The University of Toronto Varsity Blues reached the podium 13 times on Day 1 of the 2024 U SPORTS swimming championships (March 7) at the Pointe Claire Aquatic Centre in Montreal.

Results
 
TEAM STANDINGS: Toronto's men lead the team standings after Day 1 with 396 points, ahead of the UBC Thunderbirds (320) and Calgary Dinos (291). The Blues women sit second with 441.5 points, behind the Thunderbirds (550) and ahead of the Dinos (272.5).

"It was a fantastic prelim and final session for us today," said Varsity Blues head coach Byron MacDonald. "The men have far-exceeded the pre-meet predictions and because of that have a huge lead over the favourite Calgary. The nice thing is we know Day 3 is our best day and we can pick up 50 points, so really tomorrow is key to put it away if we can."
 
MEN'S RESULTS: First-year sensation Bill Dongfang led Toronto's men with two podium finishes on Day 1. The economics major from Victoria placed first in the men's 100 butterfly in 54.48 seconds, while teammate and fellow rookie Ahmed El Tatawy (54.64) earned the silver medal. Dongfang, who was named the OUA men's rookie of the year two weeks ago, also placed second in 200 freestyle in 1:52.12.

"Bill is a pretty special swimmer," add MacDonald. "He back ends his races, so for example in the 100 butterfly he was dead last at the 50 metre and came storming home to win. That just doesn't happen!"
 
Jacob Gallant successfully defended his national title in the 400 individual medley. A political science major from Fredericton, Gallant touched the wall in 4:22.88, just ahead of fellow Varsity Blue Benjamin Loewen, who claimed silver in 4:23.34.
 
Second-year standout Andrew Herman started the day with a bang. Herman set a U SPORTS short-course record in the men's 50 backstroke during prelims, clocking a time of 24.03 seconds. He went onto earn the national silver medal, touching the wall in 25.91 seconds. Carter Buck placed fourth in 26.12.
 
2020 Olympian Gabe Mastromatteo (1:02.92) and seasoned veteran Graeme Aylward (1:02.93) placed second and third, respectively, in the 100 breaststroke.
 
Aylward, Liam Weaver, Dongfang and Jack Li capped off Day 1 with a fourth-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay in a time of 3:24.98.
 
WOMEN'S RESULTS: Second-year standout Nina Mollin topped the Blues women with two individual medals on Thursday night, starting with a gold-medal finish in the 100 butterfly. The 2023 OUA women's rookie of the year touched the wall in 1:01.51, beating Montreal's Anais Arlands by .22 seconds. Mollin followed that up with a bronze-medal finish in the 400 IM (4:5.09). Anna Hein placed fifth in the 400 IM in 5:00.00.
 
Teagan Vander Leek, Lily Chubaty, Raili Kary and Ainsley McMurray ended the night with a gold-medal finish in the women's 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:50.26.

"Full kudos to Nina for her two-medal performance," said MacDonald. "And I loved our women's relay as our go-to anchorleg Ainsley McMurray once again brought home the gold."
 
McMurray, the 2024 OUA women's swimmer of the year, also earned the silver medal in the 200 freestyle in 2:02.61, while Haley Klenk claimed bronze in 2:04.21. Teagan McKenzie was fifth (2:04.98), while Chubaty was seventh (2:08.40).
 
Kary (29.38) and Katelyn Schroeder (29.75) finished 4-5 in the women's 50 backstroke, while Angelic Bath was seventh in 30.05.
 
TEAM STANDINGS AFTER DAY 1
 

**WOMEN:**

1. UBC, 550

2. Toronto, 441.5

3. Calgary, 272.5

4. McGill, 223.5

5. Western, 111.5

6. McMaster, 70

7. Manitoba, 60

8. Victoria, 56.5

9. Lethbridge, 53

10. Alberta, 43

11. Waterloo, 42

12. Dalhousie, 34

13. Acadia, 32

14. Laval, 31

15. Montréal, 28

16. Guelph, 23

17. Ottawa, 21

18. Brock, 16

19. Sherbrooke, 13

20. Regina, 12

**MEN:**

1. Toronto, 396

2. UBC, 320

3. Calgary, 291

4. McGill, 221

5. Ottawa, 165

6. Alberta, 125

7. Western, 95

8. Waterloo, 67

9. Lethbridge, 57

10. Laval, 56

11. Victoria, 47.5

12. Dalhousie, 43

13. McMaster, 41

14. Laurier, 35

15. Sherbrooke, 33

16. Carleton, 26

17. York, 23

18. Manitoba, 22

19. UQTR, 17

20. Acadia, 16

21. Regina, 16

22. UNB, 11

 

DAY 1 RESULTS:
 
Women 200m Free

1. Anna Dumont-Belanger, UBC, 2:02.35
2. Ainsley McMurray, Toronto, 2:02.61
3. Hayley Klenk, Toronto, 2:04.21

 
Men 200m Free

1. Pablo Collin, McGill, 1:51.76
2. Bill Dongfang, Toronto, 1:52.12
3. Paul McKenzie, Calgary, 1:53.21

 
W 100m Breast

1. Shona Branton, Western, 1:07.64
2. Alexanne Lepage, Calgary, 1:08.07
3. Eloise Allen, UBC, 1:10.43

 
M 100m Breast

1. Hugh McNeill, UBC, 1:02.82
2. Gabe Mastromatteo, Toronto, 1:02.92
3. Graeme Aylward, Toronto, 1:02.93

 
W 100 Fly

1. Nina Mollin, Toronto, 1:01.51
2. Anais Arlandis, Montreal, 1:01.73
3. Sela Wist, UBC, 1:01.96

 
M 100 Fly

1. Bill Dongfang, Toronto, 54.48
2. Ahmed El Tatawy, Toronto, 54.64
3. Thomas McDonald, Calgary, 54.67

 
W 50 Back

1. Bridget Burton, UBC, 28.91
2. Eloise Allen, UBC, 29.29
3. Hannah Johnson, Calgary, 29.30

 
M 50 Back

1. Christopher Alexander, Lethbridge, 25.89
2. Andrew Herman, Toronto, 25.91*
3. Hugh McNeil, UBC, 25.97

*set U SPORTS short course record in prelims 24.03
 
W 400 IM

1. Alexanne Lepage, Calgary, 4:50.26
2. Olivia Brendzan, Alberta, 4:54.59
3. Nina Mollin, Toronto, 4:56.09

 
M 400 IM

1. Jacob Gallant, Toronto, 4:22.88
2. Benjamin Loewen, Toronto, 4:23.34
3. Hugh McNeill, UBC, 4:24.75

 
W 4 x 100m Free

1. Toronto, 3:50.26 (Teagan Vander Leek, Lily Chubaty, Raili Kary, Ainsley McMurray)
2. Calgary, 3:51.31 (Hannah Bennett, Hannah Johnsen, Eliza Housman, Alexanne Lepage)
3. UBC, 3:51.60 (Anna Dumont-Belanger, Brooklyn Eiwns, Eloise Allen, Bridge Burton)

 
M 4 x 100m Free

1. Calgary, 3:23.65 (Stephen Calkins, Addison Butler, Gibson Black, Thomas McDonald)
2. McGill, 3:23.73 (Pablo Collin, Hazem Issa, Erik Linsesen, Malachy Belkhelladi)
3. UBC, 3:24.40 (Siu Lun Ho, Hugh McNeill, Joel Blanco, Jake Gaunt)