The first event of the prelims on day three at the Mel Zajac Jr International at the UBC Aquatic Centre went according to plan to three top women butterfliers in Canadian swimming. Noemie Thomas of the UBC Dolphins, who is looking to bounce back from a disappointing Canadian National Championships, qualified first in a time of 59.62. She was followed by Canadian record holder and Commonwealth Games team member Katerine Savard of CAMO who posted a time of 1:00.25 followed by fellow Commonwealth Games team member and 200 butterfly national record holder Audrey Lacroix of PPO.
In the men’s event Coleman Allen of the UBC Dolphins qualified first in a time of 54.96. Allen’s best is a 52.76 which he recorded at the World Student Games last year in Kazan and has a season’s best of 53.27 which he posted at the Canadian Trials in April. Nicolaas Dekker of the Richmond Rapids Swim Club qualified second in a time of 55.45. Club Wolverine teammates Sean Fletcher and Geoff Cheah were the next two qualifiers. Cheah and Fletcher went one two in the 50 butterfly on Friday evening.
Commonwealth Game teammates Brittany MacLean of Eswim and Tabitha Baumann of the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club qualified first and second in the women’s 400 freestyle. MacLean who won the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle events at the Canadian Trials in April posted a 4:17.05. Baumann followed recording a time of 4:18.05 with Alyson Ackman of Pointe Claire qualifying third in a time of 4:19.62.
Cal teammates Elizabeth Pelton and Missy Franklin qualified in the fourth and fifth position. Last evening both women collected medals in the 200 backstroke with Franklin taking gold and Pelton collecting silver. Franklin also took the 200 freestyle on Friday night.
In the men’s 400 freestyle Island Swimming’s Jeremy Bagshaw, who finished second at the Canadian Trials to teammate Ryan Cochrane, qualified first in a time of 4:04.79. He was followed by Tristan Cote of Eswim who posted a 4:04.88 and Justin Chan of the UBC Dolphins who recorded a time of 4:06.25.
Canadian record holder Ryan Cochrane was not entered in the event.
Cal teammates Caitlin Leverenz and Elizabeth Pelton qualified in the two spots in the final. Leverenz, who won the 400 IM on Friday evening put up a time of 2:15.58 followed by Pelton who recorded a time of 2:17.91. 400 IM silver medalist Celina Li qualified with the third fastest time of 2:17.91.
With only 35 one-hundredths of a second separating the top qualifier and the eighth place qualifier the women’s 50 freestyle looks to be a great race this evening. Kaylin Bing of Cal qualified first in the women’s 50 freestyle in a time of 26.12. She was followed by the first of three PPO swimmers to make the final, Hannah Riordan who posted a time of 26.16. Chantal Vanlandeghem qualified third in a time of 26.19. Canadian national champion Victoria Poon qualified in the sixth place position swimming a time of 26.35.
Club Wolverine’s Zach Hayden and George Bovell were the top two qualifiers in the men’s 50 freestyle. Hayden posted a time of 23.29 while Bovell recorded a time of 23.51. Canadian national champion Yuri Kisil of the Cascade Swim Club qualified in the third position with a time of 23.71.
Full results can be found here