SWIM | Schouten Reaches Podium, Konrad Impressive at U SPORTS Swim Championships
A pair of Voyageurs represented the men's and women's swim teams at the U SPORTS Championships in Vancouver over the weekend and came away with some extremely impressive results. In a new format this year, the prelims were raced short course while the finals were competed on the long course but the Voyageurs didn't let that switch faze them.
On the women's side Riley Konrad carried the torch in her final season as a Voyageur. Swimming in four different events, Konrad qualified for the finals each time she hit the water, tallying 44 points over the weekend for a 21st place finish in the team standings. The meet began with the 50 breaststroke and 200 IM, which Konrad finished in 22nd and 12th, respectively. Day 2 saw Konrad finish 9th in the 400 IM, winning the B final with a time of 5:03.44 that would have placed her 6th in the A final. Konrad wrapped up the meet, and her U SPORTS career, finishing 19th in the 200 breaststroke.
The men's team was represented by Matt Schouten, who also made the finals each time he hit the water. The highlight to Schouten's meet came on day 1 in the first race for the men. After narrowly qualifying for the 50 freestyle A final in the morning, Schouten found another gear in the finals. Swimming in lane 8, he left it all in the pool and powered his way to a long course time of 23.36 and a second place finish, earning the Voyageurs men's team their first U SPORTS medal since Brad Johnson medaled in 1997. Schouten's time also opened up the door for him to represent Canada at the FISU Games in Napoli in July, with final decisions being made closer to the event.
Day 1 also saw Schouten finish 22nd in the 100 butterfly. Day 2 saw Schouten finish 14th in the 50 backstroke and he wrapped up his Championships, and U SPORTS career, with a 13th place finish in the 100 freestyle. By the end of the meet, Schouten had earned 58 points, good enough for 16th in the overall team standings.
The end of the Championships officially brings the swimmers' 2018-19 season to a close.