By Sophie Kaufman on SwimSwam
2025 U SPORTS SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
March 6-8, 2025 Toronto, Ontario Defending Champions: Women – Toronto (3x) Men – Toronto (1x) Start Times: 9:30 am prelims / 5:30 pm finals (ET) SCM (25 meters) Meet Central Complete ResultsThe University of British Columbia swept the 2025 U Sports Swimming Championship this weekend, winning the women’s and men’s team titles. It’s a return to the top step of the podium for both programs; the University of Toronto Varsity Blues claimed both team titles last season, with the men’s side winning their first title since 2016.
This year, the UBC men led from the first night of competition, pulling away from the field with 1305.5 points. The team won by 227.5 points as Toronto took second with 1078 total points. The Thunderbird women scored 1472 points, earning their first U Sports team title since 2020 by a 535 point margin.
The Thunderbirds put in a dominant effort across the three-day championships, earning 21 event wins across the men’s and women’s events. Olympians Finlay Knox and Kayla Sanchez spear-headed the effort and picked up the Swimmer of the Meet honors for their contributions. Knox won the men’s 50 backstroke (23.39), 200 IM (1:54.15), and 200 butterfly (1:53.67), setting U Sports records in each. He was also a factor in UBC’s winning 400 freestyle, 800 freestyle, and 400 medley relays, which all set U Sports records. Olympian Blake Tierney was the other man to swim on all three record-setting relays.
Sanchez also took down multiple U Sports records at her championship debut. She lowered the standards in the 50 freestyle (24.18) and 50 butterfly (25.85). Sanchez also picked up gold in the 200 freestyle (1:54.14) and 100 freestyle (52.48). Like Knox and Tierney, she swam on all three of UBC’s winning women’s relays.
Tierney and Emma O’Croinin also earned multiple individual victories for the Thunderbirds. Tierney won the 100 and 200 backstroke (51.00/1:53.27), setting a U Sports record in the former. O’Croinin, another Olympian, won the women’s 400 and 800 freestyle (4:09.88/8:36.64).
UBC Event Winners
Women’s 200 freestyle: Kayla Sanchez — 1:54.74 Women’s 50 backstroke: Eloise Allen — 27.45 Men’s 50 backstroke: Finlay Knox — 23.39 U Sports Record Men’s 400 IM: Tanner Cole — 4:13.67 Women’s 400 freestyle relay: Emma O’Croinin, Anna Dumont-Belanger, Bridget Burton, Kayla Sanchez — 3:37.78 Men’s 400 freestyle relay: Finlay Knox, Blake Tierney, Jake Gaunt, Joel Blanco — 3:11.80 U Sports Record Women’s 50 freestyle: Kayla Sanchez — 24.18 U Sports Record Women’s 400 freestyle: Emma O’Croinin — 4:09.88 Men’s 400 freestyle: Olivier Risk — 3:49.79 Women’s 100 backstroke: Bridget Burton — 59.30 Men’s 100 backstroke: Blake Tierney — 51.00 U Sports Record Men’s 200 IM: Finlay Knox — 1:54.15 U Sports Record Women’s 50 butterfly: Kayla Sanchez — 25.85 U Sports Record Women’s 800 SCM freestyle relay: Anna Dumont-Belanger, Emma O’Croinin, Camryn Stannard, Kayla Sanchez — 7:54.04 Men’s 800 SCM freestyle relay: Blake Tierney, Jake Gaunt, Olivier Risk, Finlay Knox — 7:07.23 U Sports Record Men’s 200 butterfly: Finlay Knox — 1:53.67 U Sports Record Women’s 100 freestyle: Kayla Sanchez — 52.48 Men’s 200 backstroke: Blake Tierney — 1:53.27 Women’s 800 freestyle: Emma O’Croinin — 8:36.64 Women’s 400 medley relay: Bridget Burton, Eloise Allen, Una Borchgrevink, Kayla Sanchez — 3:59.16 Men’s 400 medley relay: Blake Tierney, Finlay Knox, Wells Ginzer, Joel Blanco — 3:29.52 U Sports RecordHead coach Derrick Schoof highlighted the team effort that goes into such a strong performance at a team championship, beyond the gold medals, in the team’s press release.
“It takes 18 swimmers to really put together that many points,” he said. “It’s not just about one or two, it’s about the entire team really getting up, whether it’s winning the gold medal or moving up in the B-final or even the C-final…our legacy is one to be proud of which come with it some added expectations. So, it very rewarding to win both titles again.”
This is the UBC women’s 25th national championship banner and the men’s 21st in program history.
UBC swept the Athlete of the Meet awards, but Men’s Rookie of the Year went to Toronto’s Nathan Thomas and Laval’s Raphaëlle Tremblay earned the Female Rookie of the Year honors. Thomas earned silver in the 100/200 breaststroke and as part of Toronto’s 400 medley relay. Tremblay made four ‘A’ finals, earning her highest finish in the 400 freestyle with a bronze. She placed fourth in the 400 IM, fifth in the 200 free, and seventh in the 200 IM.
The Thunderbirds were responsible for all but one of the downed U Sports records. York’s Eric Ginzburg, swam 23.05 to win the men’s 50 butterfly, taking down the U Sports record.
Major Awards
Men’s Athlete of the Meet: Finlay Knox, UBC Women’s Athlete of the Meet: Kayla Sanchez, UBC Men’s Rookie of the Year: Nathan Thomas, Toronto Women’s Rookie of the Year: Raphaëlle Tremblay, Laval Men’s FOX 40 Coach of the Year: Paul Birmingham, Alberta Women’s FOX 40 Coach of the Year: Peter Carpenter, McGill Men’s Community Service Award: Erik Leinseisen, McGill Women’s Community Service Award: Marcella Whelan, MemorialFinal Standings
Women:
UBC — 1472 McGill — 936.5 Calgary — 920.5 Toronto — 708 Alberta — 366 Western — 264 Victoria — 231 Ottawa — 219.5 McMaster — 198.5 Guelph — 196 Lethbridge — 195.5 Dalhousie — 176 Brock — 170 Laval — 168 Montreal — 158 Manitoba — 148.5 Waterloo — 143 Acadia — 80 Sherbrooke — 8 UNB — 2Men:
UBC — 1305.5 Toronto — 1078 Calgary — 860 McGill — 754.5 Alberta — 412 Western — 316 Victoria — 267.5 Ottawa — 260 Waterloo — 224 Lethbridge — 166.5 Laval — 146.5 York — 128 McMaster — 117 Laurier — 108 Memorial — 86.5 Dalhousie — 82 Montreal Manitoba — 65 Sherbrooke — 58 Carleton — 51.5 Regina — 50 UNB — 38 Acadia — 34 Brock — 28.5 UQTR — 4Read the full story on SwimSwam: Back On Top: UBC Thunderbirds Sweep 2025 U Sports Swimming Championships
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