CIS SWIM CHAMPIONSHIPS (Day 2 of 3): Two McGill records fall
The McGill University swim team was shut out from the medals podium on Day 2 of the CIS national championships, Friday, but they did post a plethora of personal bests and two record-breaking performances. The Martlets made a move into 10th place of 20 competing teams and the Redmen solidified their position in seventh.
On the women's side, Katie Caldwell of White Rock, B.C., who won bronze in the 400-metre IM on Day 1, was fifth in the 100 backstroke, swimming a personal best time of 1:01.30. Teammate Jennifer Darling of West Vancouver, B.C., set a PB and was 14th in the 100 back (1:03.05).
Sophie Overney-Ragan and Valerie De Broux, both natives of Beaconsfield, Que., also set personal bests.
Overney-Ragan finished fifth in the 50 butterfly (27.99) and De Broux was 12th in the 200 breaststroke (2:35.24). De Broux, a granddaughter of Charlie Lafontaine, who played hockey for McGill in the late 1940s, then won the consolation final in the 200 fly only 25 minutes later, to finish ninth overall, registering her PB in 2:17.39.
McGill also came in eighth in the women's 4x200 freestyle relay (8:23.78), featuring Caldwell (who swam leadoff in a McGill record time of 2:00.90), Taryne Landry of North Vancouver, Rebecca Cheverton of Lachine, Que., and Darling, who swam the anchor leg.
On the men's side, Montrealer Marc-Andre Benoit ended up ninth in the 50 fly (24.80), Steven Bielby of Pointe Claire, Que., who won gold on Day 1, finished fifth in the 400 free (3:57.05) and Pierre-Alexandre Renaud of Laval, Que., was seventh in the 200 fly (2:02.72).
Finally, the Redmen 4x200 free relay was sixth in a McGill record 7:24.89, surpassing the standard of 7:25.91 set at Nationals last year. The quartet consisted of Benoit on the lead-off leg, followed by Bielby, Erik Cheng of Ile Bizard, Que., and Renaud.
The competition wraps up Saturday at the University of Calgary Aquatic Centre. Preliminaries start at 10 a.m. MT, with finals slated for 6 p.m. MST.
NOTE: All morning and evening sessions are webcast live on www.CIS-SIC.tv. Live results are also available on the championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/swim/index.
