Alexander finds top of podium at Canada West Championships

By Lethbridge Herald on November 28, 2023.

Canada West photo U of L PronghornsÕ Chris Alexander stands at the top of the podium after winning the menÕs 50-metre backstroke at the Canada West Championships over the weekend.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns swim teams saw overwhelming success in the pool at Canada West Championships over the weekend in Calgary.

The Horns brought home six medals while having four fourth place finishes.

It started on the first day on Friday when Chris Alexander secured his first gold medal ever at Canada West Championships as he won the men’s 50-metre backstroke with a time of 24.54.

“It’s a super competitive conference and he went in as the No. 1 seed in that event and he swam like the No. 1 seed,” said Horns head coach Peter Schori.

“It was really good because as you say on the first day, one of our graduating athletes and one of our team captains, to come out and sort of make a statement a little bit, it was great for Chris. But it was really great for our team as well.”

Schori agreed it was only a matter of time before Alexander got to the top of the podium at Canada West.

“Chris is one of our leaders,” he said.

“He exactly tied his best time to the hundredth in that particular race. He’s at the level in his swimming where repeating your performance in the most important moment is a really significant skill.”

It was on the final day that Alexander earned his second medal of the championships, when his time of 54.08 got him silver in the men’s 100-metre backstroke.

Alexander’s teammate on the men’s side, Tristan Bennett, also struck gold on the first day in the 50-metre breaststroke with a time of 25.59.

Bennett was back on the podium the second day, earning silver in the men’s 100-metre backstroke and earning a time of 1:01.23.

As for the Horn’s women’s team on the first day, Delaney Lehman came away with silver in the women’s 50-metre breaststroke with a time of 31.80.

“Delaney was one of the examples where the meet was a real mixture of emotions and she had a great first day and won a silver medal in the 50 (metre) breast stroke,” said Schori.

“And going into the meet, she had hurt her back a little bit and we were just thankful she was good to go to start.”

Lehman just missed the podium in the 50-metre free style as she came fourth.

The women’s 4 x 100 relay team of Lehman, Makena Wood, Meadow Liversuch, Sophie MacLean reached the podium, taking home bronze in the Women’s 400-metre Freestyle Relay.

It was the first time that the 4 x100 free and 4×100 medley women’s relay teams qualified for the U Sports championship and the men’s 4×100 medley relay team did as well.

Overall, U of L’s men’s team placed fourth and women got sixth in team scores.