FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sunday, February 11, 2007

VARSITY BLUES SWEEP TEAM COMPETITION AT 2007 OUA SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

- Guelph’s Van Doormaal Awarded Men’s Swimmer of the Meet -

Guelph, Ont – The University of Guelph’s Scott Van Doormaal and McMaster University’s Brooke Buckland earned male and female swimmer-of-the-meet honours while the University of Toronto Varsity Blues swept the women’s and men’s team banners as the 2007 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Swimming Championships came to an end on Sunday on at the University of Guelph. 

Championship website (results): http://www.csca.org/gmac/meetsandresults/OUAC2007/index.htm

The University of Toronto earned their seventh consecutive team title by scoring 1085.5 points on the women’s side, while 985.5 points on the men’s side handed the Varsity Blues men’s team their sixth title in seven years.

Following the Varsity Blues in the team race were McMaster and Guelph on the women’s side.  Guelph’s bronze medal finish handed them their highest-ever finish at the Championships.  On the men’s side it was Western and McMaster rounding out the top three.

Overall the Gryphons had an impressive showing at the Championships earning a total of 21 medals and snagging the bronze medal in the women’s team championship while Scott Van Doormaal used four gold medals to earn the OUA Men’s Swimmer-of-the-Meet title.

Kicking off the last day of the Championships was the women’s 200 Butterfly where University of Toronto’s Orlagh O’Kelly improved her second place finish last year earning the gold medal with a time of 2:18.46.  Meanwhile teammate Brittany Scott was second and Guelph’s Laura Kendall was third.   On the men’s side it was a University of Guelph one-two punch with Scott Van Doormaal and Jonathan Pilon finishing first and second while Alex Watson of Waterloo was third.

The University of Toronto’s Jen Porenta won the 100 Freestyle with a lightening fast time of 56.58.  Sasha Theron of Toronto was second while Carly Cermak of McMaster was third.  Much like the women’s event, the men’s 100 Freestyle was dominated by the Varsity Blues with Martyn Forde and Terrance Haynes grabbing the top two spots while Scott Chester of McMaster was third.

Amanda Budd of the Gryphons won her second gold medal of the championships, improving on last year’s second place finish, with a time of 33.49 in the 50 Breaststroke.  Marie-Franc Gauthier of Ottawa was second and Stephanie Sun of McMaster was third.  In the men’s 50 Breaststroke it was Josh Berry from Toronto taking the top spot on the podium with a time of 29.89, while Bryn Jones of Western was second and Johnathon Caguiat earned bronze.

Winning her fourth overall medal of the event, Gillian Bryon of the University of Toronto won the 200 metre Backstroke with a time of 2:16.31.  Alyssa Hubert of Guelph completed the 50-100-200 Backstroke hat trick winning the silver medal in all three of the events.  Kristin Cloutier of Guelph was third. 

Scott Van Doormaal of Guelph solidified his swimmer-of-the-match honour when he captured his fourth individual gold medal of the championships after winning the men’s 200 Backstroke with a time of 2:02.08.  Cam Cummings of Toronto was second while Hans Fracke from Ottawa was third.

The women’s 800 Freestyle saw the University of Toronto grab the top two spots as Kate Plyley (8:58.23) and Nathalie Lacoste (9:04.67) finished first and second respectively while Laura Kendall of Guelph earned her third individual bronze medal of the meet finishing in third.

The men’s 1500 Freestyle saw Laurier Golden Hawk, David Hughes take the top spot with a gold medal swim of 16:11.33, while Elliot Burger of Ottawa and Massimo Tarulli of Toronto were second and third respectively.

As the night switched to the relay portion of the finals the University of Toronto left little doubt as to the team outcome after winning three of the final four events including the men’s and women’s 400 Freestyle Relay, men’s 200 Medley Relay and grabbed a second in the women’s 200 Medley Relay. 

Individual Honours

Women

Swimmer of the Meet: Brooke Buckland, McMaster

Coach of the Year: Andrew Cole, McMaster and Byron MacDonald & Linda Kiefer, Toronto

Men

Swimmer of the Meet: Scott Van Doormaal, Guelph

Coach of the Year: Iain McDonald, Ottawa

Women – Final Team Standings

1. University of Toronto - 1085.5   

2. McMaster University - 795

3. University of Guelph - 648   

4. University of Western Ontario - 505

5. Laurentian Voyageurs - 196.5   

6. Wlu Golden Hawks - 173

7. Queen's University - 168   

8. Brock Badgers - 137

9. University of Ottawa GeeGees - 133  

10. UW Warriors - 77

10. Carleton Ravens - 77  

12. Trent University - 24

Men – Final Team Standings                   

1. University of Toronto - 985.5  

2. University of Western Ontario - 557

3. McMaster University - 468.5  

4. University of Ottawa GeeGees - 451

5. University of Guelph - 407  

6. UW Warriors - 309

7. Queen's University - 201  

8. Laurentian Voyageurs - 193

9. Carleton Ravens - 152 

10. Trent University - 135

11. Wlu Golden Hawks - 86 

12. Brock Badgers - 33

13. York University - 28

Gryphons on the Podium

Gold – Amanda Budd, 100metre Breaststroke, 1:12.28

Gold – Amanda Budd, 50metre Breaststroke, 33.49

Gold – Scott Van Doormaal, 100metre Butterfly, 56.40

Gold – Scott Van Doormaal, 200metre Butterfly, 2:03.18

Gold – Scott Van Doormaal, 100metre Backstroke, 56.94

Gold – Scott Van Doormaal, 200 metre Backstroke, 2:02.08

Silver – Alyssa Hubert, 50metre Backstroke, 30.09 (new team record)

Silver – Alyssa Hubert, 100metre Backstroke, 1:03.83

Silver – Alyssa Hubert, 200metre Backstroke, 2:18.85

Silver – Jonathan Pilon, 200metre Butterfly, 2:04.88

Silver – Women 400 Medley Relay, 4:23.79

Silver – Men’s 800metre Freestyle

Bronze – Amanda Budd, 200metre Breaststroke, 2:41.96

Bronze – Mark Mallany, 50metre Backstroke, 27.65

Bronze – Mark Mallany, 100metre Backstroke, 58.13

Bronze – Laura Kendall, 400 metre Freestyle, 4:24.67

Bronze – Laura Kendall, 200metre Butterfly, 2:24.38

Bronze – Laura Kendall, 800metre Freestyle, 9:06.13

Bronze – Kristin Cloutier, 200metre Backstroke, 2:22.27

Bronze – Women’s 800metre Freestyle

Bronze – Women’s 200metre Medley Relay

 FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Michelle Waddick
Media Relations & Communications Officer
Department of Athletics, University of Guelph
Email: mwaddick@uoguelph.ca
Office: 519.824.4120 Ext 53159
Cell: 519.400.4622
Fax: 519.766.9563