Banner Season: Blues title defence gets off to roaring start with 20 combined day one medals

Photo by Kevin Mackinnon
Photo by Kevin Mackinnon
February 6, 2020

Scarborough, Ont. – The defending champion Toronto Varsity Blues got off to a hot start, pacing the field with 10 golden performances on day one.

The Blues opened the day sweeping the 200m freestyle relay on both sides, breaking an OUA record in the process in the men’s race (1:29.67).

Aleksa Gold carried the Blue’s momentum, improving on last season’s silver medal by capturing gold in the women’s 200m freestyle (1:58.07).

A quartet of Mustangs spoiled the party for the Blues, capturing the day’s remaining gold medals. Western’s fourth-year swimmer Matthew Fox slipped away from a pair of Blues to capture gold in the men’s 50m backstroke (25.28), while the duo of Ella Rennie and Megan Deering made a splash on the scene in their first season.

Rennie finished first in the women’s 400m IM (4:50.56) leading start to finish in the 16-lap race, while Deering dethroned last year’s gold medallist, Jasmine Raines, on her way to first in the women’s 100m breaststroke (1:09.27).

Currently sitting in second place on the women’s side (234 points), and third in the men’s standings (197 points), the McMaster Marauders walk away from day one with much of their success attributed to upgraded results from last year.

Trading in her bronze from last season to sparkling silver, Isabelle Lei led the charge for the Marauders women's team, finishing second to Gold in the women's 200m freestyle (1:58.77).

The third-year swimmer capped off her big day by anchoring the Marauders to a bronze medal in the 400m medley relay (4:13.83).

First-year athlete Cameron Johnsen announced himself to the OUA today, picking up his first provincial medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke with a silver medal performance (1:02.41).

The Waterloo Warriors currently hold second place in the men’s team standings, sitting three points above the Marauders (200 points).

Second-year phenom Lukas Wormald carried the flag for the black & gold, clinching silver in the men’s 100m butterfly (54.63), and leading off for the Warriors second place 400m medley relay (3:46.14).

TEAM STANDINGS AFTER DAY 1:

Women

1. Toronto Varsity Blues (322)

2. McMaster Marauders (234)

3. Western Mustangs (196)

4. Laurentian Voyageurs (120)

5. Guelph Gryphons (114)

6. Waterloo Warriors (112)

7. Brock Badgers (68)

8. Queen’s Gaels (41)

9. Laurier Golden Hawks (40)

10. Carleton Ravens (32)

11. York Lions (18)

Men

1. Toronto Varsity Blues (337)

2. Waterloo Warriors (200)

3. McMaster Marauders (197)

4. Western Mustangs (185)

5. Guelph Gryphons (100)

6. Laurentian Voyageurs (74)

7. Brock Badgers (57)

8. Queen’s Gaels (44)

9. Carleton Ravens (39)

10. Laurier Golden Hawks (35)

11. York Lions (23)

 

Women’s 200m Freestyle Relay

1. Toronto, 1:42.54

(Sydney Munro, Sarah Polley, Hannah Genich, Rachel Rode)

2. Western, 1:45.21

(Katarina Kranjc, Samantha Roberts, Samantha Wong, Sarah Fedder)

3. Laurentian, 1:47.29

(Erika Savage, Francesca Zammit-Maempel, Rylie Tyron, Natalie Lefebvre)

 

Men’s 200m Freestyle Relay

1. Toronto, 1:29.67

(Cameron Kidd, Graeme Goodman, Everett Smith, Ethan Fazekas)

2. Laurentian, 1:33.77

(Christopher Eastick, Ryan Sims, Gabriel Fenn, Samuel. Bolly-Dufour)

3. McMaster, 1:34.11

(Mike Dereviankin, James Potma, Louis Sharland, Kevin Bagnell)

 

Women’s 200m Free

1. Aleksa Gold, Toronto, 1:58.07 OUA RECORD

2. Isabelle Lei, McMaster, 1:58.77

3. Georgia Kidd, Toronto, 1:59.93

 

Men’s 200m Free

1. Bernard Godolphin, Toronto, 1:48.97

2. Max Tambling, Toronto, 1:50.30

3. Ian Mackinnon, McMaster, 1:50.36

 

Women’s 50m Backstroke

1. Rachel Rode, Toronto, 27.05

2. Sarah Polley, Toronto, 28.64

3. Shania Van Herk, Guelph, 28.71

 

Men’s 50m Backstroke

1. Matthew Fox, Western, 25.28

2. Tyler Wall, Toronto, 25.30

3. Chris Ruus, Toronto, 25.80

 

Women’s 100m Breaststroke

1. Megan Deering, Western, 1:09.27

2. Abby McDonald, Toronto, 1:09.96

3. Jasmine Raines, Laurier, 1:10.16

 

Men’s 100m Breaststroke

1. Graeme Aylward, Toronto, 1:01.40

2. Cameron Johnsen, McMaster, 1:02.41

3. Jake Gu, Waterloo, 1:02.80

 

Women’s 100m Butterfly

1. Hannah Genich, Toronto, 58.18

2. Georgia Kidd, Toronto, 1:00.83

3. Abigail McDonald, Laurentian, 1:02.00

 

Men’s 100m Butterfly

1. Osvald Nitski, Toronto, 53.90

2. Lukas Wormald, Waterloo, 54.63

3. Matthew Mac, Toronto, 55.59

 

Women’s 400m IM

1. Ellen Rennie, Western, 4:50.56

2. Abby McDonald, Toronto, 4:51.85

3. Kate Rendall, Toronto, 4:52.34

 

Men’s 400m IM

1. Sebastian Paulins, Western, 4:21.21

2. Declan Tucker, Guelph, 4:30.74

3. Ian Chambers, Waterloo, 4:32.68

 

Women’s 400m Medley Relay

1. Toronto, 4:09.42

(Aleksa Gold, Abby McDonald, Georgia Kidd, Ainsley, McMurray)

2. Western, 4:13.64

(Emma Miron, Megan Deering, Katelyn Cairns, Joan-Shia Chen)

3. McMaster, 4:13.83

(Erin Anderson, Katherine Toy, Megan Romkes, Isabelle Lei)

 

Men’s 400m Medley Relay

1. Toronto, 3:40.41

(Tyler Wall, Graeme Aylward, Osvald Nitski, Gaël Chaubet)

2. Waterloo, 3:46.41

(Lukas Wormald, Jake Gu, Maksym Levytskyy, Peter Li)

3. Western, 3:46.61

(Matthew Klahsen, Alexander Encinar, Benoit Potvin, Matthew Babits)