Canada West Communications
VICTORIA – The Canada West fall championship schedule is set to wrap up this weekend, as the Victoria Vikes host the 2017 CW Swimming Championships at Commonwealth Pool.
Swimmers from eight CW schools – Alberta, UBC, Calgary, Lethbridge, Manitoba, Regina, Thompson Rivers, and host Victoria – will be on Vancouver Island for the three-day championship, which kicks off Friday afternoon and concludes Sunday.
As has been the case the last three conference championships, the UBC Thunderbirds head into the event looking to defend their team titles on both the men’s and women’s side. The U SPORTS swimming powerhouse makes the short trek to Victoria having won the last four CW men’s titles, while the T-Bird women are riding an eight-year run atop the conference.
Along with their Canada West crowns a year ago, UBC also earned U SPORTS team gold, reclaiming their spot atop the national podium after Toronto dethroned the ‘Birds two seasons ago.
UBC, which is home to one of Swimming Canada’s five high performance centres, boasts a star-studded roster. As has been the case for years, the T-Birds bring Olympic experience to the pool, with several Canadian veterans of the Rio Olympics on the squad.
On the men’s side, Yuri Kisil and Markus Thormeyer bring Olympic and international experience, while Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson and Emily Overholt also have Olympic experience on their resumes. Also key for UBC will be Ingrid Wilm, who had a remarkable CW championship in 2016 when she set conference records in the 50-metre, 100-metre, and 200-metre backstroke events at Kinsmen Pool in Edmonton.
While UBC is the clear frontrunner in terms of the conference team championships, there will be no shortage of individual competition on display over the weekend.
Five of the eight teams who sent swimmers to last year’s championships in Edmonton earned gold medals, while seven of the eight saw at least one swimmer earn a conference medal.
Along with UBC’s Olympians, Manitoba’s Kelsey Wog is another athlete to watch this weekend. The second-year swimmer enters this season after a standout performance at last year’s CW championships. Wog claimed three conference gold medals in 2016, topping the podium in the women’s 50-metre breaststroke, 100-metre breaststroke, and 100-metre freestyle.
Wog’s times of 30.54 (50-metre breaststroke) and 1:06.30 (100-metre breaststroke) were CW records. In addition to her CW gold medals, Wog also earned conference silver in the 200m breaststroke before going on to capture four U SPORTS medals at the national championships in February.
Overall, last season’s conference championships were particularly impressive, as seven women’s records and four men’s records were broken.
When it comes to host swimmers looking to leave a mark this weekend, Danielle Hanus and Eric Hedlin are among the top Vikes heading into the weekend.
Hanus, who is in her second season with Victoria, is a medal contender in all three backstroke events, while Hedlin is expected to challenge in the freestyle races.
The pair posted strong performances two weeks ago at the Odlum Brown Colleges Cup at UBC, with Hanus finishing second in the 50, 100 and 200-metre backstroke, while Hedlin finished second in the 1500-metre freestyle and third in the 400-metre freestyle.
Click here for the 2017 CW Swimming Championships program as a PDF.
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Friday, Nov. 24
Session 1 (heats): 4 – 5 p.m.
Session 2 (finals): 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 25
Session 3 (heats): 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Session 4 (finals): 5 – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 26
Session 5 (heats): 9 – 11 a.m.
Session 6 (finals): 3 – 5 p.m.
*All events will be streamed live on Canada West TV.
TEAM PREVIEWS
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS & PANDAS
2016-17 CW finish: 3rd - men's and women's
2016-17 U SPORTS finish: 5th - men's and women's
Last CW championship / total CW championships: 1992-93 / 8 (men’s); 1992-93 / 8 (women’s)
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: 0 (men’s); 1974-75 / 2 (women’s)
Number of competitors: 23 total (16 men, 7 women)
Returning CW gold medalists
Men: 0
Women:
Georgia Kidd – 200m Butterfly
Georgia Kidd – 100m Butterfly
Georgia Kidd – 50m Butterfly
Key additions (name / event / eligibility / hometown):
Men:
Michael Antifaoff / 200m butterfly, 400m IM / 1 / Oakville, Ont.
Conner Skuse / 200m butterfly, 200 & 400m IM / 1 / Surrey, B.C.
Daniel Stayer / 50/100m free / 1 / Red Deer, Alta.
Shea Kidd / 100/200m butterfly / 1 / Edmonton, Alta.
Women:
Ranae Ledoux / 50, 100, 200m breaststroke / 1 / Langley, B.C.
Kate Walsh / 50, 100m back / 1 / Edmonton, Alta.
Kathryn Doyle / 100, 200m breast / 1 / St. Albert, Alta.
Lauren Adam / 50, 100m breaststroke / 5 / New Maryland, N.B.
Key performer:
Georgia Kidd
2nd-year
St. Albert, AB
Coming off one of the best rookie seasons in Pandas swimming history, sophomore Georgia Kidd leads a young and new-look Alberta squad in 2017. Kidd won all three butterfly events at the 2016 Canada West Championships in Edmonton, while also adding a bronze in the 4x100m medley relay, a silver in the 400m freestyle relay, and silver in the 800m freestyle relay. Kidd also added a U SPORTS bronze medal last season, and is the Pandas best hope for additional medals, and possibly putting the Pandas into team medal contention this season.
UBC THUNDERBIRDS
2016-17 CW finish: 1st (men’s), 1st (women’s)
2016-17 U SPORTS finish: 1st (men’s), 1st (women’s)
Last CW championship / total CW championships: 2016-17 / 17 (men’s), 2016-17 / 27 (women’s)
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: 2016-17 / 15 (men’s), 2016-17 / 21 (women’s)
Number of competitors: 33 total (15 men, 18 women)
Returning CW gold medalists
Men:
Jonathan Brown – 200 individual medley
Yuri Kisil – 50 freestyle, 4x100 freestyle relay,
Luke Peddie – 50 butterfly
Markus Thormeyer – 200 backstroke, 4x100 freestyle relay,
Connor Wilkins – 200 butterfly
Women:
Quincy Brozo – 50 freestyle, 4x100 freestyle relay, 4x100 medley relay
Maia Brundage – 4x200 freestyle relay, 400 individual medley, 4x100 freestyle relay
Megan Dalke – 4x200 freestyle relay
Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson – 200 individual medley, 200 breaststroke, 4x200 freestyle relay, 4x100 freestyle relay
Jacomie Strydom – 4x100 medley relay,
Ingrid Wilm – 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 4x100 freestyle relay, 4x100 medley relay, 4x200 freestyle rela
Key additions (name / event / eligibility / hometown):
Men:
Josiah Binnema / butterfly & backstroke / 4 / Prince George, B.C.
Jaren LeFranc / breaststroke / 1 / Penticton, B.C.
Colton Peterson / individual medley / freestyle 2 Chilliwack, B.C.
Alexander Blaskovich / butterfly / individual medley / 1 / Surrey, B.C.
Dan Gerlach / freestyle / backstroke / 1 / St. Albert, Alta.
Women:
Francesca Di Fiore / breaststroke / 1 / Beaconsfield, Que.
Mackenzie Gunther / freestyle / 1 / Vancouver, B.C.
Meredith Levorson / freestyle / 1 / Vernon, B.C.
Key performer
Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson
5th-year
Ottawa, Ont
Seltenreich-Hodgson is a decorated swimmer, who gained valuable experience competing for Canada at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The fifth-year Arts student was the U Sports (formerly CIS) Swimming Women's Athlete and Rookie of the Year for the 2013-14 season. Seltenreich-Hodgson is a versatile athlete across a number of events and certainly made her presence felt at last year’s Canada West Championship in Edmonton, winning gold in the 200 individual medley, 200 backstroke, 4x200 free style relay and 4x100 freestyle relay.
Key performer
Markus Thormeyer
2nd-year
Delta, B.C.
Thormeyer is a talented athlete who earned a seventh-place finish in the 4x100-metre freestyle relay with Canada at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He also won silver with the same 4x100 free relay squad at the Pan American Games in 2015, while also making the final of the 100 back event. The second-year Science student will look to duplicate his two gold medal performance from last years Canada West Championship in Edmonton where he took top spot in the 200 backstroke and the 4x100 freestyle relay
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY DINOS
2016-17 CW finish: 2nd (men’s), 2nd (women’s)
2016-17 U SPORTS finish: 3rd (men’s), 4th (women’s)
Last CW championship / total CW championships: 2012-13 / 20 (men), 2008-09 / 8 (women)
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: 201011 / 15 (men), 2010-11 / 3 (women)
Number of competitors: 35 total (18 men, 17 women)
Returning CW gold medalists
Men:
Josh Dow – 50 Backstroke
Women:
Danica Ludlow – 200 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle, 800 Freestyle
Key additions (name / event / eligibility / hometown):
Men:
Fred Kamminga / Breaststroke & IM / 1st / St. Albert, Alta.
Anders Klein / Backstroke & IM / 1st / Sedgewick, Alta.
Women:
Allison McCloy / Breaststroke & IM / Calgary, Alta.
Julia Soutter / Sprint Freestyle / 5th / Victoria, B.C.
Key performer
Danica Ludlow
2nd-year
Victoria, B.C.
Danica Ludlow returns for her sophomore season after making a splash on the U SPORTS scene as a freshman last year. Ludlow swept the distance freestyle events at last year’s Canada West championships, then went on to capture national gold in the 400- and 800-metre freestyle events, along with bronze in the 200. Ludlow represented Canada at the Summer Universiade in Chinese Taipei and heads into this year’s conference meet as the top-ranked U SPORTS swimmer in the 400 free.
UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE PRONGHORNS
2016-17 CW finish: 6th (men’s), 6th (women’s)
2016-17 U SPORTS finish: 18th (men’s), 23rd (women’s)
Last CW championship / total CW championships: Highest finish - 4th (men's in 2014-15, women's in 2013-14)
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: Highest finish - 6th (men's in 1999-00) and 7th (women's in 2004-05)
Number of competitors: 32 total (16 men, 16 women)
Returning CW gold medalists
Men: 0
Women: 0
Key additions (name / event / eligibility / hometown):
Men:
Tom Utas / Sprint free, relays/ 1 / Camas, Wash.
Women:
Mikaela Wong / Sprint free, backstroke / 1 / Medicine Hat, Alta.
Brooke Kienas / Butterfly / 1 / Mission, B.C.
Key performers:
Joel Robinson
4th-year
Breaststroke
Regina, Sask
Joel is a previous Canada West medalist in the 50 breaststroke and will be in the mix in a very competitive men’s breaststroke field.
Christyna Dashko
5th-year
Breaststroke
Okotoks, Alta.
Christyna is the school record holder in both the 50 and 100 metre breaststroke and should score well in her final Canada West Championship meet.
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA BISONS
2016-17 CW finish: 7th (men’s), 7th (women’s)
2016-17 U SPORTS finish: 22nd (men’s), 12th (women’s)
Last CW championship / total CW championships: Highest finish - 4th (men's in 1985-86 & 1990-91) and 2nd (women's in 1990-91)
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: Highest finish - 13th (men's in 2000-01) and 7th (women's in 2003-04 & 2005-06)
Number of competitors: 16 total (5 men, 11 women)
Returning CW gold medalists
Men: 0
Women:
Kelsey Wog – 50 and 100m breaststroke and 100m freestyle
Key additions (name / event / eligibility / hometown):
Women:
Dora Modrcin / backstroke, butterfly, and freestyle / 1 / Winnipeg, Man.
Alex Miko / freestyle / 1 / Winnipeg, Man.
Key performer:
Anthony Iliouchetchev
3rd-year
Winnipeg, Man.
Bison third-year men’s swimmer Anthony Iliouchetchev has had a strong fall 2017 season as he is swimming faster than last season results, earning personal best times at 2017 Odlum Brown College Cup at UBC November 4-5.
He's a potential medallist in the men’s 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle while he also has potential for a top five finish in the 50m and 100m backstroke events.
Iliouchetchev, 20, has already made big improvements from last season and should surpass his times from 2016 championships and will be part of both relay teams.
Key performer:
Kelsey Wog
2nd-year
Winnipeg, MB
Bison second-year women’s swimmer Kelsey Wog started her sophomore season much the same way as her rookie campaign – winning.
In the first major team competition against Canada West conference competition in the 2017-18 season at the 2017 Odlum Brown College Cup at UBC, Wog had five victories and set five meet records while also establishing a new provincial record during the day two-day meet.
Wog, 19, was first in the women’s 50m breaststroke (31.22 – meet record set in preliminary); first in 100m IM (1:01.66 – meet record); first in 100m breaststroke (1:05.80 – meet record); first in 200m freestyle (1:58.38 – meet record) and first in 200m IM (2:10.97 – meet record). She was also second in the women’s 100m freestyle (55.39).
In addition, Wog broke an almost 24-year provincial mark in the women's 200-mtere freestly with a winning time of 1:58.38, breaking the old record of 1:58.85 held by Shannon Shakespeare (Dec. 2, 1993).
Wog is poised to compete for individual titles in all four events that she will swim at the 2017 conference swim championship and improve on her three gold medals earned at last year's conference championship in Edmonton.
UNIVERSITY OF REGINA COUGARS
2016-17 CW finish: 5th (men’s), 5th (women’s)
2016-17 U SPORTS finish: 9th (men’s), 6th (women’s)
Last CW championship / total CW championships: Highest finish - 5th in 2016-17 (men's and women's)
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: Highest finish - 6th (men's in 2016-17) and 9th (women's in 2016-17)
Number of competitors: 17 total (12 men, five women)
Returning CW gold medalists
Men: 0
Women: 0
Key additions (name / event / eligibility / hometown):
Men:
Etienne Paquin-Foisy / freestyle, butterfly / 1st / Longueuil, Que.
Women:
Bree Crookshanks / breaststroke, medley / 1st / Regina, Sask.
Key performer:
Noah Choboter
4th-year
Regina, Sask.
Back for his fourth season at the U SPORTS level and the third with the University of Regina, backstroke specialist Noah Choboter already ranks among the most decorated swimmers in school history. He’s won a pair of Canada West medals in both seasons with the Cougars and also has three U SPORTS medals, including two national gold medals in 2016. Choboter has already qualified for what will be his third U SPORTS Championships with the U of R after hitting the national standard in the 100-metre breaststroke earlier this month at the Odlum Brown Colleges Cup in Vancouver.
THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY WOLFPACK
2016-17 CW finish: / (men’s), 8th (women’s)
2016-17 U SPORTS finish: / (men’s), / (women’s)
Last CW championship / total CW championships: /
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: /
Number of competitors: 6 total (2 men, 4 women)
Key additions (name / event / eligibility / hometown):
Men:
Nolan Paul / 1 / Maple Ridge, B.C.
Key performers:
Breena Rusnell & Joelle Young
2nd-years
Fort McMurray, Alta.
The pair will swim in a variety of events for the WolfPack, who are sending a six-person team to Victoria for the conference championships. Young swam in four events last season (50, 100, 200-metre breastroke, and 200-metre IM), while Rusnell is a freestyle specialist who will also swim in the 200-metre IM.
UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA VIKES
2016-17 CW finish: 4th (men’s), 4th (women’s)
2016-17 U SPORTS finish: 7th (men’s), 14th (women’s)
Last CW championship / total CW championships: 0 (men's); 1979-80 / 1 (women's)
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: Highest finish - 3rd (men's in 1999-00) and 2nd (women's in 1999-00)
Number of competitors: 26 total (18 men, 8 women)
Returning CW gold medalists
Men:
Eric Hedlin – 1500-m Freestyle
Women: 0
Key additions (name / event / eligibility / hometown):
Men:
Ethan Phillips / 1500-m Freestyle / 1 / Kamloops, B.C.
Ethan Jensen / 100-m Butterfly / 1 / Kamloops, B.C.
Daniel Greer / 100-m Butterfly / 1 / Bathurst, N.B.
Key performer:
Eric Hedlin
3rd-year
San Diego, Calif.
A third-year swimmer originally from San Diego, CA, Eric Hedlin is looking to translate an outstanding 2016-17 season into even more success in 2017-18. Hedlin won a trio of medals at the last Canada West Championships, finishing first in the1500-metre freestyle, second in the 400-metre freestyle and third 400-metre freestyle relay.
Hedlin also performed well at the 2016-17 U SPORTS Championships where he won gold in both the 400-metre freestyle and the1500-metre freestyle, breaking a 25-year old U SPORTS record in the latter event. The Engineering major was named the UVic Vikes male athlete of the year for his outstanding season.