Johns, UBC Dominate First Night of Canadian Interuniversity Sport Championships

HALIFAX, Canada, February 23. AS expected, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and superstar Brian Johns were dominant on Thursday on the opening day of the 2007 Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships, hosted by Dalhousie University.

Looking for their 10th consecutive CIS team banners on both the men's and women's sides, the 'Birds scored 275 points to open up a 52-point lead in the men's standings and 234 for a 28.5-point advantage in the women's race.

The UBC domination was mostly felt in the men's competition, where the reigning champions tallied five wins and 10 medals in five individual events, before adding gold in the only relay of the day, the 4 x 100-metre freestyle.

The T-Bird women relied more on depth to take the early lead, claiming only one individual event and finishing second in the relay to arch-rivals, the University of Calgary Dinos. The UBC girls still managed six medals on the first day of the championships.

The Dinos stand in second place in both team standings (M: 223 points / W: 205.5 points), the Calgary women claiming a pair of individual gold medals in addition to their relay victory. Calgary has placed second at the CIS championships nine years running on the men's side and six straight years on the women's side.

Host Dalhousie is currently third in the men's standings with 90 points while Laval University occupies the same spot in the women's race with 122 points.

Johns (Richmond, B.C.), who represented Canada at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and who will compete at the FINA world championships in Australia next month, moved a couple of steps closer to becoming the most decorated CIS swimmer in history winning all three of his races, including the 200m freestyle in CIS championship-record time (1:44.47). His other victories came in the 400m IM (4:16.40) and in the lone relay event of the day (3:18.84).

It marked his second record-setting win in as many years in the 200m free and his fifth gold in as many CIS championship appearances in the 400m IM.

The CIS male swimmer of the year both in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003, Johns now has 29 gold medals and one silver in 30 career events at the university nationals. With four races left this weekend, he needs one more medal to tie the CIS career mark of 31 set by former UBC teammate Kelly Stefanyshyn. He already owns the marks for most victories (29) and most CIS meet records (7).

"I'm very happy with how I swam in the 200 free," said Johns. "My main goal this weekend is to help UBC win its 10th consecutive CIS banner. It certainly is a great feeling to improve on my record from last year (in the 200 free). It's extra special with it being my last year and also because I now have the opportunity to travel to Bangkok and compete in the FISU games."

All gold medalists from this weekend will travel with the Canadian team at next summer's Universiade in Thailand.

Reigning CIS swimmer of the year Callum Ng (Calgary) was also a force for the Thunderbird men on Thursday, capturing gold in the 50m backstroke (24.57) and in the relay, and bronze in the 100m butterfly.

The other individual gold medals on the men's side went to UBC teammates Matthew Huang (Vancouver) in the 100m breast (1:01.32) and Darryl Rudolph (Tsawwassen, B.C.) in the 100m fly (53.52). Huang was an Olympian in 2000.

Audrey Lacroix of the University of Montreal Carabins was the only woman to claim two individual gold medals on day one with wins in the 200m free (1:59.36) and the 100m fly (59.95). The native of Pont-Rouge, Que., who will also be in Australia next month for the FINA worlds, was one of the stars of the 2006 CIS championships when she set three meet records and climbed on the podium on five occasions.

In her third appearance at the university nationals, Lacroix has seven gold medals, three silver and a pair of bronze.

The other individual victories on the women's side went to Dinos Erin Gammel in the 50m back (27.91) and Liz Hendrick in the 100m breast (1:08.60), and to UBC's Michelle Landry (North Vancouver) in the 400m IM (4:41.20).

"I'm really happy with my race tonight," said Landry. "It's my fifth year and it's a great feeling to come out on top. It's very exciting to be in close race for the championship. It makes for a great atmosphere for the fans and for us."

Returning to university competition after a two-year absence, Gammel was crowned in the 50m back three straight seasons from 2002-2004 and finished third in the event in her first try in 2001. The 2003-04 CIS female swimmer of the year now has 14 career CIS medals, including nine gold.

"It was a personal best for me (in the 50 back), I would have liked to be a little closer to the CIS record, but it's still an improvement and I'll take it," said Gammel in reference to the CIS championship mark of 27.57 set in 2005 by UQTR's Jennifer Carroll, who finished second in a time of 28.25 on Thursday.

"We've had an unbelievable team all year," added Gammel about the Dinos successes. "Everyone is really close, we appreciate each other and I really believe that this shows in the pool. We truly believe that we have what it takes to win the (women's) team championship."

DAY 1 RESULTS: TEAM STANDINGS
Women
1. UBC, 234 points
2. Calgary, 205.5
3. Laval, 122
4. Montréal, 106
5. Toronto, 77
6. Victoria, 61
7. McMaster, 53
8. McGill, 39
9. Manitoba, 36
10. Alberta, 33
11. Guelph, 28
12. UQTR, 17
13. Lethbridge, 15
14. Dalhousie, 13
15. Wilfrid Laurier, 12.5
16. Western Ontario, 10
T17. UNB, 7
T17. Ottawa, 7
19. Regina, 3

Men
1. UBC, 275 points
2. Calgary, 223
3. Dalhousie, 90
4. Laval, 76
5. Montréal, 68
6. McGill, 49
7. Toronto, 48
8. McMaster, 35
9. UNB, 33
T10. Victoria, 29
T10. Alberta, 29
12. Western Ontario, 24
T13. Laurentian, 19
T13. Waterloo, 19
15. Guelph, 18
16. Ottawa, 15
17. Sherbrooke, 9
18. Manitoba, 7
T19. Lethbridge, 5
T19. UQTR, 5
21. Trent, 3

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