Last week several University of Toronto Varsity Blues swimmers took to the long course pool to compete at the 2026 Bell Canadian Swimming Trials in Montreal.

Earning podium results, U of T veteran Ben Loewen took silver in the men's 200m butterfly touching the wall in 1:58.59. Grabbing a bronze medal, Nathan Thomas reached the third step of the podium after posting a time of 2:12.12 in the men's 200m breaststroke. Thomas also placed seventh in the 100m breaststroke.

Several more Blues showcased their skills reaching A-Finals throughout the national showcase. Across a busy few days, Ben Winterborn took fourth in the men's 50m backstroke, fifth in the 100m backstroke, and added a 12^th place finish in the 200m backstroke. Also reaching A-Finals in multiple events, Teagan Vander Leek took seventh in the women's 50m butterfly, 8^th in the 50m freestyle, and 17^th in the 100m freestyle. Competing across all three breaststroke distances, Chloe Danks grabbed a sixth-place result in the 200m, adding an 11^th place finish in the 100m and 16^th in the 50m. The final current Varsity Blue to reach an A-Final, Katie Stanojlovic touched the wall in eighth in the women's 200m butterfly.

The quartet of Carter Buck, Chloe Popp, Julie Nolan-McCarthy, and Abbi Bahler also earned Top 20 finishes in the country, reaching multiple B-Finals. Buck placed 17^th in both the men's 50m and 100m backstroke. Racing breaststroke, Popp took 12^th in the 50m, 14^th in the 100m, and 19^th in the 200m, while Nolan-McCarthy took 14^th in the 50m, 16^th in the 100m, and 11^th in the 200m. Rounding out the action with the grueling medley events, Bahler touched in 13^th for the 400m IM and 15^th for the 200m IM.

In addition to the current Blues, several alum also added their names to the standout performances. Five-time Olympic medalist Kylie Masse captured gold in the women's 50m backstroke and silver in the 100m backstroke. Meanwhile, 2024 OUA Female Swimmer of the Year and U SPORTS Top 8 recipient Ainsley McMurray placed 13^th in both the 50m and 100m freestyle races at the national showcase.

Next up, several Varsity Blues will be back in the water for the 2026 Commonwealth Games scheduled for July 24-29 in Glasgow, Scotland.