VANCOUVER - The Thunderbirds will get their first crack at teams they will have to go through to claim a U Sports championship in 2016-17 when they travel to Calgary for the Rocky Mountain Cup this weekend.
 
The open invitational meet, to be held at the Talisman Sports Centre in south Calgary, will include heavyweights from U Sports swimming, including the University of Calgary and the University of Toronto.
 
See live results for the Rocky Mountain Cup here.
 
The 'Birds had a good warm up for the event last weekend when they competed in the 2016 BC Senior Circuit meet.


 
"Both the UBC Swim Teams had their first official meet this weekend in Victoria.  The BC Senior Circuit meet saw teams from UVIC and SFU," says UBC Head Coach Steve Price.  "We used this meet as a training competition early in the season."  
 
The 'Birds are showing their relay teams will be a force in U Sports this season, as T-Bird teams came first in both men's and women's 200 metre freestyle relays. Quincy Brozo, Erin Stamp, Megan Dalke and Mckenzie Summers touched the wall first in the women's competition while Markus Thormeyer, Warren Meyer, Carson Olafson and Luke Peddie won the men's race.
 
The 'Blue and Gold' also swept to victory in both 200 metre medley relays. Ingrid Wilm, Stamp, Jacobie Strydom and Brozo claiming victory for the women and Olafson, Warren Meyer, Coleman Allen and Stefan Milosevic touching the wall first in the men's competition.


 
"Everyone raced in their training suits and had multiple events," says Price. "We split our relays to race each other and be more competitive with the other teams."  
 
The Thunderbirds dominated the individual events with team veterans Keegan Zanatta, Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson and Luke Peddie winning their races. UBC newcomers Hau-Li Fan, Olivia Ellard and Darian Fry also finished first in their events, showing that the young Thunderbirds are adding depth to the talented roster of swimmers.
 
See entire results of BC Senior Circuit Meet 2016 here.
 
"This meet was all about establishing good habits in competition and although we have much work to do it was a good start," said Price. "Our rookies got a taste of how we do things as Thunderbird swimming."
 
The rookies and the veterans will try to carry that momentum into the Rocky Mountain Cup which gets underway Friday, October 28 in Calgary.