Energized by the performances of Olympians Tera Van Beilen and Savannah King, the UBC Thunderbirds won the Felstad Memorial Trophy as women鈥檚 team champions for the fourth consecutive year at the sa国际传媒 West swimming championships which concluded Sunday at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
The Calgary Dinos and Alberta Golden Bears won the team silver and bronze medals behind the overpowering T-Birds, who got three individual gold medals all in conference-record times from Vernon-native King in the 200- 400- and 800-metre freestyles.
Calgary captured the E.W. Griffiths Trophy for the men鈥檚 championship, with UBC taking silver and Alberta bronze.
There were 14 conference records set over the three-day sa国际传媒 West meet, including Olympian Alec Page of the host University of Victoria Vikes in the men鈥檚 1,500-metre freestyle. Five minutes after that race, the freshman Page displayed his wide range and versatility by winning silver in the 50-metre freestyle.
鈥淎nybody who qualifies for the Olympics in the 400-metre IM as a 17-year-old [as Page did last year for London] is a great swimmer,鈥� said UVic head coach Dr. Peter Vizsolyi.
Swimming experts are starting to talk about Page鈥檚 huge future upside.
鈥淚t all depends on his rate of improvement,鈥� said Vizsolyi.
鈥淏ut Alec is showing that the elements are there.鈥�
Vizsolyi said he was also pleased with the 400-metre IM gold won for UVic by Ian Mattock and Vikes swimmer Tyler Smith鈥檚 qualification for the CIS nationals in the 1,500 free.
鈥淸Mattock] came out of summer swimming and [Smith] just missed going to the CIS nationals the past few years, and now both are going to the national championships,鈥� said Vizsolyi.
The top performers in the sa国际传媒 West meet qualified for the CIS nationals Feb. 21-24 in Calgary.
