A Look Back At the Season so Far

October 26, 2023

Well, who knew our swimming would look like this 6 months ago? Our first big set of meets since COVID are in the rearview mirror and we sure showed that we are a team to be reckoned with. Great individual performances, winning relays, and fantastic camaraderie among swimmers and staff make for a team that we are all proud to be a part of. Way to go DINOS!

The University of Calgary Swim Club and Varsity Team has had a very strong first post-COVID racing season. One could say that it was, on many levels, one of the most productive periods of time in our history as a competitive swim club. No other organization in Canada placed as many swimmers on teams as our University of Calgary swimming program.

The fall season started with a bang where the lady Dinos won the Canada West swimming banner and broke the long reign of UBC. The FINA World Short Course Championships followed where Rebecca Smith came home with a Gold medal 800m Free Relay, Silver medal 400 Free Relay, and an individual Silver in the 200 Free (in Canadian Record time). Through the spring our program continued to be dominant with an amazing showing including 10 swimmers being selected to the Canada Games team this summer (Maxine Clark, Milena Cosic, Nick Duncan, Katie Graboski, Jordan Lloyd, Kealeigh McLeod, Sienna Rodgers, Sydney Stewart, Jett Verjee, and Rachel Wigginton). Additionally, the Canadian Junior Pan Pacific Championship (to be held in Hawaii this August) will feature 4 UCSC swimmers (Kamryn Cannings, Alicia L’Archeveque, Aiden Norman, and Lorne Wigginton) and Carl Simonson was selected as the men’s team Head Coach. Finally, we placed three swimmers (Rachel Nicol, Rebecca Smith and Richie Stokes) on the Canadian World Championship team with Mike Blondal being selected to the coaching staff, as well as two swimmers (Stephen Calkins and Rebecca Smith) on the Canadian Commonwealth Games team, this summer’s two main senior Canadian teams.

At the domestic championship meets we also kicked butt with decisive wins at the Western Canadian Championships in the Men’s, Women’s and Overall team categories, including 14 different swimmers winning individual medals and 37 swimmers scoring points toward the team scores. At the U Sport swimming Championship in Laval, the Dino’s Varsity squad finished third on the Women’s side and Second in the Men’s competition. The Dinos walked away with 12 medals, which included a bronze by U Sports rookie Hannah Bennett and a new U Sports record in the 200 Freestyle by Rebecca Smith. Finally, the club won their fourth consecutive Spring Provincials in March, amassing nearly double the points of the next closest team. Between the club and varsity programs we broke 194 Club records, 52 Provincial records, 1 U Sports record, and 3 Canadian Age Group records so far this season.

Overall, coming out of the pandemic with results like this is a testament to the great work of our swimmers, coaches, staff, and parents, and is something in which we all should take great pride.

 

Go Dinos!

What an Opportunity