Masse, Loewen named IG Wealth Management Athletes of the Week, powered by Planters
Burlington, Ont. – Kylie Masse and Matthew Loewen have been named IG Wealth Management Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Athletes of the Week, powered by Planters, for the period ending February 10, 2019.
Female Athlete of the Week – Kylie Masse (LaSalle, Ont.) – 5th Year – Toronto Varsity Blues
Appearing in the last OUA Swimming Championships of her illustrious career, 2017 FINA world champion Kylie Masse earned her fifth consecutive OUA female Swimmer of the Year honour in leading the Varsity Blues to their sixth straight provincial title.
The 2016 Olympic bronze medalist won four individual and two relay gold medals, while breaking four OUA records in the process. Masse won the 50 and 100-metre backstroke events for the fifth time in her career, earning OUA Major Grand Slam awards for both, while tying her own OUA record in the former.
After also winning the 50m freestyle for the second straight year on Day 2, the kinesiology major earned a Grand Slam by winning her fourth career 200m backstroke title in OUA record time on Day 3. To top it all off, Masse helped the Blues to OUA record-breaking performances in the 200 freestyle and 400 medley relays.
The swimming phenom finishes her career undefeated at the OUA championships, having never lost a race.
Male Athlete of the Week – Matthew Loewen (Montreal, Que.) – 3rd Year – Western Mustangs
In a competitive field of swimmers that saw several schools step to the top of the podium this year, Western’s Matthew Loewen was one of the most consistently dominant to do so, showing why he took home a top honour at the OUA championship.
The breaststroke specialist was a force to be reckoned with in the discipline all weekend long, as the third-year standout claimed gold across the board in his individual events. He swam to first place finishes in the 50, 100, and 200-metre breaststroke events, checking in with times of 27.84s, 1:00.80, and 2:15.61, respectively.
If that wasn’t enough hardware for the Montréal native, he also took part in a pair of relays for the purple ponies, helping them finish first in the 200m medley relay and second in the 400m free relay to bring his championship haul to five.
For his efforts, Loewen also took home the championship’s top male honour, claiming the Male Swimmer of the Year nod, and with his medal-hoarding results, it’s not hard to see why.
