Strong finish to undefeated swim season

Hosting their second meet of the season, the Dalhousie men’s and women’s swim teams continued to leave the competition in their wake. Both teams finished in first place for the fourth consecutive time this season.

The team had a strong start to the weekend, opening the women’s 200 metre freestyle by sweeping the podium, with Molly Wedge, Meagan Bernier and Paige Robillard all swimming under the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) qualifying time.

The team ultimately would go on to claim 15 of a possible 30 podium positions, including five first place finishes. As well, both men’s and women’s 200 metre medley relays won to secure first place overall after the first session.

Wedge earned first in the 100 metre freestyle, while Alison Grant and Bernier finished first and second respectively in the 800 metre freestyle.

Another pair of relay wins, combined with Rachel Shin’s first place result in the 200 metre individual medley, further distanced the two Dal teams from the rest of the pack. On the men’s side, the team sat 65 points ahead of second place while the women’s squad held a commanding 220 point lead.

The men’s team added to the haul during the third session, as Olympian David Sharpe qualified for nationals in the 200 metre backstroke, along with more strong swims for Wedge, Grant and Shin on the women’s team. In typical fashion, both teams continued to dominate the podium and finished in first while putting significant distance between themselves and the rest of the competition.

With the team continuing its commanding performance in the pool, it’s not hard to fathom that they will have further success at the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championships from Feb. 7-9 at Memorial University.

Editor’s Note: The Gazette overstated the success of Dalhousie’s swimming teams in an earlier version of this article. Several Tigers swimmers did not set CIS records, but rather CIS standards, times good enough to qualify for nationals in February. The Gazette regrets the errors and any confusion it may have caused.