MacLean Continues Her Winning Ways; Canadian Trials Live Coverage

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All the links you need

2014 CANADIAN TRIALS

• April 2-5 in Victoria, British Columbia
• Live results
• Live stream of the meet available here
• Pan Pacs Selection Criteria
• Commonwealth Games Selection Criteria
• Psych Sheets 
• Our pre-meet link collection can be found here

Canadian Olympian Brittany MacLean has had a couple of pretty productive weeks in the pool. It was only two weeks ago that MacLean, who swims at the University of Georgia, won both the 500 and 1650 freestyle at the NCAA Championships in championship record time. Tonight at the Canadian Swimming Trials MacLean recorded a lifetime best of 1:57.57 to win the women’s 200 freestyle.

Her time puts her sixth in the world just ahead of Katinka Hosszu who had posted a 1:57.60 in February.

“I mean it is a best,” said MacLean. “I am really happy with that. I just wanted to get in her and swim as fast as I could.”

MacLean also told Chris Hindmarch-Watson that she wanted to create momentum on the first night, which she has accomplished.

Samantha Cheverton of the Pointe-Claire Swim Club finished second in a time of 1:59.28, followed by her teammate Alyson Ackman who finished third in a time of 1:59.60.

2013 World Junior Championships bronze medalist Emily Overholt of the West Vancouver Otters Swim Club took the race out fast turning first at the 100 meter mark in a time of 57.57, but eventually faded finishing in a tie with Barbara Jardin of PPO for fourth in a time of 1:59.88.

MacLean was the only women under 1:58.93, which is the selection time for the event at both the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships.

Olympic silver medalist Ryan Cochrane of Island Swimming was the source of excitement and drama in the men’s 200 freestyle, “It is a good thing I have some backend speed,” Cochrane said after the race.

Cochrane was in third position at the 150 meter wall, turning over a second behind Coleman Allen of the UBC Dolphins/Vancouver National Swim Centre, only to make up that time in the final 50, passing both Allen and teammate Alec Page.

Cochrane swam his final 50 in a time of 27.24, winning the event posting a 1:49.04, which got his hometown crowd off their feet, “This is why we do the hard training everyday,” said Cochrane when speaking about the crowd and representing his country.

Page finished second with a time of 1:49.33 touching out Allen by seven one-hundredths of a second, who picked up the bronze in a time of 1:49.40.

The women’s 100 backstroke saw three women under the top 16 qualifying time for the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships. The time the women had to beat was 1:01.25, Sinead Russell of NHAC, Brooklyn Snodgrass of the Cascade Swim Club and Hilary Caldwell of Island Swimming were all well under that standard.

Russell won the event in a time of 1:00.00, which places her fifth in the world rankings. She was followed by Snodgrass who hit the wall in a time of 1:00.23 placing her 7th in the world. Russell, who swims at the University of Florida and Snodgrass, who swims at the University of Indiana went against each other in the women’s 200 yard backstroke at the NCAA Championships two weeks ago. Snodgrass won that event beating Elizabeth Pelton by three one-hundredths of a second. Russell finished fourth.

Caldwell, World Championship bronze medalist in the 200 backstroke, finished third in a time of 1:00.99.

Russell Wood of the Cascade Swim Club cut it close, but by winning the men’s 100 backstroke in a time of 54.71 he beat the top 16 selection standard of 54.72. Wood beat his lifetime best of 54.86, which he posted in Kazan last summer at the World University Games.

Matthew Swanston of the New Market Stingrays finished second in a time of 55.83 followed closely by Joe Byram of the University of Alberta who finished third in a time of 55.85.

Markus Thormeyer of the Winskill Dolphins Swim Club finished fourth in a time of 56.25, with that time he sets a new British Columbia Provincial record for 15-17 year olds breaking his own record of 56.64.

The women’s 200 breaststroke had the same kind of feel as the men’s 200 freestyle with four women finishing within 45 one-hundredths of a second of each other, all swimming under the top 16 qualifying time of 2:28.12. Tera Van Beilen of the UBC Dolphins/Vancouver National Swim Centre and 2011 World Championships medalist Martha McCabe of the Toronto National Swim Centre had a tremendous battle in the first 150 meters, turning with only one one-hundredth separating the two swimmers.

In the final 50 meters Kierra Smith of the Liquid Lightening Swim Club and Ashley McGregor of the Pointe-Claire Swim Club put themselves in contention for the victory. Van Beilen eventually took the event in a time of 2:26.66 followed by Smith who hit the wall in a time of 2:26.74. McCabe, who swam with a stress fracture in her shoulder, finished third in a time of 2:27.03 followed by McGregor who touched in a time of 2:27.11.

Van Beilen was not happy with the time, but was overjoyed with the win, “I have to give you credit,” Van Beilen told Hindmarch-Watson, who is announcing the event.

“You played my favourite song, which is a bonus before you swim.”

She also told Hindmarch-Watson, when talking about how close the race was, that by the end she was just gauging splashes.

The women’s 50 butterfly saw an outstanding race between three women who were teammates at the 2013 World Championships; Sandrine Mainville of PPO, Katerine Savard of CAMO and Noemie Thomas of the UBC Dolphins Vancouver National Swim Centre. Savard holds the Canadian record with a time of 26.05 while Thomas holds the championships record of 26.35, but it was Mainville who came away with the victory in Victoria.

Mainville posted a time of 26.43, which puts her just inside the world’s top 10, placing ninth, passing Siobhan O’Connor of Great Britain who recorded 26.45 in March. Mainville, who swam a lifetime best by nine one-hundredths of a second, said after the race that winning the event was a surprise and that she was using the event as a warm-up for her 100 freestyle tomorrow.

Savard finished second in a time of 26.56 followed by Thomas who finished in a time of 26.63.

Richard Funk of the Keyano Swim Club won the men’s 200 breaststroke by over two seconds, finishing in a time of 2:12.97, beating his lifetime best of 2:13.90 by almost a second. Funk, who swims at the University of Michigan, won bronze in the 100 yard breaststroke and finished seventh in the 200 yard breaststroke at the NCAA Championships.

The race for silver was a tremendous one with Mack Darragh and Evan White of the Oakville Swim Club tying for second, both hitting the wall in a time of 2:15.40. Jason Block of the University of Calgary Swim Club finished three one-hundredths of a second behind the Oakville teammates finishing fourth in a time of 2:15.43.

Kelly Aspinall of the UBC Dolphins/Vancouver National Swim Centre won the men’s 50 butterfly in a time of 24.09. He was followed by Cameron Kidd of WRMS who touched second in a time of 24.38 and Gamal Assaad of Oakville who collected the bronze finishing in a time of 24.69.

Kier Maitland of the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club took the men’s 800 freestyle with ease in a time of 8:02.09. Maitland, who swam his college career at UNLV, came into the event with a best time of 8:01.61, which he posted in 2010, 18 seconds faster than the next competitors entry time.

Not quite equalling the difference in entry times Maitland finished over 16 seconds ahead of Kyle Watson of the Halifax Trojan Swim Club who posted a time of 8:18.89. He just ahead of Manta’s Wyatt Yarish who finished third in a time of 8:19.13.

With 15 year old Sophia Saroukian taking the women’s 1500 freestyle the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club swept the distance events on the evening. Saroukian won the event in a time of 16:48.89. She was followed by Olivia Anderson of Eswim who posted a 16:57.87 and Tess Cieplucha of the Oakville Swim Club who recorded a 17:08.59.