Mel Zajac Day 1: Laon Kim Clocks 1:49.5 200 FR, Alexanne Lepage Goes 1:07.6 in the 100 BR

2025 MEL ZAJAC JR. INTERNATIONAL SWIM MEET

• May 16-18, 2025
• Vancouver, British Columbia
• UBC Aquatic Centre
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

The annual Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet kicked off last night at the UBC Aquatic Centre in Vancouver. This year’s meet has brought in many of Canada’s star swimmers, along with a number of American club teams from right across the border in Washington state.

The first day of the meet saw some great performances out of young swimmers. 17-year-old Laon Kim (University of Calgary Swim Club) won the men’s 200 free decisively last night, popping a 1:49.59. That performance comes in just a hair off his career best of 1:49.55, which he set about 2 months ago. As far as how he swam it last night, Kim’s race was excellent. He was 26.08 on the opening 50, then split 28.41 on the 2nd lap, before going 28.05 and 27.05 respectively on the last pair of 50s. That resulted in 100 splits of 54.49 and 55.10, an extremely tight-split race.

Rachel Wigginton, the sister of Canadian Olympian Lorne Wigginton, won the women’s 400 IM in a great race. Wigginton, who also represents UCSC, clocked a 4:51.03, ripping a huge new career best in the event. Her previous best was the 4:55.65 she set with her morning swim in prelims. Wigginton was pretty aggressive on the front half of the race, splitting 1:05.36 on fly and 1:14.12 on free, for a 2:19.48 on the opening 100. She held together well with a 1:24.91 on breast and a 1:06.64 on free.

It was a tight field behind Wigginton, as American Alexa McDevitt (Bellevue Club) touched 2nd in 4:52.43. McDevitt swam her career best of 4:46.61 last month. Coming in 3rd was West Vancouver Otters Swim Club 15-year-old Michelle Zeng, who swam a 4:52.46. That swim took 3 seconds off her previous best of 4:55.66, which she set back in February.

One of the top swims of the night came from UCSC’s Alexanne Lepage, who won the women’s 100 breast in 1:07.68. Her swim came close to her career best of 1:06.58, which she set back in September of 2023.

Cascade Swim Club’s Cole Pratt won the men’s 200 back, swimming a 2:01.33. He touched out UBC Thunderbirds’ Blake Tierney, who came in 2nd with a 2:01.53. Tierney was out faster, splitting 59.93 on the opening 100 to Pratt’s 1:00.38.

The University of Louisville’s Ilia Sibirtsev took the men’s 800 free in 7:56.93. He was out pretty fast, splitting 3:54.42 on the first 400m, then came home in 4:02.51.

Finlay Knox won the men’s 100 breast in 1:01.64, touching first by well over 2 seconds. Knox then went on to win the men’s 50 fly in 23.73.

OTHER EVENT WINNERS

• Women’s 200 back: Katie Schroeder (OS) – 2:14.60
• Women’s 200 free: Emma O’Croinin (UBC Thunderbirds) – 2:00.78
• Men’s 400 IM: Tanner Cole (UBC Thunderbirds) – 4:27.84
• Women’s 50 fly: Arielle Hayon (ISR) – 26.74
• Women’s 1500 free: Naomi Mynott (WDSC) – 16:59.82
• Women’s 400 free relay: UCSC ‘A’ (Lepage, Greber, Clark, Cosic) – 3:51.34
• Men’s 400 free relay: UCSC ‘A’ (Liu, Norman, Kim, Duncan) – 3:23.32