Hurd Wins 1,500 Free at Canadian Pan Pac Trials

MONTREAL, July 31. TWO-time Olympian Andrew Hurd of Toronto and Chanelle Charron-Watson of Quebec City each earned their third individual gold medals on Sunday at the 2006 Pan Pacific Trials and National Championships swimming competition.

Also on Sunday Vancouver’s UBC Dolphins broke the Canadian record in the women’s 400 medley relay, clocking 4:11.55 with Kelly Stefanyshyn, Michelle Landry, Annamay Pierse and Maya Beaudry. The previous mark of 4:12.93 had stood since 1998.

In the men’s 1,500 freestyle, Hurd won an exciting battle over Ryan Cochrane of Victoria by clocking 15:26.65. Hurd, 23, also took the 200 and 400 freestyle races this week. Cochrane, 17, led Hurd by more than two seconds at the 1,000-meter mark but was overtaken at the 1,150 turn. The top-two from each event and the best 18 and under swimmer earn berths on Canada’s team for the Pan Pacific Championships August 16-21 in Victoria.

"My objective was to put in a strong final 500 meters and I had one my best finishes in the event," said Hurd. "Ryan went out really fast which had me concerned but I stuck to my race plan. I wasn’t sure how I would fare here this week but it was solid and I’m hoping to go faster at Pan Pacs."

In the women’s 800 freestyle, Charron-Watson also won in comeback fashion clocking a personal best 8:42.11. Fourteen-year-old Savannah King of Vernon, B.C., the 1,500 freestyle winner on Thursday, led until the 550-meter mark and finished second in 8:43.63.

"I was really pleased that I swam the second half five seconds faster than the first half," said Charron-Watson, originally from Gatineau, Que. "I wasn’t happy with my 400 yesterday (Saturday) and I felt like tonight I found my stride again. Plus Savannah made it a very exciting race, and I’m a swimmer that thrives in those close battles."

In the men’s 200 individual medley, Brian Johns of Vancouver notched his second individual win this week taking the gold in 2:01.49, his best time since coming back from a serious shoulder injury last season. Keith Beavers of Waterloo, Ont., was second in 2:01.73 and Chad Murray of Calgary third in 2:03.60.

"The 200 IM has been my main event since coming back from the injury and tonight’s race is an excellent measuring stick to show I’m progressing really well," said Johns, originally from Richmond, B.C. "It was faster than at the Commonwealth Games and I was particularly pleased with my breaststroke and freestyle. I’m feeling a bit tired from all the racing but it’s been a satisfying four days for me."

Other winners in women’s competition were Victoria Poon of Montreal in the 50 freestyle, Julia Wilkinson of Toronto in the 200 IM and Kathleen Stoody of Burnaby, B.C., in the 200 breaststroke.

Other winners Sunday in men’s competition were Brent Hayden of Vancouver in the 50 freestyle and Mike Brown of Calgary in the 200 breaststroke.

"Our veterans shone tonight and we’ve shown depth in several events," said Pierre Lafontaine, CEO and National Coach for Swimming Canada. "We’re also pleased to see so many young kids make the Pan Pac team. At the world championships last year we had only one under-18 swimmer. We’ve seen this weekend that our national junior development program is a success."

Competition ends Monday with the open water events.

MEN

50 freestyle
1. Brent Hayden, Vancouver, 22.79
2. Matt Rose, Victoria, 22.88
3. Thomas Kindler, Montreal, 23.19
4. Rick Say, Victoria, 23.23
5. Colin Russell, Burlington, Ont., 23.28
6. Richard Hortness, Lethbridge, Alta., 23.43
7. Joel Greenshields, Calgary, 23.51
8. Ryan Tomicic, Montreal, 23.53

200 breaststroke
1. Mike Brown, Calgary, 2:12.74
2. Mathieu Bois, Montreal, 2:16.57
3. Matthew Huang, Vancouver, 2:16.64
4. Michel Boulianne, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., 2:18.90
5. Kyron Winkelmeyer, Nanaimo, B.C., 2:19.15
6. Matt Mains, Waterloo, Ont., 2:19.77
7. Bogdan Knezevic, Etobicoke, Ont., 2:21.80
8. Marco Monaco, Toronto, 2:22.07

200 individual medley
1. Brian Johns, Vancouver, 2:01.49
2. Keith Beavers, Waterloo, Ont., 2:01.73
3. Chad Murray, Calgary, 2:03.60
4. Tobias Oriwol, Etobicoke, Ont., 2:06.14
5. Jordan Hartney, Nanaimo, B.C., 2:06.52
6. Curtis Lutsch, Calgary, 2:08.77
7. Cameron Hyder, Calgary, 2:09.09;
Jonathan Aubry, Montreal, disqualified

1,500 freestyle
1. Andrew Hurd, Toronto, 15:26.65
2. Ryan Cochrane, Victoria, 15:28.11
3. Kier Maitland, Edmonton, 15:44.58
4. Jarrod Ballem, Calgary, 15:55.25
5. Matthew Pariselli, Etobicoke, Ont., 16:04.35
6. Sean Penhale, Calgary, 16:11.57
7. Sandy Lockhart, Vancouver, 16:12.57
8. Doug Rawlick, Edmonton, 16:15.18

400 medley relay:
1. UBC Dolphins, Vancouver, 3:42.72
2. University of Calgary, 3:43.02
3. CAMO, Montreal, 3:48.86

WOMEN

50 freestyle
1. Victoria Poon, Montreal, 25.89
2. Erica Morningstar, Calgary, 26.20
3. Jen Beckberger, Ajax, Ont., 26.25
4. Emily Wong, Nepean, Ont., 26.34
5. Audrey Lacroix, Montreal, 26.46
6. Seanna Mitchell, Calgary, 26.47
7. Jennifer Carroll, Trois-Rivieres, Que., 26.48
8. Caroline Clapham, Victoria, 26.54

200 breaststroke
1. Kathleen Stoody, Burnaby, B.C., 2:31.96
2. Jillian Tyler, Calgary, 2:32.74
3. Annamay Pierse, Vancouver, 2:32.83
4. Chelsey Salli, Langley, B.C., 2:33.11
5. Martha McCabe, Toronto, 2:35.78
6. Lisa Blackburn, Waterloo, Ont., 2:35.95
7. Taylor Peterson, Vernon, B.C., 2:37.60
8. Helen Pitchik, Toronto, 2:38.55

200 individual medley
1. Julia Wilkinson, Toronto, 2:16.74
2. Stephanie Horner, Beaconsfield, Que., 2:17.77
3. Michelle Landry, Vancouver, 2:18.96
4. Melanie Dodds, Langley, B.C., 2:19.31
5. Kristen Bradley, Newmarket, Ont., 2:19.69
6. Elizabeth Wycliffe, Kingston, Ont., 2:19.94
7. Rachelle Salli, Langley, 2:20.58
8. Genevieve Saumur, Montreal, 2:21.54

800 freestyle
1. Chanelle Charron-Watson, Quebec City, 8:42.11
2. Savannah King, Vernon, B.C., 8:43.63
3. Tanya Hunks, Vancouver, 8:48.98
4. Alexa Komarnycky, Etobicoke, Ont., 8:50.69
5. Zsofi Balazs, Toronto, 8:54.63
6. Mackenzie Downing, Victoria, 8:58.13
7. Lindsay Seeman, Newmarket, Ont., 9:00.80
8. Karley Stutzel, Victoria, 9:01.71

400 medley relay
1. UBC Dolphins, Vancouver, 4:11.55
2. CAMO, Montreal, 4:16.05
3. University of Calgary, 4:16.64

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