February 4, 2014
Toronto men and Western women hope to defend OUA swimming crowns
The OUA swimming championships have been a series of dynasty programs for the last several years on both the men’s and women’s sides. Teams will be looking to unseat the 10-time defending champion Toronto men and five-time defending champs Western women as Brock University’s Eleanor Misener Aquatic Centre plays host to the 2014 OUA swimming championships February 6-8 .
The success of the Varsity Blues men’s program has been astounding as they have reeled off 10 straight titles and 12 of the last 13. The team is also coming off a 2013 CIS championship. The Varsity Blues enter the championships top ranked in the CIS.
Toronto will be led by fifth-year veteran Zack Chetrat. Chetrat was the named swimmer of the meet at last year’s OUA championships and has been a multi-event all-star in each of his previous four seasons. Chetrat enters his fifth OUA championship having previously won eight gold medals, primarily in the 100-metre and 200-metre butterfly events. So far this season Chetrat has shown his versatility in the pool, taking home gold medals at the Ontario Cup event at the University of Toronto in both the 1500-metre freestyle and the 200-metre butterfly.
Also part of the Toronto contingent is Matt Myers, a backstroke specialist who was a triple gold medalist and six-event all-star a year ago and is coming off gold medal performances this year at the Ontario Cup and Tihanyi Division championships.
Looking to knock off Toronto will be the Western Mustangs. Currently ranked No. 5 in the CIS, the Mustangs boast an experienced squad that finished third at the OUA championships a year ago. Returning this year on a quest for gold are Robert Wise and David Hatch; both were all-stars in 2013. Hatch and Wise posted multiple top three finishes at the Stratten Division championships in November and are rounding into form for the OUA meet.
Western will also hope for promising results from rookie swimmer Gamal Assaad. The Oakville, Ont. native is a member of Canada’s National Junior swim team and has competed internationally in the butterfly.
McMaster will also be looking to reach the top of the podium, after finishing in second in 2013. Cameron Bailey will have to be a key contributor if the Marauders hope to claim the men’s title. Entering his fifth year of competition, Bailey has earned all-star status in each of the last three years. He will also be on the quest for a fourth straight Dr. Jeno Tihanyi Award for individual medley excellence. Bailey is primed to score big for the Marauders after posting top-three finishes in a variety of events at the Tihanyi Division championships, including gold in the 200-metre freestyle, silver in the 200-metre individual medley, 50-metre freestyle and a pair of freestyle relays.
Ben Stubbs and Konrad Bald will also be key contributors for McMaster. Both competing in their fourth year, they have been multi-event all-stars at the previous two championships. Bald will be seeking success in the breaststroke sprint events after taking gold in the 50-metre at the division championships, while Stubbs looks to be a force in the backstroke and medley events.
Though not as deep as some of the other teams, the Guelph Gryphons will be seeking success from sophomore sensation Evan Van Moerkerke. Last season at the OUA championships he was named the male rookie of the meet following first place finishes in the 50-metre freestyle and 100-metre freestyle events and a bronze in the 100-metre backstroke. He broke the OUA record in the 100-metre free with a blazing 49.1 swim, beating out the old record held by two-time Olympian Colin Russell. He hasn't missed a beat this season earning gold medals at the OUA Stratten Divisional Championships in the men's 50-metre freestyle and the 50-metre butterfly.
Despite Western taking home the last five women’s titles, the team most likely to claim the crown this year may be the Toronto Varsity Blues. Toronto currently sits at No. 3 in the CIS rankings, ahead of three other Ontario schools. As a team, the Blues have claimed titles this season at the Tihanyi Division championships and the University Challenge Cup.
Perhaps the biggest key to Toronto’s success is the performance of Vanessa Treasure. Swimming for her hometown Blues, Treasure was named swimmer of the meet at the 2012 OUA championships, is a multi-event OUA all-star in each of her previous three years and is the OUA record holder in the 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke. At the Tihanyi Division championships in November, treasure captured a remarkable six gold medals including two individual medleys, two in breaststroke and two in relays.
Toronto will also look for top results from third-year swimmers Paige Schultz and Bridget Coley. Schultz won the 100 and 200-metre freestyle events at the Ontario Cup and Tihanyi Division championships earlier this season and is a force in the relay events. Coley was an OUA all-star a year ago and won the 400 and 800-metre freestyle and will look to contend in those events in 2014.
Western will be on the hunt for their sixth consecutive championship when they descend upon the pool at Brock this weekend. Currently ranked sixth in the CIS, the Mustangs have a strong core of swimmers including Emma Sproule and Shannon Nell.
Sproule, the 2013 OUA rookie of the year, was an all-star in six events last year and will look to continue her string of strong results. Leading into the 2014 championships she has posted a first place finish in the 100-metre backstroke and 400-metre freestyle at the Stratten Division championship on top of three silvers at the event. Nell is also a former rookie of the year, earning the distinction in 2011, and a two-time all-star and will look for podium results in the butterfly sprint events.
The hopes of the ninth-ranked Guelph Gryphons reside firmly on the shoulders of 2013 OUA swimmer of the year Alisha Harricharan. The fourth-year veteran was an OUA all-star the past two seasons and is the defending OUA champion in the 50, 100 and 200-metre butterfly. In preparation for this year’s OUA championships she claimed the top spot in the same events plus the 50-metre freestyle at the Stratten Division championships and narrowly missed a sweep of the four events at the Ontario Cup settling for second in the 50-metre butterfly.
Guelph will also hope for key contributions from rookie Tara Mallory in the 400 and 800-metre freestyle events and Kylie Weber in the 100 and 200-metre freestyle and backstroke events.
Eryn Weldon of the Ottawa Gee-Gees was named the female recipient of the 2013 Dr. Jeno Tihanyi Award for individual medley excellence and will strive to be the first woman to win the award twice when she leads the No. 10-ranked Gee-Gees into the pool this weekend. Weldon topped the podium in the 200 and 400-metre individual medley races plus earned gold in the 100-metre breaststroke at the Stratten Division championships in November.
Two-time OUA all-star Taylor Moore will also be sporting the garnet and grey of the Gee-Gees and will look to boost the Ottawa point total after taking a gold medal in the 200-metre backstroke at the Ontario Cup in January.
Also competing at the 2014 OUA swimming championships will be men’s and women’s teams from the host Brock Badgers, Carleton, Laurentian, Queen’s, Waterloo, Laurier and York. Racing begins on Thursday, February 6 at 10 a.m. at the Eleanor Misener Aquatic Centre on the campus of Brock University and will continue until the final awards and team championship banners are handed out on the evening of February 8.
Meet results can be view live here.
The success of the Varsity Blues men’s program has been astounding as they have reeled off 10 straight titles and 12 of the last 13. The team is also coming off a 2013 CIS championship. The Varsity Blues enter the championships top ranked in the CIS.
Toronto will be led by fifth-year veteran Zack Chetrat. Chetrat was the named swimmer of the meet at last year’s OUA championships and has been a multi-event all-star in each of his previous four seasons. Chetrat enters his fifth OUA championship having previously won eight gold medals, primarily in the 100-metre and 200-metre butterfly events. So far this season Chetrat has shown his versatility in the pool, taking home gold medals at the Ontario Cup event at the University of Toronto in both the 1500-metre freestyle and the 200-metre butterfly.
Also part of the Toronto contingent is Matt Myers, a backstroke specialist who was a triple gold medalist and six-event all-star a year ago and is coming off gold medal performances this year at the Ontario Cup and Tihanyi Division championships.
Looking to knock off Toronto will be the Western Mustangs. Currently ranked No. 5 in the CIS, the Mustangs boast an experienced squad that finished third at the OUA championships a year ago. Returning this year on a quest for gold are Robert Wise and David Hatch; both were all-stars in 2013. Hatch and Wise posted multiple top three finishes at the Stratten Division championships in November and are rounding into form for the OUA meet.
Western will also hope for promising results from rookie swimmer Gamal Assaad. The Oakville, Ont. native is a member of Canada’s National Junior swim team and has competed internationally in the butterfly.
McMaster will also be looking to reach the top of the podium, after finishing in second in 2013. Cameron Bailey will have to be a key contributor if the Marauders hope to claim the men’s title. Entering his fifth year of competition, Bailey has earned all-star status in each of the last three years. He will also be on the quest for a fourth straight Dr. Jeno Tihanyi Award for individual medley excellence. Bailey is primed to score big for the Marauders after posting top-three finishes in a variety of events at the Tihanyi Division championships, including gold in the 200-metre freestyle, silver in the 200-metre individual medley, 50-metre freestyle and a pair of freestyle relays.
Ben Stubbs and Konrad Bald will also be key contributors for McMaster. Both competing in their fourth year, they have been multi-event all-stars at the previous two championships. Bald will be seeking success in the breaststroke sprint events after taking gold in the 50-metre at the division championships, while Stubbs looks to be a force in the backstroke and medley events.
Though not as deep as some of the other teams, the Guelph Gryphons will be seeking success from sophomore sensation Evan Van Moerkerke. Last season at the OUA championships he was named the male rookie of the meet following first place finishes in the 50-metre freestyle and 100-metre freestyle events and a bronze in the 100-metre backstroke. He broke the OUA record in the 100-metre free with a blazing 49.1 swim, beating out the old record held by two-time Olympian Colin Russell. He hasn't missed a beat this season earning gold medals at the OUA Stratten Divisional Championships in the men's 50-metre freestyle and the 50-metre butterfly.
Despite Western taking home the last five women’s titles, the team most likely to claim the crown this year may be the Toronto Varsity Blues. Toronto currently sits at No. 3 in the CIS rankings, ahead of three other Ontario schools. As a team, the Blues have claimed titles this season at the Tihanyi Division championships and the University Challenge Cup.
Perhaps the biggest key to Toronto’s success is the performance of Vanessa Treasure. Swimming for her hometown Blues, Treasure was named swimmer of the meet at the 2012 OUA championships, is a multi-event OUA all-star in each of her previous three years and is the OUA record holder in the 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke. At the Tihanyi Division championships in November, treasure captured a remarkable six gold medals including two individual medleys, two in breaststroke and two in relays.
Toronto will also look for top results from third-year swimmers Paige Schultz and Bridget Coley. Schultz won the 100 and 200-metre freestyle events at the Ontario Cup and Tihanyi Division championships earlier this season and is a force in the relay events. Coley was an OUA all-star a year ago and won the 400 and 800-metre freestyle and will look to contend in those events in 2014.
Western will be on the hunt for their sixth consecutive championship when they descend upon the pool at Brock this weekend. Currently ranked sixth in the CIS, the Mustangs have a strong core of swimmers including Emma Sproule and Shannon Nell.
Sproule, the 2013 OUA rookie of the year, was an all-star in six events last year and will look to continue her string of strong results. Leading into the 2014 championships she has posted a first place finish in the 100-metre backstroke and 400-metre freestyle at the Stratten Division championship on top of three silvers at the event. Nell is also a former rookie of the year, earning the distinction in 2011, and a two-time all-star and will look for podium results in the butterfly sprint events.
The hopes of the ninth-ranked Guelph Gryphons reside firmly on the shoulders of 2013 OUA swimmer of the year Alisha Harricharan. The fourth-year veteran was an OUA all-star the past two seasons and is the defending OUA champion in the 50, 100 and 200-metre butterfly. In preparation for this year’s OUA championships she claimed the top spot in the same events plus the 50-metre freestyle at the Stratten Division championships and narrowly missed a sweep of the four events at the Ontario Cup settling for second in the 50-metre butterfly.
Guelph will also hope for key contributions from rookie Tara Mallory in the 400 and 800-metre freestyle events and Kylie Weber in the 100 and 200-metre freestyle and backstroke events.
Eryn Weldon of the Ottawa Gee-Gees was named the female recipient of the 2013 Dr. Jeno Tihanyi Award for individual medley excellence and will strive to be the first woman to win the award twice when she leads the No. 10-ranked Gee-Gees into the pool this weekend. Weldon topped the podium in the 200 and 400-metre individual medley races plus earned gold in the 100-metre breaststroke at the Stratten Division championships in November.
Two-time OUA all-star Taylor Moore will also be sporting the garnet and grey of the Gee-Gees and will look to boost the Ottawa point total after taking a gold medal in the 200-metre backstroke at the Ontario Cup in January.
Also competing at the 2014 OUA swimming championships will be men’s and women’s teams from the host Brock Badgers, Carleton, Laurentian, Queen’s, Waterloo, Laurier and York. Racing begins on Thursday, February 6 at 10 a.m. at the Eleanor Misener Aquatic Centre on the campus of Brock University and will continue until the final awards and team championship banners are handed out on the evening of February 8.
Meet results can be view live here.
