2018 U SPORTS SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, February 22nd – Saturday, February 24th
- Toronto, Ontario
- University of Toronto Athletic Centre
- Prelims: 10 AM / Finals: 6 PM (EST)
- SCM (25m)
- Championship Central
- Live Results
- Live Webcast (Finals)
- Defending Men’s & Women’s Champions: UBC Thunderbirds
Kylie Masse closed out the 2018 U SPORTS Championships in style tonight, winning her fourth individual event and adding a fifth gold in the 400 medley relay.
Individually, Masse swam the 200 back, posting a personal best 2:02.17 to break her own meet record of 2:02.80 set last year. This is the first time in a while the 22-year-old has set a PB and not broken the Canadian Record, as Taylor Ruck lowered it to 2:01.66 in December. Masse is now the 16th fastest performer all-time in the event.
Masse and her Toronto Varsity Blue teammates won their first relay of the meet in the 400 medley, with Masse leading off in a quick 56.55. Joined by Rachael Parsons, Hannah Genich and Sarah Polley, they clocked 4:00.69 to top Montreal (4:02.96) and UBC (4:03.03).
Sandrine Mainville, who anchored that Montreal relay in 52.48, won the individual 100 free in a time of 52.46, lowering her meet record of 52.62 set last year. Just like in the 50 free, she went 1-2 with her sister Ariane Mainville (54.23).
Other notable winners on the women’s side were Manitoba’s Kelsey Wog in the 50 breast, as she completed the breaststroke sweep, and UBC’s Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson in the 200 IM. Seltenreich-Hodgson’s pool record of 2:09.41 gives her the career super grand slam, winning five consecutive Canadian university titles.
For the men, UBC’s Markus Thormeyer and Yuri Kisil both delivered big performances. Thormeyer unloaded a big best time in the 200 back, clocking 1:52.90 to come within striking distance of the national record of 1:52.15. He also smashed his meet record of 1:54.48.
Kisil defended his 100 free title in 47.12, with Thormeyer completing an impressive double to take 2nd in 48.48.
OTHER WINNERS
- Calgary’s Danica Ludlow won her third event of the meet in the 800 free, clocking 8:27.48 to defend her U SPORTS title.
- UBC’s Warren Mayer (27.58) pulled off a tight win in the men’s 50 breast to defend his title, edging Eli Wall (27.66) of Toronto.
- Robert Hill of Calgary used the fields fastest backstroke split to win gold in the 200 IM, posting a time of 1:56.97 to hold off UBC’s Jonathan Brown (1:57.53).
- Calgary picked up another win in the men’s 1500, as Peter Brothers posted a time of 14:55.16 from the early heats that no one was able to top from the fastest heat in finals. Defending champion Eric Hedlin of Victoria had a great battle with UBC’s Hau-Li Fan in the finals heat, with Hedlin touching 1st to earn silver in 14:59.00 to Fan’s 14:59.98.
- Thormeyer, Brown, Kisil and Josiah Binnema combined to win gold and complete the relay sweep for UBC in the 400 medley, missing their meet record by .04 in 3:32.40. Toronto was 2nd and Calgary 3rd.
FINAL SCORES
WOMEN
- UBC, 1362.5
- Toronto, 997
- Montreal, 667
- Calgary, 478
- Victoria, 291.5
MEN
- UBC, 1151.5
- Calgary, 939.5
- Toronto, 887
- Victoria, 485.5
- Montreal, 443
In the end UBC easily defends their titles, with Toronto grabbing second on the women’s side and Montreal 3rd. Calgary managed to beat out Toronto for 2nd on the men’s side by just over 50 points.
