WESTERN WOMEN DETHRONE VARSITY BLUES IN POOL
The Mustangs finished first with 941.50 points to Toronto's 842.50, ending the Varsity Blues consecutive championship run, which began in 2001, at eight.
Western Ontario last won the women's Ontario conference title in 1985-86.
\"It wasn't something we came here to do,\" said Ken Fitzpatrick, associate coach of the Mustangs. \"It's been great to see the tears of joy and the fun the kids have had in taking this challenge on.
Second-year London, Ont. native Hayley Nell of the Mustangs was named Female Swimmer of the Meet with four gold medals.
\"We have great respect for the U of T and their program,\" Fitzpatrick continued.
Paul Midgely, the Mustangs' head coach who was not with the team due to a family matter, was selected OUA Women's Coach of the Year.
\"Ours is a big family.\" said Fitzpatrick.
Live meet results through www.geegees.ca/swimming.
At least one Toronto swimmer took the Varsity Blues women's team loss in stride.
\"It was bound to happen sooner or later,\" said fourth-year Toronto butterfly specialist Sasha Theron (Mississauga, Ont.). \"We need to be brought down a level so we can become better as a team.\"
\"They had the meet of their life,\" said long-time Toronto coach Byron MacDonald.
The Varsity Blues men's team ran away with the men's team title, scoring 906 points to outdistance second-place Western Ontario (588) by 318 points.
\"The goal is to compete at the national championships,\" said MacDonald, in his 31st season with no plans to slow down.
\"Why would I retire? I absolutely love doing this. I'm going into my 70s. This is too much fun,\" said MacDonald.
Gee-Gees coach Iain McDonald was selected Men's Coach of the Year after upstart host Ottawa finished a program-best third, with 560 points.
\"I've had a lot of help,\" said McDonald, 33, in his fourth season. \"It's a team effort to get here.\"
Zack Chetrat (Oakville, Ont.), an 18-year-old rookie with Toronto, swam an OUA record in the 200-metre butterfly in a clean event sweep for the Varsity Blues. Chetrat's 2:00.27 beat Bob Hayes' 1999 record of 2:00.62, set at Toronto.
\"When I saw the record I said "˜that's doable for me,\" said Chetrat, who beat Varsity Blues team-mates Curtis Samuel (2:02.30) of Oakville, Ont., the Male Swimmer of the Meet with three gold medals, and Patrick Cuch (2:04.65) of Toronto, Ont. in his first conference championship.
\"To do this with my teammates was truly amazing.\"
Theron turned in a gold medal effort in the 200-metre butterfly in a time of 2:16.90, a personal best performance in just the third time she moved up in distance from the more familiar 100-metre butterfly.
\"It's a fun event,\" said Theron, 22, who added loud cheering by all 13 teams filled the cramped pool with constant noise that was impossible to ignore.
\"I have had a headache the whole weekend.\"
Canadian Olympian Keith Beavers (Waterloo, Ont.), in his first OUA swim championship, swam a 1:59.21 for the Waterloo Warriors in the men's open 200-metre individual medley for his second individual gold medal.
\"There has not been a let-up in the enthusiasm or noise throughout the weekend,\" said Beavers.
\"I have had a great time.\"
Beavers swam to a gold medal win Saturday night in the men's 200-metre breaststroke, blazing to personal-best 2:14.49 - more than one second ahead of Bryn Jones (Newmarket, Ont.) of the Western Mustangs.
Cameron Bailey (Hamilton, Ont.), a Marauders rookie, used a strong final kick to outdistance Beavers by 24 one-hundredths of a second to claim gold in a time of 1:50.42 in the men's 200-metre freestyle on the opening day of the event.
Canadian swim legend Alex Baumann presented the Jeno Tihanyi Award, given to the highest ranked men's and women's performance in an individual medley event, in honour of his former coach, to Brittany Cooper (London, Ont.) of Western Ontario and Beavers.
\"What he did 25 years ago still resonates with everyone today, based on the applause he was given,\" said Beavers.
Baumann - the Wayne Gretzky of Canadian swimming who won two gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics - said Tihanyi's influence resonates.
\"The mix was right,\" said Baumann. \"He instilled discipline in me and the whole concept of goal-setting.\"
Wilfrid Laurier third-year swimmer Whitney Rich (Dorchester, Ont.) was just under a personal best in the 200-metre individual medley, pulling away from the start for a 2:20.31 finish, more than one second ahead of second-place Pamela Ruksys (Kingston, Ont.) of Toronto.
\"I have been fairly weak at backstroke the last few years but have been working on that,\" said Rich, 21, who finished with four gold medals.
Rich won the 200-metre breaststroke Saturday in 2:34.08 after breaking a 13-season OUA record in the 100m breaststroke Friday with a 1:11.15. Rich eclipsed former Golden Hawks swimmer Carolyn Gilbert's 1996 record of 1:11.43.
Toronto third-year sprinter Cam Cummings (Oakville, Ont.), 20, swam a lifetime-best in a familiar field in the men's 100-metre backstroke on Saturday, swimming a 55.49 to narrowly beat Oleg Churnukhin (Fredericton, N.B.) of Waterloo (56.12) and Scott Van Doormaal (Guelph, Ont.) of Guelph (56.26).
Varsity Blues rookie Andrea Jurenovskis (Timmins, Ont.), 18, turned in a gold medal effort in the 100-metre backstroke in a time of 1:02.67.
The 2009 Canadian Interuniversity Sport Swimming Championships take place in Vancouver, B.C. from February 19 to 21.
2009 OUA SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Montpetit Hall Pool, University of Ottawa)
Final Standings
Women
Western 941.5
Toronto 842.5
McMaster 591.5
Guelph 335
Brock 315
Ottawa 272
Wilfrid Laurier 181
Laurentian 170
Queen's 139
Waterloo 113.5
Trent 61.5
Carleton 45.5
Men
Toronto 906
Western 588
Ottawa 560
McMaster 548
Guelph 412
Waterloo 380
Laurentian 231
York 188
Queen's 123
Wilfrid Laurier 42
Trent 20
Carleton 15
Brock 4
- OUA -
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
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Source: Gee-Gees Athletics
Photo Credit: Joël Côté-Cright