Tigers win Kemp-Fry Invitational

Halifax, NS – The Dalhousie Tigers extended their winning streak, taking home both the women's and men's titles at the Kemp-Fry Invitational on Sunday, but it was Acadia's Gordon Shortt who stole the show, setting two more AUS records.

The evening opened with the 200m butterfly finals. UNB's Emma Sinclair won the women's race, followed by Heidi Perry of Memorial and Meredith Coolen of Dalhousie. It was almost a Dalhousie sweep of the men's final with Tigers Freddy Chandler-Baas and Isaac Bahler taking home first and second spots and Acadia's Nate Thompson finishing in third.

A new AUS record was set in the men's 50m breaststroke, with Gordon Shortt lowering his time to 28.37 seconds. Keilen Bellis of Dal touched in second followed by Blake Kingston of UNB in third. Acadia's Ella Collins won the women's race also setting a new AUS record with a time of 31.76 seconds, lowering the time she et on Friday. She was followed by Jordan Thomas of Mount Allison and Marcy Whelan of Memorial.

In the 100m freestyle Elodie Martin of UNB won the final beating Emma Hamlyn of Acadia and Elaine Gentleman of Dalhousie to the wall. Two swimmers on the men's side were faster than the AUS record, but it was Memorial's Chris Weeks touching the wall before Dalhousie's Noah Mascoll-Gomes to set the new record at 48.62 seconds. Fellow Tiger Logan Sparkes touched in third.

It was a Tigers sweep of the women's 200m IM with Emilie Schofield touching first, Kate Tuck second and Mikhael Johnson in third.

Shortt set his second AUS record of the night in the 200m IM. He smashed David Sharpe's record from 2012, setting a new time of 2:00.69. Timothy McCowan and Alex Dalessio from Dalhousie touched in second and third respectively.

The Axewomen swept the 100m backstroke with Sophie Rooney in first, Grace Earle in second and Natalie Stokes in third. Dalhousie's Liam Ferguson touched in under the U SPORTS standard in the men's final followed by Mascoll-Gomes and Acadia's Benjamin Henger.

Collins won the 200m breaststroke event. Dalhousie's Tuck and Mount Allison's Thomas finished second and third. Tigers Connor Maloney and McCowan finished in first and third in the men's event with UNB's Kingston sandwiched between them.

Acadia's Rooney won the 50m butterfly, her second win of the night. Fellow Axewoman Sara Bennett touched in second with Memorial's Perry touching in third. Memorial's Weeks set another AUS record in the men's final, with a new time of 23.64 seconds. Ferguson touched in second followed by Acadia's Marcus Villancourt in third.

Reagan Crowell set a new Dalhousie record in the 400m freestyle with a time of 4:13.31. Fellow Tiger Ella Dobson touched the wall in second followed by Acadia's Stokes in third. The Sparkes brothers went 1-2 in the men's race with Logan out touching Morgan by almost two seconds. Acadia's David Harvie and Felix Sheppard of Memorial tied for third place.

The Acadia relay team of Rooney, Collins, Hamlyn, and Bennett touched in under the U SPORTS standard in the women's 4x100m medley. Dalhousie touched second and Memorial finished in third. On the men's side Dalhousie won the race, with Acadia touching in second and Memorial in third

After the water calmed, it was the Tigers winning both the men's and women's titles. Acadia finished in second in both standings and Memorial in third.

Finals Standings

Women

1. Dalhousie Tigers                   953.5 points
2. Acadia Axewomen                 775 points
3. Memorial Sea-Hawks             461.5 points
4. UNB REDS                            391 points
5. Mount Allison Mounties          365 points

Men

1. Dalhousie Tigers               1090 points
2. Acadia Axemen                 795 points
3. Memorial Sea-Hawks         478.5 points
4. UNB REDS                        307.5 points
5. Mount Allison Mounties      209 points

The next meet on the AUS swimming calendar is the UNB Invitational January 20 and 21, 2024.