Five records fall on Day 1 of OUA Swimming Championships

TORONTO, Ont. - The defending champion University of Toronto Varsity Blues are in the lead as Day 1 of the 2017 OUA swimming championships wrapped up Thursday night (Feb. 9) at Varsity Pool.

Toronto's 13-time reigning provincial champion men sit atop the standings with 324 points, ahead of Western (281), Ottawa (151), Guelph (115) and Waterloo (89). 

The Blues women, who are after their fourth straight OUA banner, sit in first with 341 points, ahead of Western (208.5), McMaster (139), Ottawa (134) and Guelph (118.5).

Five records fell on Day 1, four of which came from the host Varsity Blues. U of T rookie Hannah Genich highlighted the night, breaking former Varsity Blue and 2000 Olympian Jen Button's record (2:11.35, 1999) in the women's 200 butterfly in 2:11.09. 

First-year Laurier Golden Hawks standout Jasmine Raines also turned heads on Day 1, winning the women's 200 breaststroke in an OUA record 2:27.63 (Vanessa Treasure, Toronto, 2:28.95, 2015).

Toronto rounded out the women's record-setting performances, starting the day off with a new OUA best in the women's 200 freestyle relay as Emily Russell, Olivia Sbaraglia, Rachel Rodé and Sarah Polley touched the wall in 1:42.97, bettering U of T's 2016 record of 1:43.05. 

2016 Olympian Kylie Masse won her third consecutive OUA 100 backstroke title in a time of 56.70 seconds, while Blues rookies Rachel Rodé (25.59) and Sophia Saroukian (4:15.86) won the 50 and 400 freestyle races, respectively.

In men's action, fourth-year Blues veteran Eli Wall bettered his own OUA record (2:12.13) by almost a full second, winning the 200 breaststroke in 2:11.17. 

Toronto's men also topped their own 2016 mark as Matt Dans, Mitch Ferraro, Scott McGillivray and Cameron Kidd won the 200 freestyle relay in an OUA record time of 1:29.97.

In one of the most exciting races of the night, third-year Ottawa Gee-Gees star Montana Champagne charged back on the last length to win the men's 200 butterfly in 1:58.30. 

Gael Chaubet, Matthew Mac, Hochan Ryu and Ian MacKinnon ended the night by taking the top spot in the 800 freestyle relay in 7:20.33, while Toronto's Kidd (22.19), Kyle Haas (54.88) and Osvald Nitski (3:51.28) rounded out the gold medal performances in the 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 400 freestyle, respectively. 

The championships resume tomorrow (Feb. 10) with Day 2 heats scheduled for 10 a.m., and finals set to begin at 6 p.m.

DAY 1 TEAM STANDINGS
 
Men's:
Toronto – 324
Western – 281
Ottawa – 151
Guelph – 115
Waterloo – 89
Laurentian – 88
Laurier – 72
McMaster – 59
Queen's – 57
York – 41
Brock – 31
Carleton – 24

Women's:
Toronto – 341
Western – 208.5
McMaster – 139
Ottawa – 134
Guelph – 118.5
Laurentian – 115
Brock – 77
Laurier – 73
Queen's – 55
Waterloo – 36
Carleton – 24
York – 14

DAY 1 INDIVIDUAL MEDALISTS (Thursday)

Women 200 Free Relay
1. Toronto 1:42.97 OUA RECORD
(Emily Russell, Olivia Sbaraglia, Rachel Rodé, Sarah Polley)
2. McMaster 1:44.92
(Hannah Dvorski, Olivvya Chow, Jacqueline McDonald, Emma Mittermaier)
3. Western 1:45.39
(Kelly Hotta, Charis Huddle, Hayley Hess, Courtney Fairholm)

Men 200 Free Relay
1. Toronto 1:29.97 OUA RECORD
(Matt Dans, Mitch Ferraro, Scott McGillivray, Cameron Kidd)
2. Waterloo 1:32.67
(Alex Lojko, Danyon Chu, Jonathan Ramikissoon, Aidan Chow)
3. Western 1:33.29
(Brent Waddell, Andrew Siu, Nathan Lethbridge, Matthew Fox)

Women 400m Free
1. Sophia Saroukian, Toronto, 4:15.86
2. Keira Brazeau, Western, 4:18.33
3. Delphine Vandal, Ottawa, 4:19.28

Men 400m Free
1. Osvald Nitski, Toronto, 3:51.28
2. Ian MacKinnon, Toronto, 3:52.64
3. Sebastian Paulins, Western, 3:56.56

W 100m Back
1. Kylie Masse, Toronto, 56.70
2. Rachel Rodé, Toronto, 1:01.33
3. Emily Anzai, Guelph, 1:01.41
3. Charis Huddle, Western, 1:01.41

M 100m Back
1. Kyle Haas, Toronto, 54.88
2. Matthew Fox, Western, 55.03
3. Gordon Barkwell, Western, 55.05

W 200m Breast
1. Jasmine Raines, Laurier, 2:27.63 OUA RECORD
2. Rachael Parsons, Toronto, 2:29.82
3. Paige Crowell, Ottawa, 2:32.81

M 200m Breast
1. Eli Wall, Toronto, 2:11.17 OUA RECORD
2. David Riley, Western, 2:12.63
3. Jonathan Ramkissoon, Waterloo, 2:15.52

W 200m Fly
1. Hannah Genich, Toronto, 2:11.09 OUA RECORD
2. Rachel Nogard, Brock, 2:16.53
3. Sophia Du Plessis,Toronto, 2:17.05

M 200m Fly
1. Montana Champagne, Ottawa, 1:58.30
2. Osvald Nitski, Toronto, 1:58.43
3. Gamal Assaad, Western, 2:00.12

W 50m Free
1. Rachel Rodé, Toronto, 25.59
2. Charis Huddle, Western, 25.70
3. Jessie MacLean, Brock, 25.88

M 50m Free
1. Cameron Kidd, Toronto, 22.19
2. Scott McGillivray, Toronto, 22.29
2. Evan Van Moerkerke, Guelph, 22.46

W 800 Free Relay
1. Toronto, 8:18.73
(Sarah Hodge, Victoria Radounski, Melanie McDonald, Sophia Saroukian)
2. Western, 8:26.73
(Keira Brazeau, Kelly Hotta, Madeleine Howard, Rachel Sawchuk)
3. Laurentian, 8:29.74
(Cassandra Drescher, Kiana Deland, Riley Konrad, Darcie Stranton)

M 800 Free Relay
1. Toronto, 7:20.33
(Gael Chaubet, Matthew Mac, Hochan Ryu, Ian MacKinnon)
2. Western, 7:27.01
(Gamal Assaad, Alex Paulins, Jake Silverthorn, David Riley)
3. Guelph, 7:27.29
(Philip Vranic, Daniel Barros, Evan Van Moerkerke, Myle Zagar)