Kylie Masse broke a senior Canadian record on the first night of the Ontario University Championships at Western University Thursday, taking the win in the women’s 100 short course meters backstroke by over four-seconds with a 56.55 performance.
That time for Masse broke the six and-a-half year-old record of 56.88 set by Katelyn Murdoch back in August of 2009.
The University of Toronto swimmer first came close to that mark in prelims with a 56.97, solidifying that mark in finals. Putting her speed into perspective, Masse would have finished 11th overall in the men’s race.
This is the second senior Canadian record that Masse broke this season, having already bettered the 50m backstroke mark. In a back-and-forth exchange however, her teammate Paige Miller (who had the record when Masse originally broke it) took the record back from her with a 26.74 which stands as the current record.
Kylie Masse is the top seed in the 200m backstroke prelims this morning with an entry time of 2:06.23, again more than four second ahead of her next competitor.
Masse will need to be faster than a 2:02.56 if she wants to get her hands on another Canadian record. That record was set by World Championship bronze medallist Hilary Caldwell back in 2013 at a world cup event in Eindhoven.
Masse is also the top seed in the 50m butterfly this morning.
Tonight’s finals will start at 6:00 p.m ET. For full meet results click here.