January 13, 2008
- The University of Toronto Varsity Blues swim team dominated the
McMaster Marauders on Sunday afternoon at U of T’s Varsity Pool,
winning every single event with a final score of 103-45 (men) and 98-53
(women).
“This is a good swim for us this early in January,” said head coach Byron MacDonald. “I believe it is a direct result of a great Christmas training camp in Florida. I had a feeling we would be hot today after a superb workout on Friday night.”
The key match-up of the meet was on the women’s side, where Blues rookie Pamela (Poppy) Ruksys was pitted against 2007 OUA champion Carly Cermak. Ruksys was able to hold off the fifth-year Marauder in both the 200 individual medley and the 200 freestyle.
“Poppy was our top recruit this past year and I was very pleased when she decided to come to Toronto,” said MacDonald. “She is improving into a national threat and is a great addition to the team.”
Ruksys won all three of her events, as did male standout and second-year Commerce student Cam Cummings. “The skinny, six-foot-five swimmer from Oakville, Ont. is still filling out. “He got sick in the fall, lost eight pounds and swam awful. Now he is healthy and with those pounds back on he is becoming a real force in OUA swimming,” states assistant coach Linda Kiefer.
The two other triple winners for the Blues were fourth-year swimmer Kristin McIlroy and third-year sensation Sasha Theron.
There were six meet records achieved on this day: one each by Theron, Cummings, Kate Plyley, Terrence Haynes and two relays.
The Varsity Blues will host all the top senior swimmers in the province, including university, graduates and high school athletes in the Ontario Club Championships next weekend at Varsity Pool.
U of T will then host the OUA championships February 9-11, in which they are favoured to defend both men’s and the women’s titles.