Tigers look to continue championship run
By Corey LeBlanc
(SAINT JOHN, N.B.) The Dalhousie Tigers – defending conference champions – will look to continue their unprecedented run on the women's and men's sides at the 2025 Bell AUS Swimming Championships, which are set for Friday, Feb. 21 to Sunday, Feb. 23 at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre in Saint John, N.B.
All championship events will be webcast at AUStv.ca
Both Dalhousie varsity teams have dominated the pool for more than two decades; the women will be seeking their 23rd conference banner, while the men will be vying for their 25th in the past 26 AUS campaigns.
"We are looking really good; we are ready to go," Tigers' head coach Lance Cansdale said, noting that 12 of his swimmers have already achieved the required standard to compete at the national championship level in 2025.
He added, "Everyone is excited to have the chance to swim at the AUS [championships]."
Emma Carrier Clarke (Toronto, ON), in the freestyles, along with Emilie Schofield (Miramichi, NB) – in the individual medley and backstroke – and Kate Tuck (Sunderland, ON), an individual medley swimmer and breaststroker, are expected to lead the way for the women's side.
Led by team captain Logan Sparkes (Agassiz, BC), in the distance free and individual medley, top contenders for the Dalhousie men include Liam Ferguson (Upper Tantallon, NS) – in the backstroke and butterfly – who is "looking really good," according to Cansdale, even though he is dealing with a shoulder injury.
Jake Gysel (Kamloops, BC) and Connor Maloney (London, ON) are expected to be in the medal mix for the breaststroke.
As the season has unfolded, Cansdale explained, the Tigers' "young and unproven" swimmers have gotten "faster each time," which bodes well for this weekend's competition.
"We are in pretty high spirits," he offered of the men's side, when it comes to continuing their conference championship run.
Cansdale added, of the women, they are "improving quite rapidly."
He noted, "They are probably slight favourites," of the rival Acadia Axewomen, who captured two meets this season.
Cansdale added of that position, "They deserve it."
He explained that his Tigers will have to match the "technical and emotional" intensity he expects the Axewomen to deliver this weekend, if they want to achieve a return to the top of the AUS podium.
The season
In 2024, Acadia and Memorial secured second and third, respectively, in the women's competition, while Acadia and UNB garnered those podium positions on the men's side.
The Mount Allison Mounties will round out both fields for the year-end meet.
In the 2024-25 season-opening meet last October – the Amby Legere Invitational at UNB – Dalhousie (1st), Acadia (2nd) and UNB (3rd) reached the podium – in the same order – for both the women's and men's competitions.
Early last November, at the Jack Scholz Invitational at Acadia, Dalhousie and Memorial captured the top-three spots on the women's side, while Dalhousie swam to first for the men, followed by Acadia and Memorial.
Later in the month, at Dal's Kemp-Fry Invitational, Acadia won their second consecutive women's meet, followed by Dalhousie (second) and Memorial (third). On the men's side, the Tigers garnered top spot, followed by the Axemen and Sea-Hawks.
'The job's not done'
Acadia – a perennial podium contender – enters its final AUS championships this weekend.
Head coach Kris Bell said the focus is on "celebrating the men's and women's varsity teams on the highest platform."
"As a team, we want to come together [with] each opportunity to compete," he added.
Bell also expressed gratitude to the conference, officials, parents, and volunteers for their support heading into the team's final AUS meet.
"The job's not done," he said, a message he has reinforced throughout training leading up to the year-end meet.
'Impressive' effort
Describing it as an "impressive season," Memorial Sea-Hawks' co-coach Duffy Earle said his student-athletes "showcased remarkable performances and team spirit."
He added of his 21-swimmer roster, which includes six "talented" rookies, "The team demonstrated resilience and skill in every competition."
Earle offered that their top-three finishes at the Jack Scholz and Kemp-Fry invitational meets, along with the AUS invitational in January "reflected the depth and determination of the team across multiple disciplines."
Describing him as a "standout performer," Earle credited student-athlete Chris Weeks for setting conference records in the 50 and 100m freestyles, along with the 50m butterfly.
"Chris also achieved a remarkable milestone by tying the fastest 100m free relay split of the season," he said.
Team-wise, Earle added, Memorial set provincial records in six individual disciplines, along with the men's 400m free and individual medley relay races.
"[It] was a testament to the hard work, talent and teamwork of our program, setting the stage for even greater accomplishments in the future," he said.
Looking ahead
Swimmers who achieve the required qualifying times this weekend, or have met the standard in previous meets this season, will move on to the U SPORTS Swimming Championships – hosted by the University of Toronto – scheduled for March 6-8 at University of Toronto Athletic Centre Varsity Pool.