TEAM MEMBERS:
Barbara Jardin, Montreal, 200 FR, 1:58.25 (training centre) Sinead Russell, Burlington, Ont., 100 BK 1:00.12 (Florida Gators)
Kristina Steins, Burlington, Ont., 100 BK, 1:00.85 (High School)
Audrey Lacroix, Pont-Rouge, Que., 200 FL, 2:07.89 (Montreal Training Centre)
Katerine Savard, Pont-Rouge, Que., 200 FL, 2:08.34; 100 FL, 58.06 (Cegep)
Samantha Cheverton, Pointe-Claire, Que., 200 FR, 1:58.80; 100 FR, 55.67 (Unknown)
Brittany MacLean, Etobicoke, Ont., 200 FR, 1:59.53 (Georgia Bulldogs)
Savannah King, Vancouver, 200 FR, 2:00.34; 400 FR, 4:10.34; 800 FR, 8:33.49 (UBC/training centre)
Blake Worsley, Victoria, 200 FR, 1:48.80 (Toronto Training Centre)
Charles Francis, Montreal, 100 BK, 55.34 (Montreal Training Centres)
Zack Chetrat, Toronto, 200 FL, 1:58.01 (Toronto Training Centre/ U of T)
Alec Page, Victoria, 200 FR, 1:49.36; 400 IM, 4:18.06 (UVIC/ Victoria Training Centre)
Aly Abdel-Khalik, Etobicoke, Ont., 200 FR, 1:49.59 (High School)
Hassaan Abdel-Khalik, Etobicoke, Ont., 200 FR, 1:49.84; 100 FR, 50.57 (Michigan)
Tera Van Beilen, Oakville, Ont., 100 BR, 1:08.15; 200 BR, 2:25.84 (OAK/ UBC/ training centre))
Alexa Komarnycky, Victoria, 400 IM, 4:41.65; 800 FR, 8:34.17; 200 IM, 2:14.28 (Victoria Training Centre)
Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson, Ottawa, 400 IM, 4:42.71; 200 IM, 2:13.29 (High School)
Victoria Poon, Montreal, 100 FR, 55.31; 50 FR, 25.24 (Montreal Training Centre)
Sandrine Mainville, Montreal, 100 FR, 55.32 (Montreal Training Centre)
Chantal van Landeghem, Winnipeg, 100 FR, 55.35; 50 FR, 25.19 (Georgia Bulldogs)
Joel Greenshields, Calgary, 100 FR, 50.36 (Cascade)
Richard Funk, Edmonton, 100 BR, 1:00.87 (Michigan)
Tommy Gossland, Vancouver, 100 FR, 50.50 (UBC/ Training Centre)
Luke Peddie, Vancouver, 100 FR, 50.62 (UBC/National Training Centre)
Ryan Cochrane, Victoria, 400 FR, 3:47.08; 1500 FR, 14:59.73 (Victoria Training Centre)
Will Brothers, Victoria, 1500 FR, 15:02.48 (Victoria Training Centre/UVIC)
Noemie Thomas, Vancouver, 100 FL, 58.31 (High School/ National Training Centre))
Hilary Caldwell, White Rock, B.C., 200 BK, 2:09.31 (Victoria Trainig Centre)
Coleman Allen, Vancouver, 100 FL, 53.57 (UBC/National Training Centre)
Russell Wood, Calgary, 200 BK, 2:01.01 (University of Calgary)
Chris Manning, Brantford, Ont., 50 FR, 22.71 (U of T)
Martha McCabe, Toronto, 200 BR, 2:27.35 (Toronto Training Centre)
Ashton Baumann, Ottawa, 200 BR, 2:14.84 (New Zealand)
Andrew Ford, Guelph, Ont., 200 IM, 2:00.03 (Guelph, non CIS)
Here is how our World Championship Team works out by the numbers:
Training Centre Athletes: 14 athletes (7 Women, 6 Men)
CIS Athletes: 10
CIS Schools Represented: U of T, Calgary, UBC, UVIC
CIS Athletes that Train at Training Centres: 9
NCAA Athletes: 5
NCAA Schools Represented: Georgia, Michigan & Florida
High School Athletes: 4
Other: 2
Other: 2
Deepest Men's Event: Mens 1500FR. Good job by Randy Bennett & Ryan Mallette who have the 3 fastest 1500 men in Canadian History with them right now.
Deepest Women's Event: Tie - 200BR or 200BK: 2 or more women under the cut & Hillary Coldwell beat Sinead Russell in 200BK (Canadian Record Holder) and is closing in on her record. Exciting event.
Weakest Men's Event: 200BK - 2:01.01 won the event by Russell Wood, even though several athletes in the event have been faster (both Swanston brothers have been under 2min and Charles Francis scratched). 2min of faster has won that meet since before 2008, even in Summer Nationals when the selected National Team members were not there. (Close 2nd - 100FR)
Weakest Women's Event: Women looked pretty strong... I'm stumped on a weak event.
Special Honors: I am particularly impressed by Georgia, Michigan & Indiana. Georgia had Brittany MacLean & Chantal Van Landeghem ready to swim (even though BMac pulled a hamstring at the meet and missed the 400FR). Michigan helped Hassaan Abdel Khalik get back on the team and made Richard Funk better than last season. They also had Marnie Oldershaw finish 3rd in 400IM and 3rd in 200IM (although DQ'ed on a turn infraction). Indiana saw many of their athletes get better this season and contend for medals. UPDATE: Also special nod to OAK, who placed 2nd to UBC Dolphins as a club team. Having a club team place that high amongst Centre affiliated teams is a big accomplishment, congrats to them.
So when we look at the stats above:
1.) If I was going to send an athletes anywhere in the NCAA, Michigan & Georgia would be at the top of my list.
2.) Only 4 CIS schools contributing to this years World Championship Team from my count - the majority coming from UBC.
3.) 11 CIS athletes and 5 NCAA athletes on the team. The odds look to be in the favour of CIS athletes. However, a further look reveals that 9 of those 11 are Training Centre Athletes.... and their main goal is to make the National Team and medal internationally - NOT to peak at CIS meets.
4.) 2 of the 5 NCAA athletes are Olympic Finalists (lets be honest, no chance they're going to miss the team).
5.) 4 high school athletes made the team!??!?!??!? Kelly Aspinall missed the team!?!?!??!
6.) I'm not confident that this is the strongest men's team (or even women's team) that Canada can be sending to World Championships. I expect to see 1:59 or faster win Summer Nationals in men's 200BK and certainly something faster than 50.3 win mens 100FR. I'm still not convinced that this is the best time for a trials since everyone will likely be faster in 2 months.
7.) There is a second chance to qualify for World Championships - if athletes can make the FINA A cut in finals at the Mel Zajac meet @ UBC in May - although very few athletes were close enough to expect to make it. LOSC's Chelsey Salli, and a few others in the deeper events have a very solid chance to make the team still, but I wouldn't expect a flood of additions.
Congratulations to everyone who made the team and good luck to everyone else.
Look for an upcoming #coachmikepodcast featuring interviews with Richard Funk, Hassaan Abdel-Khalik, Brittany MacLean & Zack Chetrat.
