while 2018 silver medalist Matthew Loewen of Western was 4th in 1:04.47.

Jaren LeFranc of the Thunderbirds had the second fastest swim overall from the ‘B’ final in 1:04.00. He also won the consolation heat last year.

Women’s 400 IM Final

  • U SPORT Record: 4:44.41, Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson (UBC), 2015
  1. Emily Overholt, UBC, 4:40.95
  2. Megan Dalke, UBC, 4:48.21
  3. Allison McCloy, UOFC, 4:54.38

Emily Overholt completed a successful double for the night with the win in the women’s 400 IM, smashing the meet record in a time of 4:40.95. That puts her 10th in the world for the 2018-19 season, and is only a second and a half off her fastest swim from last summer (4:39.48). She joins Wog with three individual golds through two days of competition.

Her teammate from UBC Megan Dalke was just seven-tenths off her lifetime best to win silver in 4:48.21, and Allison McCloy picked up the bronze in 4:54.38.

Men’s 400 IM Final

  • U SPORT Record: 4:22.52, Tristan Cote (UOFC), 2015
  1. Montana Champagne, OTT, 4:24.25
  2. Ambroise Petit, LAV, 4:25.73
  3. Brian Palaschuk, UOFR, 4:26.05

Ottawa fifth year Montana Champagne used a strong first 300 to regain the 400 IM title he won back in 2017, clocking a time of 4:24.25.

A group of three swimmers made a big push on the freestyle and gained ground on Champagne, but he was too far ahead and cruised in for the win. Ambroise Petit of Laval got to the wall 2nd in 4:25.73, holding off Brian Palaschuk (4:26.05) and Brodie Young (4:26.20) who had identical final 50s of 28.77 (fastest in the field).

Women’s 50 Fly Final

  1. Rebecca Smith, UT, 26.84
  2. Kylie Masse, UT, 27.18
  3. Marie-Lou Lapointe, UDEM, 27.20

Rebecca Smith was the only swimmer to crack 27 seconds in the women’s 50 fly, clocking 26.84 to narrowly miss the U SPORTS Record of 26.81. Her Toronto teammate Kylie Masse was a tenth off her best time to win silver in 27.18, with Montreal’s Marie-Lou Lapointe the bronze medalist in 27.20.

Men’s 50 Fly Final

  • U SPORT Record: 24.04, Coleman Allen (UBC), 2015
  1. Josiah Binnema, UBC, 24.52
  2. Stephen Calkins, UOFC, 24.71
  3. Matt Dans, UT, 24.85

Josiah Binnema of UBC edged out Calgary’s Stephen Calkins in a close final in the men’s 50 fly, winning gold in 24.52. Binnema’s personal best stands at 24.30 from the Commonwealth Games last April.

Calkins, the 50 free bronze medalist, has been as fast as 24.28, but was 24.71 tonight for the silver. Ontario champion Matt Dans of Toronto clipped teammate Matthew Mac for the bronze, 24.85 to 24.89.

Women’s 800 Free Relay Timed Final

  • U SPORT Record: 8:12.79, Montreal, 2015
  1. Toronto, 8:07.20
  2. UBC, 8:10.56
  3. Calgary, 8:19.37

The University of Toronto quartet of Aleksa Gold (2:01.70), Ainsley McMurray (2:04.08), Rebecca Smith (1:59.97) and Kylie Masse (2:01.45) combined to win gold and set a new Canadian club record in the women’s 4×200 free relay in a time of 8:07.20. Trailing UBC at the final exchange, Masse moved past Ingrid Wilm (2:04.87) to solidify the victory. The previous national record stood at 8:09.93, set by the Etobicoke Swim Club in 2011.

UBC ended up 2nd in 8:10.56, with Emily Overholt their top split on the lead-off in 1:59.23.

Men’s 800 Free Relay Timed Final

  • U SPORT Record: 7:29.15, UBC, 2015
  1. UBC, 7:27.78
  2. Calgary, 7:36.01
  3. McGill, 7:39.35

A 1:48.74 second leg from Markus Thormeyer helped lead the UBC men to a big win in the 4×200 free relay in a time of 7:27.78, a new meet record. Alex Pratt was also a key leg for them, posting the top lead-off in the field at 1:51.99.

Calgary took a clear 2nd in 7:36.01, with three 1:53s on their squad, while McGill’s Will Simpson anchored them in 1:54.18 to run down Victoria (7:39.39) and steal bronze in 7:39.36.

The win for the Thunderbirds brings them within 22 points of Calgary for the team lead heading into the final day. The Dinos are looking for their first team title since 2011.

TEAM SCORES

WOMEN

  1. UBC, 889.5
  2. Toronto, 813.5
  3. Montreal, 474
  4. Calgary, 367
  5. Victoria, 206
  6. Ottawa, 181
  7. Alberta / McGill, 177
  8. Manitoba, 160.5
  9. Laval, 154

MEN

  1. Calgary, 653.5
  2. UBC, 631.5
  3. Toronto, 500
  4. McGill, 431
  5. Regina, 339
  6. Laval, 291
  7. Victoria, 289.5
  8. Montreal / Ottawa, 249.5
  9. Lethbridge, 175.5

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and IIIIIIIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE U
5 years ago

1:57.26 for Overholt! Great February long course time!!

Yozhik

Yep, this time makes her ranking #2 after two months of 2019 season.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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