Winning championships at home is an achievement every athlete dreams of and last weekend, the UBC men and women’s swim teams made those dreams a reality, dominating the Canada West Championships at the UBC Aquatic Centre.
The three-day meet featuring western Canada’s top university swim teams would, on paper, be the biggest challenge thus far this season for the T-Birds. However, after victories at October’s Dinos Invitational in Calgary and the Sports Illustrated Colleges Cup earlier in November, the T-Birds were poised and primed to stand up to the test ahead.
And stand up they did. At the end of the meet, the women’s team took the top step of the podium, over 300 points ahead of the University of Calgary Dinos, and the men’s team followed suit, picking up their first crown since 2021. Attesting to the success of his athletes working as a team, men and women’s head coach Derrick Schoof said fostering a united yet competitive environment translated to collective success.
“Beyond the team bonding as a team and their behaviours have been excellent, it was really nice to see them step up and compete,” he said. “That’s something we’ve been intentional about, is preparing our athletes to be competitive and fostering a very competitive environment.”
Teams collect points through individual races, with more points being won for better performances. But for Schoof, the individual and team successes go hand in hand.
“That’s where university swimming is unique, is it does become more about the team than about the individual … They’re in there trying to score points for the team, and by swimming for the team, they end up doing better individually.”
Over the weekend, the ‘Birds broke a total of 13 Canada West records — 5 of which were in relay races — and fully swept the podium in 8 women’s events and 4 men’s events. Kayla Sanchez, Finlay Knox, Emma O’Croinin, Blake Tierney and Olivier Risk all broke individual records, with Sanchez getting two and Knox three.
The swimmers complemented their dominance as a team by racking up six of the eight Canada West individual awards, including Sanchez and Knox being crowned Swimmers of the Year. Natascha Borromeo and Tanner Cole earned Rookie of the Year, while Schoof scooped up Coach of the Year for both the women’s and men’s team.
Both Sanchez and Knox had made their mark on the world stage this summer, respectively representing the Philippines and Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. While this came at the cost of pausing their studies to focus on swimming, Schoof praised the pair’s dedication.
“I think for [Sanchez and Knox], they both put their academic career on hold to chase their swimming dreams, which they’ve done remarkably well,” he said.
“What they’re showing as well is you can be a world class swimmer while being on a varsity swim team in Canada.”
This isn’t the first time UBC has shown their strength in the swimming pool either. The T-Birds have demonstrated impeccable consistency in the women’s events, bringing home the Canada West title for the 14th time in the past 15 years — a legacy still in the making that continues to motivate swimmers.
“I think we’ve always had the track record of attracting women who are not only great athletes, but great students. That’s exactly what UBC is all about,” Schoof said. “There’s a strong tradition of success and a legacy they want to uphold, and they value that very highly.”
The Thunderbirds have three more meets in the new year before they head to Toronto for the U Sports National Championship in March. There, the women and men’s teams will look to continue their success and improve from last year’s second and fourth places, respectively.
Share this article
