The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's swimming team successfully defended their national title as the 2023 U SPORTS championships wrapped up on Saturday night (Feb. 25) at the University of Victoria.
TEAM STANDINGS: The Blues claimed back-to-back titles for the first time since 1992-1993 with 1336 points, ahead of the UBC Thunderbirds (1166.5), McGill Martlets (872) and Calgary Dinos (818). Toronto's men finished fourth for the second straight season with 783 points, behind UBC (1158.5), Calgary (876) and Ottawa (795), and ahead of McGill (745.5).
"It's great when a year-long focus and plan comes together," said Byron MacDonald, who is in his 45th season as Varsity Blues head coach. "The team was aiming for this from day one and did it! As I tell the team, it's tough to win. And it's even tougher to repeat."
"The men did a marvelous job considering they sort of competed with one arm tied behind their back," added MacDonald. "Two guys went down with arm injuries suffered outside the pool and our super rookie Ben Loewen was too sick to compete close to his usual level. Yet the team still moved up to fourth place overall. The guys did a great job dispute the challenges and I'm proud of their resilience."
MAJOR AWARD WINNERS: MacDonald earned U SPORTS coach of the year honours for the 18th time of his career, winning the award for the women's side.
2020 Olympian Gabe Mastromatteo was named the U SPORTS men's swimmer of the year after breaking two records in the 50 and 100 breaststroke. He also earned the silver medal in the 200-metre event on Day 3.
First-year standout Quinn Matteis earned rookie of the year honours on the men's side. Matteis capped off the meet with a thrilling victory in the 1500 freestyle, while also claiming the 400 freestyle silver medal on Day 1.
Fourth-year veteran Aleksa Gold earned the women's student-athlete community service award as well.
WOMEN'S RESULTS: Fourth-year veteran Ainsley McMurray shocked the pool with her second national title of the meet, winning the 100 freestyle. The native of Montreal touched the wall in 55.60 seconds to edge 2020 Olympian Rebecca Smith by two one-hundredths of a second.
"Before my race, Linda [Kiefer] told me to swim it for you and that's what I did," said McMurray. "I put my head down and swam as fast as I could and I didn't think about what anyone else is doing. I'm just so happy. I love my team so much."
Gold and Haley Klenk finished 1-2 in the women's 200 backstroke. Gold touched the wall in 2:15.40, just ahead of Klenk in 2:15.42.
Rookie standout Nina Mollin continued her impressive meet, earning the silver medal in the 200 butterfly in 2:16.61. Mollin turned around less than an hour later to place fifth in the 200 breaststroke in 2:36.80. Tina Guan was sixth (2:36.81), while Shannon Russell was seventh (2:37.70).
Second-year distance specialist Anna Hein notched her second career 800 freestyle bronze medal, clocking a time of 9:04.39.
MEN'S RESULTS: Second-year standout Michael Sava opened the night with a victory in the men's 200 butterfly. The Toronto native touched the wall in 2:03.57.
"I just wanted to race like I practiced," said Sava. "I've been practicing for this 200 for the longest time and I'm glad that everything clicked."
Matteis capped off the individual events with a victory in the grueling men's 1500 freestyle in 15:51.36.
"It was very hard," said Matteis. "I had to race with a strategy and know where I had to be at what mark and take off from there. I knew Liam was going to be one of the top ones to race with so I just knew I needed to be beside him, not cook myself from the beginning and just kind of keep up with him and be competitive."
Mastromatteo earned his third individual podium finish, placing second in the 200 breaststroke in 2:16.61. Carter Buck claimed the men's 200 backstroke bronze medal in 2:02.95, while Liam Weaver placed seventh in the 100 freestyle (51.49).
Liam Weaver, Bernard Godolphin, Phil Robins and Graeme Aylward ended the night with a fourth-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:26.08.
INDIVIDUAL HONOURS
Women
Swimmer of the Year: Emma O'Croinin, UBC
Rookie of the Year: Danika Ethier, Laval
Fox 40 Coaches of the Year: Byron MacDonald, Toronto
Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Aleksa Gold, Toronto
Men
Swimmer of the Year: Gabe Mastromatteo, Toronto
Rookie of the Year: Quinn Matteis, Toronto
Fox 40 Coach of the Year:
Dave Heinbuch, Ottawa
Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Pablo Collin, McGill
TEAM STANDINGS
Men's:
UBC – 1158.5
Calgary – 876
Ottawa – 795
Toronto – 783
McGill – 745.5
Lethbridge – 359.5
Victoria – 353
Alberta – 292
Waterloo – 207
Western – 196.5
Laval – 181
Montreal – 157
Dalhousie – 123
Regina – 101
Laurier – 85
McMaster – 82.5
Acadia – 65
York – 61.5
Sherbrooke – 17
Manitoba – 15
Carleton – 13
Memorial – 2
Women's:
Toronto – 1336
UBC – 1166.5
McGill – 872
Calgary – 818
Western – 378
Victoria – 331.5
Manitoba – 302.5
Dalhousie – 243
Laval – 231
Ottawa – 225
Alberta – 159.5
Guelph – 150
Lethbridge – 125
Montreal – 114
Waterloo – 96
Acadia – 89.5
McMaster – 62
Sherbrooke – 23
Regina – 6.5
DAY 3 INDIVIDUAL MEDALLISTS
Women 200m Fly
1. Josie Field, UBC, 2:15.13
2. Nina Mollin, Toronto, 2:16.61
3. Naomie Lo, McGill, 2:17.20
Men 200m Fly
1. Michael Sava, Toronto, 2:03.57
2. Alex Boden, Waterloo, 2:04.35
3. Ambroise Petit, Laval, 2:04.52
W 100m Free
1. Ainsley McMurray, Toronto, 55.60
2. Rebecca Smith, Calgary, 55.62
3. Emma O'Croinin, UBC, 55.74
M 100m Free
1. Stephen Calkins, Calgary, 49.65
2. Siu Lun Ho, UBC, 51.18
3. Hazem Issa, McGill, 51.20
W 200m Breast
1. Emma Spence, UBC, 2:33.08
2. Lauren Shearer, Ottawa, 2:34.15
3. Sophie Tarrant, Victoria, 2:34.62
M 200m Breast
1. Frederik Kamminga, Alberta, 2:16.06
2. Gabe Mastromatteo, Toronto, 2:16.61
3. Hugo Lemesle, Ottawa, 2:16.70
W 200m Back
1. Aleksa Gold, Toronto, 2:15.40
2. Haley Klenk, Toronto, 2:15.42
3. Hannah Johnsen, Calgary, 2:15.93
M 200m Back
1. Hugh McNeill, UBC, 1:59.58
2. Richie Stokes, Calgary, 2:02.86
3. Carter Buck, Toronto, 2:02.95
W 800m Free
1. Emma O'Croinin, UBC, 8:53.75
2. Marit Anderson, Calgary, 8:58.83
3. Anna Hein, Toronto, 9:04.39
M 1500m Free
1. Quinn Matteis, Toronto, 15:51.36
2. Liam Clawson-Honeyman, UBC, 15:54.79
3. William Risk, Victoria, 15:55.79
W 4 x 100m Free
1. Toronto, 3:47.16
(Lily Chubaty, Aleksa Gold, Teagan Vander Leek, Ainsley McMurray)
2. UBC, 3:48.72
(Anna Dumont-Belanger, Emma O'Croinin, Brooklyn Wiens, Sara Godon)
3. Calgary, 3:49.82
(Avery Movold, Rebecca Smith, Eliza Housman, Hannah Bennett)
M 4 x 100m Free
1. UBC, 3:23.99
(Siu Lun Ho, Blake Tierney, Canek Bracho, Dima Lim)
2. Calgary, 3:25.28
(Stephen Calkins, Addison Butler, Liam Dennett, Ian Friesen)
3. McGill, 3:25.62
(Pablo Collin, Brun Dehem-Lemelin, Hazem Issa, Erik Linseisen)
DAY 2 INDIVIDUAL MEDALLISTS
Women 200m Free
1. Emma O'Croinin, UBC, 1:59.03
2. Rebecca Smith, Calgary, 1:59.63
3. Ainsley McMurray, Toronto, 2:03.17
Men 200m Free
1. Pablo Collin, McGill, 1:51.19
2. Bernard Godolphin, Toronto, 1:52.84
3. Kieran Stone, Western, 1:53.69
W 50m Back
1. Haley Klenk, Toronto, 29.48
2. Hannah Johnsen, Calgary, 29.60
3. Dora Modrcin, Manitoba, 29.68
M 50m Back
1. Chris Alexander, Lethbridge, 25.91
2. Blake Tierney, UBC, 26.15
3. Dima Lim, UBC, 26.21
W 100 Breast
1. Shona Branton, Western, 1:08.99
2. Danika Ethier, Laval, 1:09.82
3. Eloise Allen, UBC, 1:11.43
M 100 Breast
1. Gabe Mastromatteo, Toronto, 1:01.38
U SPORTS RECORD
2. Justice Migneault, UBC, 1:02.59
3. Apollo Hess, Lethbridge, 1:02.63
W 400 IM
1. Nina Mollin, Toronto, 4:50.24
2. Aleksa Gold, Toronto, 4:52.00
3. Olivia Brendzan, Alberta, 4;54.73
M 400 IM
1. Jacob Gallant, Toronto, 4:22.53
2. Hugh McNeill, UBC, 4:24.89
3. Brodie Young, UBC, 4:25.26
W 50 Fly
1. Eloise Allen, UBC, 27.42
2. Dora Modrcin, Manitoba, 27.49
3. Isabel Sarty, McGill, 27.92
M 50 Fly
1. Stephen Calkins, Calgary, 24.21
2. Thomas Mcdonald, Calgary, 24.49
3. Lukas Wordmald, Waterloo, 24.66
W 4 x 200m Free
1. UBC, 8:14.87
(Anna Dumont-Belanger, Emma O'Croinin, Sara Godon, Josie Field)
2. Calgary, 8:15.77
(Marit Anderson, Avery Movold, Rebecca Smith, Emily De Jager)
3. Toronto, 8:28.13
(Claire Howard, Lily Chubaty, Aleksa Gold, Ainsley McMurray)
M 4 x 200m Free
1. UBC, 7:32.58
(Ryley McRae, Blake Tierney, Hugh McNeill, Raben Dommann)
2. Toronto, 7:35.43
(Max Tambling, Quinn Matteis, Bernard Godolphin, Phil Robins)
3. McGill, 7:35.78
(Alex Younes, Pablo Collin, Bruno Dehem-Lemelin, Erik Linseisen)
DAY 1 RESULTS:
Women 50m Free
- Ainsley McMurray, Toronto, 26.07
- Aleksa Gold, Toronto, 26.12
- Rebecca Smith, Calgary, 26.13
Men 50m Free
- Stephen Calkins, Calgary, 22.87
- Liam Weaver, Toronto, 22.93
- Dima Lim, UBC, 23.22
W 100m Back
- Lauren Crisp, Victoria, 1:03.27
- Haley Klenk, Toronto, 1:03.30
- Aleksa Gold, Toronto, 1:03.36
M 100m Back
- Hugh McNeill, UBC, 55.68
- Blake Tierney, UBC, 56.19
- Richie Stokes, Calgary, 56.29
W 50 Breast
- Danika Ethier, Laval, 31.80
- Shona Branton, Western, 31.98
- Alicia L'Archeveque, UBC, 32.05
M 50 Breast
- Gabe Mastromatteo, Toronto, 27.53 U SPORTS RECORD
- Hugo Lemesle, Ottawa, 28.00
- Apollo Hess, Lethbridge, 28.30
W 400 Free
- Emma O'Croinin, UBC, 4:13.27
- Marti Anderson, Calgary, 4:20.01
- Claire Howard, Toronto, 4:20.04
M 400 Free
- Pablo Collin, McGill, 3:57.71
- Quinn Matteis, Toronto, 3:58.69
- Nathan Beaudin-Bolduc, Ottawa, 4:00.19
W 100 Fly
- Rebecca Smith, Calgary, 59.21
- Josie Field, UBC, 1:00.72
- Sela Wist, UBC, 1:02.04
M 100 Fly
- Keir Ogilvie, UBC, 54.01
- Thomas Mcdonald, Calgary, 54.27
- Siu Lun Ho, UBC, 54.67
W 200 IM
- Anna Dumont-Belanger, 2:17.66
- Nina Mollin, Toronto, 2:17.69
- Haley Klenk, Toronto, 2:20.19
M 200 IM
- Brodie Young, UBC, 2:04.11
- Charlie Skalenda, Calgary, 2:04.62
- Blake Tierney, UBC, 2:04.78
W 4 x 100m Medley
- Calgary, 4:11.82
(Hannah Johnsen, Mackenzie Wallich, Rebecca Smith, Avery Movold)
- UBC, 4:12.90
(Eloise Allen, Alicia L'Archeveque, Josie Field, Emma O'Croinin)
- Toronto, 4:14.04
(Aleksa Gold, Madeline Spencer, Nina Mollin, Ainsley McMurray)
M 4 x 100m Medley
- UBC, 3:41.90
(Hugh McNeill, Justice Migneault, Keir Ogilvie, Dima Lim)
- Toronto, 3:43.45
(Carter Buck, Gabe Mastromatteo, Ben Loewen, Bernard Godolphin)
- Calgary, 3:44.55
(Richie Stokes, Aiden Luykenaar, Thomas Mcdonald, Stephen Calkins)
