VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds men's and women's swim teams travel to Edmonton this weekend to defend the Canada West titles.
The T-birds staunchest foes in their title defence will be the University of Calgary Dinos who, together with UBC, have combined to win at least a share of every men's and women's Canada West championship banner since the 1993-1994 season.
Head coach
Steve Price was clear that while this weekend poses an important challenge his teams' focus is recapturing the CIS titles in Montreal come February.
"The team is very excited about traveling (to Edmonton) and defending our titles but in the context of building towards the national championships."
Last season both the men and women scored a narrow and emotional victory in their own pool by defeating the favoured Dinos but went on to finish second to that same Calgary team at the CIS championships.
An early litmus test for both squads came in November when the teams traveled to Calgary for a dual meet in the Dinos' home pool. The men were able to come away victors while the women finished second to Calgary despite being short their top swimmers.
Those top swimmers will be in attendance in Edmonton and coach Price expects them to be in mid-season form as Price has made fitness a focus early on this season.
"I'm expecting that the top swimmers will step-up, race hard and rely on fitness to swim better across events that aren't there speciality," said Price.
"This will be especially important in the relay events where swimmers will be called upon to swim outside of their comfort zone whether it be a different discipline or different distance," added Price.
World championship bronze medallist and fifth-year swimmer
Martha McCabe leads the women in defence of the conference crown. McCabe will no doubt be the one to beat in the breaststroke even and may sway the advantage in the 4 X 100 medley relay in favour of the T-Birds.
In the freestyle events a pair of second year swimmers in
Heather MacLean (Etobicoke, ON) and
Savannah King (Vernon, BC) will lead the charge. MacLean, a former national team member, saw a return to form last season as she was among the T-Birds best performers at the CIS championship winning a silver medal in the 200 freestyle.
King, meanwhile, burst onto the CIS scene last season claiming four medals at the national championships including gold in both the 400 and 800 metre freestyle events. Fifth-year
Rachelle Salli (Langley, BC) will be looking to finish her Canada West career in style and should be in the mix for a medal in the butterfly events.
Key additions on the women's side include
Tera Van Beilen (Brampton, ON) who joins the growing list of exceptional breaststroke swimmers training at the Vancouver National Swim Centre. Van Beilen is perhaps the most versatile of UBC's talented breaststrokers as she will be threat at all three breaststroke distances as well as the individual medley and should make up for the loss of Hanna Pierse who capped off her stellar five-year UBC career last season. Another newcomer to the team is Van Beilen's former Oakville Aquatic Club teammate,
Erin Assman (Oakville, ON) who will add depth in both the freestyle and butterfly events.
Rebecca Terejko (Brantford, ON), a former Ontario Canada Games team member, rounds out the trio of newcomers to the women's team. Terejko is skilled at all four strokes and and may surprise by scoring significant points this weekend.
For the men they have the rare luxury of depth, as 18 swimmers will travel to the Canada west championships an uncommon occurrence even for past championship teams.
Leading the way for the men's squad are a trio of fifth-year sprinters in
Rory Biskupski (West Vancouver, BC),
Tommy Gossland (Nanaimo, B.C.) and
Duncan Furrer (Lausanne, Switzerland). All three were medallists at last year's CIS championships with Gossland the lone individual medallist winning silver in both the 50 and 100 metre freestyle. The three fifth-years will no doubt be called upon this weekend to score not only in individual events but to combine with third-year sprinter
Kelly Aspinall (Nanoose Bay, B.C.) and score much needed points in the valuable relays events.
On the men's side Alex Loginov (Toronto, ON), Phillip Mackie (Calgary, AB)
Nathaniel Lai (Hong Kong) are new additions to the men's team. Loginov, a sprint specialist will be expected to score some depth points in the 50 metre freestyle. MacKie is a well-rounded utility swimmer who, along with Lai, a sprint butterfly/freestyler, have yet to qualify for nationals meaning they will be poised to swim fast in Edmonton.
Missing from this year's squad will be fourth-year butterfly specialist
Shaneese Nowlan and fifth-year sprinter
Stefan Mikuska, who will each be forced to miss the meet due to injury.
Racing begins Friday evening with medallists from the Canada West championships along with all swimmers that meet the CIS time standards will qualify for the CIS championships.
-30-
