CW swimmers ready to race for the podium
Calgary Dinos set to host 2023 CW Swimming Championships
Nov. 23, 2023 - The best swimmers from across Canada West are ready to descend on southern Alberta for the 2023 CW Swimming Championships, to be hosted by the University of Calgary Dinos from Nov. 24-26.
The event will take place at the University of Calgary’s Aquatic Centre, considered one of Canada’s premier training facilities and home to a number of Canadian Olympians including Mark Tewksbury, Curtis Myden and Joanne Malar.
The host Dinos are hoping to thrill their hometown supporters and continue their string of strong results at the conference level. The Dinos men's team will be defending their 2022 CW title, while the women's team will look to build on their second place finish at last year's event.
Fans can catch the action streaming live and on demand on Canada West TV.
Results will be posted here.
WSWIM: O'Croinin and Lepage headline strong field
The women's competition is once again expected to be a tight battle between UBC and Calgary, the top two ranked teams in the nation.
Defending CW champion and nationally top ranked UBC enters with a deep roster of talent and have shown well in early season competition, including winning the Odlum Brown Colleges Cup earlier this month. Emma O'Croinin scored a meet-high 96 points at that event, highlighted by four individual wins in freestyle events. Eloise Allen, Anna Dumont-Belanger and Emma Spence also recorded impressive point totals.
The second ranked Dinos, meanwhile, will be led by rookie sensation Alexanne Lepage, who has enjoyed an incredible start to her CW career. She was named CW Female Swimmer of the Week after a dominating performance at the Dino Invitational last month, then set four new lifetime best times while she racked up 96 points for the Dinos at the Odlum Brown Colleges Cup.
Second-year Kassua Dreyer was another Dino that impressed at the OBCC, scoring 70 points while setting three new personal best times.
Alberta will also look to factor into the podium as the fifth ranked side in the nation, with second-year Kamryn Leslie looking to build on the bronze she captured in the 200m backstroke at last year's CW championships. Manitoba (6), Lethbridge (7) and Victoria (8) also enter the competition as nationally ranked sides.
MSWIM: Dinos look to fend off UBC to defend CW crown
On the men's side, it should again be a tight race for top spot between UBC and Calgary, who enter ranked one and two respectively in the latest U SPORTS national rankings. Alberta enters as the fourth ranked team in the nation, followed by Lethbridge (7), Victoria (9) and Manitoba (10).
For the first time in a decade, Calgary will be defending a conference championship. Their win at last year's event put an end to UBC's streak of eight consecutive CW titles. The banner was Calgary's first since the 2012-13 season.
The hosts will field a deep lineup that includes Stephen Calkins, who returns after being named the Dinos Male Athlete of the Year last season. The fourth-year Calgary product has also experienced recent success on the international stage, picking up a pair of bronze medals for Team Canada at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
The Dinos roster also includes fifth-year backstroke specialist Richie Stokes, who was a first team all-star at last year's conference championship. He should be dangerous in his home pool, coming off wins in the 100m and 200m backstroke events at the Dino Invitational last month.
Other Dinos to watch include second-year Charlie Skalenda, who picked up two individual medals at last year's championships, and third-year Thomas McDonald who scored 61 points and recorded two new personal bests for the Dinos at the Odlum Brown Colleges Cup in Vancouver earlier this month.
UBC will be eager to reclaim their throne and have looked strong in early season meets, led by second-year swimmer Frank Ho, who led all swimmers in scoring at both the Dino Invitational and OBCC. Ethan Hemeon and Blake Tierney have also been key to the T-Birds success so far this season and will be counted on this weekend.
Alberta will look to third-year Diego Paz to lead their pursuit of the podium, as he looks to build on the three medals he earned at last year's CW championships.
TICKETS
The action begins at 4 p.m. MST on Friday, Nov. 24, with the competition continuing through Sunday afternoon. Tickets for the 2023 Canada West Swimming Championship can be purchased in advance by clicking here.
WATCH
Catch all the action streaming live and on demand on Canada West TV.