QUEBEC CITY – Naomie Lo of Toronto, won five gold medals and a silver to earn athlete of the meet honours as the McGill University women's swim team captured the RSEQ conference championship, Sunday, to conclude a three-day meet at Laval's short-course pool at the Centre PEPS.
 
It was the fourth consecutive women's title for McGill and 22nd overall since the Quebec conference was formed in 1971-72. The Martlets also won their fourth consecutive RSEQ combined title, which incorporates all the points scored from men's and women's programs.
 
The McGill women collected an impressive 16 gold medals in 21 events, including all five relays, to go along with 11 silvers and seven bronzes. Three team records fell.

Lo, a 21-year-old software engineering junior, was the highest scoring athlete of the meet with 797.5 points, calculated based on points tallied for every medal won, plus 50 per cent of the FINA points from the single best swim. The 5-foot-2 middle distance specialist won individual gold medals in the 800-metre freestyle (8:46.47), the 400 free (4:16.92) and the 200 butterfly (2:14.95). In the morning prelims, she broke a school record in the 200 fly, where she was clocked in 2:14.51, erasing the mark of 2:14.89 set by Daphne Danyluk in 2020.

In addition, Lo helped win a pair of relay golds, in the 4x100 free (3:49.61) and the 4x200 free (8:21.48). Her silver medal finish was in the 200 free (2:02.67). She was one of three McGill women to win five gold medals, a feat matched by Elizabeth Ling of Calgary and Emilia Mastromatteo of Kenora, Ont.

Ling, a 21-year-old civil engineering senior, won the 50 free (25.76) and the 100 back (1:01.87). She was also part of three winning relays and merited silver in the 100 free. Mastromatteao, a 19-year-old science sophomore, won the 100 breast (1:10.46), was part of four winning relays and also took bronze in the 50 fly.
 
Among the team's other records to tumble was the 200 breast, where Marion Synishin was clocked with a gold medal time of 2:31.59, erasing the standard of 2:31.97, held since 2019 by Sarah Knott. Also, the oldest mark in the McGill record book was surpassed by sophomore Iris Tinmouth of Comox, B.C., in the 800 free at 8:45.71. that surpassed the time of 8:48.57 set 23 years ago by Karine Legault in 2001.

Synishin, an anatomical science junior from Halifax, garned three gold medals and a pair of silvers. She was part of the winning 4x50 and 4x100 medley relays.

Cailin McMurray, a biology junior from Montreal, also registered a golden hat-trick, as part of three winning relays, namely the 4x50 MR, the 4x100 MR and the 4x200 free. Rounding out McGill's golden performances was Montrealer Natasha Frost (400 MR, 400 free), Greta Zapparoli (4x50 free, 4x100 free) of Milan, Beatrice Weiss-Reid (4x100 free) of Halifax, and Mia Desjarlais (4x200 free) of Prevost, Que.

The Martlets racked up 1,103.5 points in the meet to outdistance second-place Ottawa (660.5). Montreal finished third (474), followed by Laval (346.5), Sherbrooke (218.5) and UQTR (95). Half of the points scored in this meet counted towards the final RSEQ standings, which also incorporated percentages from the previous four Quebec University Cup meets.

"It was a lot of fun for our group this weekend, The ambiance on deck was electric.  All six teams came ready to race and were loud and it made the event a massive success," said a raspy-voiced Peter Carpenter, head coach at McGill. "Our women's performance was a continuation of the type of season that we've been having. It was really impressive, a dominant performance. We had so many girls knocking on the door of qualifying for Nationals, all year. And to get three more of them qualified over the weekend was just so incredible. Two of them made it on their last opportunity today."
 
The new trio of qualifiers included sophomore Emiko Talwalkar (100 back and 50 back) of Toronto, freshman Chloe Cooper-Kelly (200 breast) of Gatineau, Que., and Maclaren Burwell (100 fly) , a senior from Saskatoon, Sask.

The conference's major award recipients and all-stars will be announced on Monday.

The Martlets, who entered the weekend ranked No. 4 in the country, have now qualified 17 swimmers, one below the maximum allowed, for the 2024 U SPORTS national championships, hosted by McGill at the Pte. Claire Aquatic Centre, March 7-9.
 
LINK TO MEN"S RECAP
 
LINK TO COMPLETE RESULTS
 
LINK TO RSEQ SWIM STANDINGS & RESULTS
 
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (cell.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca