UBC Signs Six Men, 10 Women To Team For 2016-17 Season

The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds will have a large freshman group next season, especially on the women’s side, saying goodbye to staple veterans such as Tera Van Beilen and Rebecca Terejko, and focusing on a new group of athletes.

Head Coach Steve Price has recruited a total of sixteen athletes to swim for the Thunderbirds next season, including six men and 10 women.

Both Markus Thormeyer and Emily Overholt, two of the most desired Canadian recruits in the past several years, will be joining UBC next season. Both athletes are currently training for the 2016 Olympic Games where they were both selected for the team this past April at the Canadian Olympic Trials.

While the likes of Thormeyer and Overholt drive the recruiting year, there are several other recruits who will likely be able to make their mark on the program during their five years of eligibility.

MEN

MARKUS THORMEYER

• Current club: High Performance Centre – Vancouver
• Stroke: Backstroke/freestyle
• 50m freestyle SCM/LCM 22.75/22.77
• 100m freestyle SCM/LCM 49.00/49.38
• 200m freestyle SCM/LCM 1:50.51/1:48.17
• 50m backstroke SCM/LCM 26.23/26.43
• 100m backstroke SCM/LCM 53.74/54.59
• 200m backstroke SCM/LCM 1:56.33/2:00.41

Most recently Markus Thormeyer qualified to swim on the 4x100m freestyle relay team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Previously, Thormeyer had plenty of success on the junior international scene.

To read more about Thormeyer’s decision, click here. 

WILL DICKSON

• Golden Horseshoe Aquatic Club (Hamilton, Ont.)
• Stroke: Backstroke
• 50m backstroke SCM/LCM 26.50/27.58
• 100m backstroke SCM/LCM 55.20/58.75
• 200m backstroke SCM/LCM 1:57.54/2:05.84

Will Dickson was named the Male Swimmer of the Year at his home club for two years straight, and took home four gold medals in four events at the 2015 Ontario Provincial Championships.

WARREN MEYER

• Pickering Swim Club (Pickering, Ont.)
• Stroke: breaststroke
• 50m breaststroke SCM/LCM 28.67/28.83
• 100m breaststroke SCM/LCM 1:02.25/1:02.63
• 200m breaststroke SCM/LCM2:19.58/2:28.50

Warren Meyer was named Canada’s Youth Swimmer of the Year.

ARAYA THERRIEN

• Kanomi Sports Club (Nishinomiya, Japan)
• Stroke: Individual Medley
• 200m IM LCM 2:06.51
• 400m IM LCM 4:38.11

Araya Therrien was born in Motnreal, but trained at the Konami Sports Club in Nishinomiya, Japan.

MICAH FERNANDES

• Nairobi, Kenya
• Stroke: breaststroke
• 50m breaststroke LCM 30.08
• 100m breaststroke SCM/LCM 1:04.51/1:07.09
• 200m breaststroke SCM/LCM 2:20.352:24.15

Michael Fernandes is the Kenyan national record holder in all three long course breaststroke events, and both the 100 and 200 short course meter breaststrokes.

Fernandes has competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2014 World Championships. Most recently he represented Kenya at the World Junior Championships in Singapore last summer.

ROLANDO HERNANDEZ

• Hyack Swim Club
• Stroke: IM
• 200m IM SCM/LCM 2:03.40/2:08.97
• 400m IM SCM/LCM 4:26.42/4:33.99

Hernandez holds dual citizenship with both Canada and Mexico.

WOMEN

EMILY OVERHOLT

• High Performance Centre – Vancouver
• Stroke: freestyle/ IM
• 200m freestyle SCM/LCM 1:57.86/1:57.55
• 400m freestyle SCM/LCM 4:06.44/ 4:07.93
• 200m IM SCM/LCM 2:11.85/2:15.33
• 400m IM SCM/LCM 4:33.46/ 4:32.52

Emily Overholt will be going to the 2016 Olympic Games to compete in the 400m IM. Last summer she won bronze in that event at the 2015 World Championships.

Overholt emerged onto the international scene as an individual swimmer at the 2015 Pan American Games, capturing four medals. Previously she had competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2014 Pan Pacific Championships taking home medals on the relays.

To read more about Overholt’s decision click here.

LAUREN CASWELL

• Vancouver Pacific Swim Club
• Stroke: butterfly
• 50m butterfly SCM/LCM 28.67/29.38
• 100m butterfly SCM/LCM 1:03.87/1:05.72
• 200m butterfly SCM/LCM 2:20.34/2:26.88

Was named the 16-year-old Swimmer of the Year for the UBC Dolphins in 2015.

MEGAN DALKE

• Kamloops Classic Swimming
• Stroke: distance freestyle
• 200m freestyle SCM/LCM 2:02.11/2:05.40
• 400m freestyle SCM/LCM 4:16.78/4:18.37
• 800m freestyle SCM/LCM 8:38.00/8:58.70

HILARY METCALFE

• Langley Olympians Swim Club
• Stroke: breaststroke/ IM
• 50m breaststroke SCM/LCM 32.53/33.26
• 100m breaststroke SCM/LCM 1:09.75/1:11.47
• 200m breaststroke SCM/LCM 2:30.07/2:34.00
• 200m IM SCM/LCM 2:16.40/2:19.94
• 400m IM SCM/LCM 4:51.91/ 5:58.53

KIRSTEN DOUGLAS

• Calgary Patriots Swim Club
• Stroke: freestyle/butterfly
• 50m freestyle SCM/LCM 26.55/27.25
• 100m freestyle SCM/LCM 58.19/59.18
• 50m butterfly SCM/LCM 28.05/28.53
• 100m butterfly SCM/LCM 1:02.54/1:02.93

PAIGE BERGEN

• Cascade Swim Club
• Stroke: sprint freestyle
• 50m freestyle SCM/LCM 26.28/27.13
• 100m freestyle SCM/LCM 57.13/58.95

OLIVIA ELLARD

• Perth Stingrays Aquatic Club (Perth, Ont.)
• Stroke: backstroke
• 50m backstroke SCM/LCM 29.16/30.11
• 100m backstroke SCM/LCM 1:01.44/1:02.76
• 200m backstroke SCM/LCM 2:13.94/2:16.24

QUINCY BROZO

• Milton Marlin Swim Team (Milton, Ont.)
• Stroke: freestyle/butterfly
• 50m freestyle SCM/LCM 26.08/26.56
• 100m freestyle SCM/LCM 56.50/58.94
• 50m butterfly SCM/LCM 28.42/29.37
• 100m butterfly SCM/LCM 1:03.17/1:04.50

KAREN TAM

• Hong Kong

Karen Tam is an international swimmer for Hong Kong. She’s competed at several international meets including FINA world cup stops, the 2015 World Junior Championships, and the 2014 Asian games.

Tam specializes in freestyle and butterfly.

INGRID WILM

• Cascade Swim Club
• Stroke: backstroke
• 50m backstroke SCM/LCM 27.59/28.45
• 100m backstroke SCM/LCM 58.50/1:00.98
• 200m backstroke SCM/LCM 2:06.78/ 2:13.55

Wilm most recently made the final in the 100m backstroke at the 2016 Canadian Olympic Trials, ultimately finishing seventh overall.

The Thunderbirds have certainly filled some holes in their roster, and with the recent additions look to be one of the top teams to beat heading into the 2016-17 season.