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Action photo of a Toronto women's swimmer, with a blue gradient over the photo, and the OUA Swimming Championship logo in the corner with the event date below.
C/O Thomas Skrlj
February 18, 2026

Banner Season: Varsity Blues put long standing banner streak to the test in familiar water

Burlington, Ont. – The Toronto Varsity Blues are set to defend their long-standing banner dominance as the OUA Swimming Championships return to Varsity Pool. From February 19th to 21st, nine other teams will hit the water alongside the powerhouse Blues and look to unseat the reigning champions and make a splash of their own.

EVENT DETAILS

When: Thursday, February 19 to Saturday, February 21
Where: Varsity Pool (University of Toronto)
Participating Schools (10): Brock Badgers, Carleton Ravens, Guelph Gryphons, McMaster Marauders, Queen’s Gaels, Toronto Varsity Blues (host), Waterloo Warriors, Western Mustangs, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, York Lions
OUA Sport Model: Open Sport
Watch: oua.tv
 Past Champions: Toronto Varsity Blues (W), Toronto Varsity Blues (M)

STUDENT-ATHLETES TO WATCH

Ronan Balgopal, Queen’s Gaels | The rookie brings strong enthusiasm and dedication to the Gaels, with his sprint freestyle expected to play a key role in both individual events and relays. Familiar with the Varsity Pool from his time with the Toronto Swim Club, Balgopal aims to make an immediate impact at his first OUA Championships.

Ali Bertrim, Guelph Gryphons | A five‑time provincial medalist, Bertrim returns and is aiming to build on a strong 2025 championship performance. The fourth‑year swimmer from Lively, Ont. earned three medals last year - silver in the women’s 4×100m IM, bronze in the women’s 4×50m IM, and bronze in the 100m butterfly.

Alex Boden, Waterloo Warriors | Competing at his final OUA Championships, Boden aims to cap his varsity career with more podium performances. The Dundas, Ont. native and computer science student has earned three OUA bronze medals and captured the 1500m butterfly provincial silver medal in 2024, along with the 100m butterfly provincial gold in 2023.

Camren Courchene-Carter, Brock Badgers | A dominant presence in the pool, the second‑year swimmer from St. Catharines, Ont. returns as the defending OUA champion in the 100m breaststroke. Courchene‑Carter also holds Brock’s school records in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke and is poised to contend for more hardware this season.

Megan Frost, Waterloo Warriors | Frost enters her final OUA Championships focused on adding to her medal streak, after earning bronze in the 800m freestyle in each of the past two seasons. As team captain, she looks to lead the Warriors once more while competing for a strong finish in Toronto.

Elizabeth Greaves, Guelph Gryphons | A four‑time OUA medalist from Perth, Ont., Greaves looks to add to her collection after earning bronze in the 200m freestyle and contributing to silver in the women’s 4×100m IM and bronze in the 4×200m freestyle relay last season.

Kayla Jarvis, Queen’s Gaels | After stepping away from swimming in high school, Jarvis has made a determined return to the pool. The fourth‑year life sciences student is focused and motivated to improve on last season’s 19th‑place finish as she heads into this year’s championships.

Ben Loewen, Toronto Varsity Blues | Loewen enters the meet with eight individual OUA gold medals across his first three championships and four OUA records set last season, a campaign that earned him OUA Men’s Swimmer of the Year honours. Internationally, he placed fourth in the 200m butterfly at the 2025 FISU Summer World University Games and has been named to Team Canada for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Nina Mollin, Toronto Varsity Blues | As one of the conference’s most decorated swimmers, Mollin has earned 10 individual OUA gold medals and captured the Dr. Tihanyi IM Excellence Award at all three championships in which she has competed. A former OUA Rookie of the Year (2023) and OUA Swimmer of the Year (2025), she is also a two‑time U of T Female Athlete of the Year and contributed to the U SPORTS All‑Stars’ victory at the inaugural Canada–Great Britain Dual Meet last summer.

Tatum O'Connor, Brock Badgers | A conference champion in both the 50m and 100m backstroke, O’Connor looks to defend her titles and build on her impressive résumé. The Dundas, Ont. native is an OUA gold medalist, holds three Brock program records, and was named the 2025 Brock University Athlete of the Year.

BURNING QUESTIONS

  1. With a blend of fast‑rising first‑years and experienced veterans, can the Queen’s Gaels men’s team improve on last year’s overall score?
  2. With a strong contingent already qualified for nationals, can the Brock Badgers put up the points where they need them to climb onto the OUA podium?
  3. With a roster featuring 11 first year swimmers, will the Varsity Blues women’s team use home pool advantage to add to their banner winning streak?
  4. Will the Varsity Blues men’s team leverage familiar water and a supportive home crowd to continue their record‑setting dominance in the pool?

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

"The main thing is that I think we have a pretty motivated team (both women's and men's) capable of representing Brock very well, I'm fired up to get to the racing." - David Ling, Head Coach, Brock Badgers

"The idea of competing in my final OUA Championships is bittersweet. I’m eager to represent Waterloo one last time and make the most of this opportunity, honoring the hard work I’ve put in and the support I've received from my coaches, family, and friends. I can’t wait to race on relays and cheer on my teammates; it is incredibly satisfying to watch everyone's dedication finally pay off." - Alex Boden, Student-Athlete, Waterloo Warriors

"This final OUAs is going to be an emotional one. It will likely be my last swim meet with most of my teammates and definitely the last one with a true team feel. We often use OUAs as a proper goodbye for our graduating swimmers so I know everyone will be feeling it by the end of the meet, especially because we have more people graduating than in previous years. This means I am more motivated to make it a meet to be remembered. I am, as always, excited and nervous for my swims but my goals remain the same. I really want to be present and enjoy the time with my friends and support the team the best I can. Preparing for OUAs this year won’t be much different than previous years. I will continue to work hard in the pool and get race ready." – Megan Frost, Student-Athlete, Waterloo Warriors

"OUAs is always the best meet of the season! I always look forward to seeing everyone race and come together to support one another. The entire team has been working extra hard this year, so I am super excited for them to get to show it off!" - Shona Branton, Student-Athlete, Western Mustangs