Thunderbird men capture 8th straight conference championship

EDMONTON - The UBC Thunderbird men captured their 8th consecutive Canada West banner on Sunday in Edmonton, while the Calgary Dino women earned a thrilling upset over the 'Birds with 823 points while UBC finished in a close second spot with 740 points.

"I was a very successful weekend from both teams," said UBC head coach Derrick Schoof, after winning the men's team Coach of the Year honours. "Our men were very strong as expected. It was great to see them set three new Canada west records. Our women competed their hearts out. With a short roster, they did all they could and kept it close right until the end. Both teams learned a lot about what's it like to compete in this environment. It was a very challenging meet for our teams. There was so much fun, excitement, and nerves! The kids place a lot of pride in their performances. We demand a lot from ourselves and have a lot to build on when it comes to managing expectations and handling pressure in stressful situations."

On the men's side, the UBC Thunderbirds continued their dominance of Canada West, finishing 175 points ahead of the Calgary Dinos. The Victoria Vikes earned the team bronze medal in the both the men and women's standings.

Powering the T-Birds to victory was Blake Tierney, who finished with seven medals - including a new conference record, along with Dmitriy Lim's five medals, and rookie Tayden DePol's four - which also included a Canada West record. UBC's men also set a new conference mark in the men's 4x100m medley relay, as Tayden DePol, Justice Migneault, Keir Ogilvie, and Blake Tierney topped the podium in a time of 3:33.39.

First-year Lethbridge Pronghorn Apollo Hess earned both the male Swimmer of the Meet, and the Rookie of the Year awards after a stellar weekend in Edmonton. The breaststroke specialist earned five total medals, setting new Canada West records in the 50m and 200m breaststroke.

"I surprised myself a bit in the 50 breast, getting sub-27 was pretty special. It's a milestone for me, getting below 27 in that event. Justice [Migneault] gave me a great race in the 100m on Saturday, but I knew I had another gear in me," said Hess. "Getting a couple records was a great feeling, but I'm not stopping here. I know I have more in me."

On the women's side, UBC's Emma O'Croinin was named Rookie of the Year after winning her third gold medal on Sunday in the 400m freestyle and collecting four silver medals in her Canada West Championship debut. Second-year 'Bird Josie Field also won gold on Day 3 in the women's 200m butterfly, with teammate Chantel Jeffrey earning silver in the event.

The qualified swimmers will now set their sights on the 2022 U SPORTS Championship, hosted by the Laval Rouge et Or, February 25-27 in Quebec City.

SWIMMERS OF THE MEET
Men: Apollo Hess, Lethbridge Pronghorns

Gold - 50m Breaststroke *, 200m Breaststroke *,
Silver - 100m Breaststroke, 4x100m Freestyle Relay,
Bronze - 4x100m Medley

Women: Rebecca Smith, Calgary Dinos

Gold - 50m Butterfly *, 100m Butterfly *, 200m Freestyle *, 4x100m Freestyle Relay, 100m Freestyle *, 4x100m Medley

* - Canada West Record

ROOKIES OF THE MEET
Men: Apollo Hess, Lethbridge Pronghorns

Gold - 50m Breaststroke *, 200m Breaststroke *,
Silver - 100m Breaststroke, 4x100m Freestyle Relay,
Bronze - 4x100m Medley

Women: Emma O'Croinin, UBC Thunderbirds

Gold - 800m Freestyle, 4x200m Freestyle Relay, 400m Freestyle
Silver - 200m Freestyle, 4x100m Freestyle Relay, 100m Freestyle, 4x100m Medley

* - Canada West Record

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS
Men: Kier Przyswitt, Alberta Golden Bears

Silver - 200m Freestyle
Bronze - 100m Freestyle
Provides weekly support to local children with autism, while also volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Edmonton Food Bank, Youth Juvenile Detention Centre
Coach with Strathcona High School swim team

Women: Olivia Roschat, Victoria Vikes

Academic All-Canadian
Volunteers with juSTEMagine, a STEM-education organization.
President of the Delta Chapter and board member of chapter mentors
Coordinates STEM workshops for students and community groups, including working with Prairie STEM, Girl Powered UNO, Girl Guides Canada, and Vex Robotics.

COACHES OF THE YEAR
Men's Team: Derrick Schoof, UBC Thunderbirds
Women's Team: Mike Blondal, Calgary Dinos