SWIMMING ROUNDUP: Stratten Division Championships

Blues win Stratten Division Championships

LONDON, Ont - The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's and women's swimming teams came out on top at the 2014 Stratten division championships, November 22-23, in London, Ont.

Toronto's men amassed 1080 points, ahead of Western (808.5) and McMaster (630.05), while the Blues women won with 975 points, again finishing ahead of Western (866) and McMaster (516).

"It's always good to win an OUA divisional title," said Varsity Blues head coach Byron MacDonald. "While we were looking to win, we were also looking for signposts as to where the athletes were at this time of the season. Our first major block of training is done and they need to step up and show us where they stand vis-à-vis the rest of the country."

Veteran swimmer Paige Schultz led Toronto's women, winning the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events.

"Paige has embarked on a new strength training regime and she is the fittest and fastest she has ever been at this stage of the season," said MacDonald. "With her goal of making the Pan Am Games team for Canada, that is exactly what had to happen so she will be in the hunt."

Blues rookie Kylie Masse also won three races, taking the top spot in the 100 butterfly, 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley (IM).

Bridget Coley also won a pair of races for Toronto as the top swimmer in the 400 and 800 freestyle.

Leading Toronto's men was first-year standout Oliver Straszynski. Straszynski won the 200, 400 and 1500 freestyle events.

Other double winners for the Blues were Eli Wall, Chris Manning, Hochan Ryu and Edward Liu.

"The team is in good shape for the most part, but the next six weeks is important if we want to build on that," said MacDonald. "The whole thing can wash down the drain if they athletes can't keep up their training over the next few weeks."

Source: Toronto Varsity Blues

Mustangs take second overall at Stratten Divisionals

LONDON, Ont. – The Western Mustangs' men's and women's swimming teams wrapped up the 2014 calendar year with a successful weekend as hosts of the Stratten Division Championships, placing second overall at the meet.
 
This year's divisional championship took on a new format with only the top 5 OUA teams competing, resulting in a great success.
 
The top ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues captured first place in the team standings for both men's and women's with 1080 and 975 points, respectively. Western's men's team placed second with 808.5 points, followed by McMaster's men's team in third place with 630.5 points. Western also placed second on the women's side with 866 points, and McMaster took third with 516 points.
 
A total of 15 Mustang's qualified for the CIS Championships at this meet, meaning Western now has a total of 14 women and ten men who have qualified thus far.
 
A standout performance came from first year Sophie Cieplucha, who broke two Mustang Varsity records. Cieplucha finished first and set a new Mustang record for the 100 breaststroke with a final time of 1:10.24, while also finishing second in the 200 breaststroke with a final time of 2:32.12.
 
"One of the highlights of the meet was the strong comeback performances of Sophie Cieplucha," said head coach Paul Midgley after the meet. "I am looking forward to see how she will help the Mustangs move forward at the CIS Championship level."
 
Other first places finishes include third year Jennifer McNaughton in the Women's 200 Butterfly at 2:13.99, Emma Sproule in the Women's 100 Backstroke at 1:02.45, Paulina Bond in the Women's 50 Butterfly, and the Men's 400 Freestyle Relay.
 
Notable second place finishes go to Sproule in the Women's 200 and 400 Freestyle, Robert Wise in the Men's 200 Freestyle, Bond in the Women's 100 Butterfly as well the 50 and 100 Freestyle, Alex Paulins in the Men's 1500 Freestyle, and the Women's 400 Freestyle Relay.
 
The Mustangs also received many third place finishes which include the men's and Women's 200 Freestyle Relay, the Men's 200 Medley Relay, Vincent Cappa in the Men's 400 IM, McNaughton in the Women's 100 Butterfly and 200 IM, Sproule in the Women's 200 Backstroke, Madeleine Howard in the Women's 800 Freestyle, Ryan Hatch in the Men's 1500 Freestyle, and Holly Gojmerac in the 200 Breaststroke.
 
The Mustang swim team will be back in action come the new year on January 10, 2015 at University of Toronto in an OUA dual against the Varsity Blues in the varsity pool.

Source: Western Mustangs

Marauder teams win bronze at Stratten Division Championship

Both McMaster's men's and women's swimming teams won bronze this past weekend at the OUA's Stratten Division Championships hosted by Western, winning 18 medals across 15 events.

Eric Anderson accounted for five of those medals, winning gold in the men's 50m backstroke event, three silvers -- one in the 100m butterfly event and two as a member of McMaster's 200m medley and 400m freestyle relay teams -- and one bronze in the 100m freestyle event.

Mohamed Eldah had three silver medals over the course of the weekend, placing second in the 50m butterfly event and contributing to the 200m medley and 400m freestyle relay teams. Konrad Bald continued his mastery of the breast stroke events, winning gold in the 100m race, silver in the 50m and swimming the breast stroke leg of the 200m medley relay.

Ben Stubbs was the other multiple medalist for the Marauder men in individual events, winning silvers in both the 200m backstroke and 200m butterfly events. Finishing two places behind Anderson, Cameron Chow won bronze in the 50m backstroke event, while Kurt Schubert and Marc Muise added medals in the relays.

Second-year swimmer Brittany Pask had a standout weekend for the Marauder women, winning the team's only gold in the 50m backstroke ahead of veteran teammate Kieran Liew, while rookie Hannah Dvorski finished fourth. Pask was also part of McMaster's silver medal-winning entry in the 200m medley relay alongside Olivvya Chow, Dvorski and Emma Mittermaier, while the team of Kiana Beaton, Liew, Natasha Strass-Hundal and Emily Fung won bronze.

Mittermaier had a strong showing in her traditional speciality: freestyle. The third-year Marauder won bronze in both the 50m and 100m events in London.

Source: McMaster Marauders

Stratten Divisionals see Gee-Gees battle Top Ten teams

This weekend's OUA Stratten Divisionals were hosted at Western University and featured seven CIS Top Ten teams across both the men's and women's fields. The Gee-Gees, ranked no. 6 on the men's side and no. 9 in the women's poll, faced off against Toronto, Western, McMaster, and Guelph. Overall, the uOttawa men scored 366.5 points across the two days of competition for fourth place at the meet, and the women scored 396 points for fifth place, while Toronto took top spot on both scoreboards.

Eryn Weldon provided Ottawa's only first place finish of the meet in the 200-metre breaststroke with a time of 2:31.53 and was second in the 200 and 400 IM. Weldon also qualified for the CIS Championships in the 200 IM by swimming a 2:07.43 at Waterloo in tri-meet action on Friday night.

A Gee-Gees newcomer but veteran transfer from Dalhousie, Audrey Prayal-Brown swam a 33.71 in the 50m breaststroke to place second. Carolyne Godon placed seventh in that final as well as the 100 breast.

Nicole Lachance's time of 9:01.25 in the 800-metre freestyle was good for fourth place, and the top finish for Neeley Arnott was sixth in the 100m backstroke. The foursome of Arnott, Prayal-Brown, Weldon, and Godon placed fifth in the medley relay at 1:59.58, establishing a new Gee-Gees record.

On the men's side, Connor Michie was third in the 200-metre backstroke at 2:19.09 and fourth in the 100-metre breaststroke at 1:05.14 while Jose Baylon placed eighth in both events.

Montana Champagne was seventh in the 200 butterfly and rose to sixth in the 200 IM, just ahead of Michie. Champagne out-touched Michie again in the 400 IM, placing fifth with a time of 4:26.62.

Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees