UBC Reports | Vol. 48 | No. 5 | Mar.
7, 2002
Long-standing Canadian records broken at national meet
The Thunderbird women’s and men’s swim teams made history
recently, winning their fifth consecutive dual national championship.
It is the first time that a single university has won five consecutive
Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championships by both men and
women in a single sport.
The 2002 CIS Swimming Championship, held at UBC Feb. 22-24, saw
13 CIS records and five Canadian records fall.
UBC Arts student Brian Johns thrilled the crowd on the final day
of competition, breaking Curtis Mayden’s 1994 Canadian record
in the 200-metre individual medley, with a time of 1:57.55. Johns,
19, earlier set a new cis record in the 400-metre individual
medley, breaking Alex Baumann’s 15-year-old mark, and was part
of two record-setting relay teams.
He finished the meet with seven gold medals and was named outstanding
male swimmer of the year, the sixth male swimmer in UBC history
to take the national award. University of Toronto’s Liz Warden
was outstanding female swimmer of the year.
UBC’s Mark Johnston, who was undefeated in his home pool in
four years of university competition, ended that streak when he
finished second in the 200-metre freestyle behind Canadian record-holder
and Olympian Rick Say of Calgary. Johnston also took silver in the
400-metre freestyle.
UBC swimmers finished with 32 medals in 38 events, including 13
gold, 14 silver and five bronze. The UBC women’s team won by
a 180-point margin, with 630 points to the Dinos’ 450. The
UBC men’s team led with 706 points and Calgary came in second
with 636.
Five UBC swimmers will leave the university as five-time national
champions — the highest level of team achievement possible in university
competition.
UBC’s Tom Johnson, who took the honours for women’s coach
of the year for the fifth time, says the Thunderbirds’ outstanding
record was the result of unique teamwork.
"To win both men’s and women’s national level programs
at the same time requires a special environment where neither side
of the team is held above the other," he says.
"Our philosophy is to respect each other and work together
to make a team environment that’s safe and fun to be in. These
guidelines lend themselves to success in the pool — everybody stepped
up and met the challenge at the right time."
Johnson says the championships gave the Thunderbirds good preparation
for the Commonwealth Games trials, which start this month.
