VANCOUVER - In a thrilling finish, the UBC Thunderbirds defended their titles at a record-breaking 2019 Odlum Brown Colleges Cup – Pacific inside the UBC Aquatic Centre. The T-Bird women's team edged the University of Calgary Dinos by 31 points to claim top spot with 1,040 points while the Team WEST all-star squad finished third with 833.5 points. On the men's side, UBC (1,031) swam to victory over the Dinos (869.5) with the University of Victoria Vikes (716) rounding out the top three.
"It's awesome," said UBC interim head coach Derrick Schoof. "It's great to be in a meet where every team has someone to race and be competitive. It's not only good for us, but it's good for the whole league."
Eleven meet records were broken on the weekend, with the University of Manitoba's Kelsey Wog earning four of them herself in dominant fashion. Wog bested three of her own meet records in the 50 breaststroke (30.31), 200 breaststroke (2:18.74) and 100 breaststroke (1:04.80), while also setting a new meet record in the 200 backstroke (2:08.31).
The 'Birds put on a show in their home pool, as Brodie Young set a meet record in the men's 400 individual medley with a 4:13.68 swim, before the women's 4 x 100 freestyle relay team of Anna Dumont-Belanger, Quincy Brozo, Mackenzie Gunther and Megan Dalke (3:43.76) surpassed the 2017 meet record set by a superstar T-Bird relay team that included Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson and Emily Overholt.
Brozo also won the 100 freestyle with a lifetime-best time of 54.59, and finished first in the 50 freestyle (25.58). Jaren LeFranc captured the 50 breaststroke (28.56) and 200 breaststroke (2:12.11) for the 'Birds, while Alex Pratt was victorious in the 100 freestyle (49.73) and 400 freestyle (3:49.17).
Calgary's Danica Ludlow set meet records in the 400 freestyle (4:07.39) and 200 freestyle (1:57.96) as her team nearly toppled the T-Birds on day two of the event.
"This this the third time hosting this event here in this pool and it just keeps getting faster," said Schoof. "To see new meet records from all over the place, from us and from other teams, it's a testament to how good the meet has become. We're seeing it now as a mainstay for all Canada West teams. Everyone is valuing the meet very highly and racing fast."
Next up for the reigning conference champion Thunderbirds is the 2019 Canada West championships in Lethbridge, Alberta, on November 22-24.
