Stars shine and records smashed on day one of Mel Zajac Swim Meet

Olympic swimming sensations Penny Oleksiak and Ryan Lochte kicked off a record-breaking start to the 55th Annual Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet Friday, setting new meet records along with UBC Thunderbird Markus Thormeyer, two-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel, and USA National Jr. Team member Isabelle Stadden.

Five meet records were erased on Day One at the UBC Aquatic Centre, with 15-year-old Stadden starting the festivities with a winning time of 2:08:37 in the Women's 200 metre backstroke.

Canadian swimming phenom Penny Oleksiak raced to a meet record 26:59 finish in the Women's 50 metre butterfly, after winning the 200 metre freestyle B-Final with the fastest swim in the event (1:58:98) - A-Final champion Mackenzie Padington touched the wall in 1:59:09.

more records as @OleksiakPenny sets a new standard at the #MelZajac Jr. International finishing first in the 50 M Butterfly in a time of 26:59 #MelZajac18 @swimzajac pic.twitter.com/qTxNRQCqkA
— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) June 2, 2018

Twelve-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte stood atop the podium with his name on the new meet record in the 400 metre individual medley (4:15:80) during his second appearance at the Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet.

12 x Olympic medalist @RyanLochte sets a #MelZajac Jr. International swim meet record finishing first in the 400 M, IM in a time of 4:15.80
The elder statesman still getting it done @swimzajac at UBC Aquatic Centre. pic.twitter.com/j3MQTfHzpP
— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) June 2, 2018

"It hurt, it hurt so bad...you know all the training that I've been doing at the University of Florida this year has really paid off," said the 33-year-old, six-time Olympic gold medalist. "I'm a little beat up and tired right now but posting that time and getting up on those blocks and racing these guys I feel real good about it. It's just the old guy trying to pull through, you know it's fun racing these young kids they don't get tired as easy as I do and they're always honest when they step on those blocks so it's fun."

Meanwhile, twenty-year-old T-Bird Thormeyer set his own meet record time of 1:58:14 to win the men's 200 metre backstroke - narrowly edging out Quest Swimming's Clark Beach (1:58:58) who set the meet record earlier in Day One preliminaries.

@ubctbirds & national team member @MarkusThor2 sets a new #MelZajac Jr. International meet record with a 1st place finish in the men's 200 m backstroke in a time of 1:58.14 #GoBirdsGo @swimzajac pic.twitter.com/a9e5X9J3Jf
— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) June 2, 2018

"I wanted to win, I won this event last year and this year there's a lot more competition...but I didn't want to let that get in the way, I just wanted to touch the wall first," said the Commonwealth Games bronze medalist. "When he set the record this morning in prelims I told myself - tonight if I'm going to win I'm going to have to break that meet record." The Canadian National Team swimmer felt a boost from the familiar home crowd. "The stands are packed, my teammates are loud in here at UBC and it's just great all around."

Also making a big splash was seven-time gold medalist at the 2017 World Aquatic Championship Caeleb Dressel, who took home a new meet record 23:69 in the men's 50 metre butterfly and first place in the Men's 200 metre freestyle (1:48:73).

UBC's 4x100 metre men's freestyle relay team won the top spot with a time of 3:24:50 to close out the night. Other notable Thunderbirds included 2016 Rio Olympic Bronze Medalist Emily Overholt finishing 5th in the Women's 400 metre individual medley (4:51:17), and Josiah Binnema coming in fourth in the men's 50 metre freestyle (24:94).