MONTREAL – Freshman
Loïc Courville-Fortin of Repentigny, Que., won five gold medals broke a conference record and was named athlete of the meet as the No. 4 ranked McGill University men's swim team cruised to the RSEQ intercollegiate championship, Sunday, to conclude a three-day competition held at the CEPSUM pool on the campus of Universite de Montreal.
It was the fifth consecutive men's title for McGill and 21st provincial banner since the Quebec conference was formed in 1971-72. The McGill program also won its fifth consecutive RSEQ combined title, which incorporates all the points scored from both the men's and women's teams.
The Redbirds scored 952.5 points to win their 12th consecutive conference meet dating back to 2022. Ottawa finished second (585.5), followed by Montreal (580.5), Laval (543), Sherbrooke (224.5) and UQTR (116). The points scored counted for 50 per cent towards the team's final standings calculated from the five meets that make up the Coupe Universitaire series.
The McGill men produced 31 podiums at the championship meet, collecting 13 gold medals in 21 events, including all five relays, in addition to nine silvers and nine bronzes. Their impressive totals for the five league meets combined include 38 gold, 24 silver and 27 bronze.
River He, a freshman from Richmond, B.C., became the team's 19th qualifier (one over the maximum allowed) for the U SPORTS championship in Toronto, Mar. 6-8.
They swept all four major conference awards, including rookie of the year (
Loïc Courville-Fortin), athlete of the year (
Mats Baradat of Hyères, France) and the RSEQ Leadership & Citizenship honour (
Erik Linseisen of Burlington, Vt.).
"To sweep all the men's major awards was very satisfying," said McGill head coach
Peter Carpenter, who was named RSEQ men's program coach of the year for the sixth time. "We have a very special group who are eager to chase the podium at the upcoming U SPORTS championship. And while it is nice to have some stars, it will definitely be our depth that will be a difference maker. To win all five relays is pretty special and vaving two relays where we won gold and bronze in the same event shows where our men are at. They are looking forward to getting some rest before Nationals."
Courville-Fortin, a 20-year-old biochemistry major, broke the school and RSEQ record in the 200-metre individual medley, posting a time of one minute, 59.33 seconds. That erased the mark (1:59.56) which was held by former McGill great
Clement Secchi. McGill men currently own 12 of the 21 marks in the RSEQ record book. Courville-Fortin, a short-and middle-distance sprinter who measures 6-foot-1, also won the 100m backstroke (0:53.27), the 200 back (1:57.16), and was on two winning relays: the 4x100 medley relay (3:39.37) and 4x100 free (3:22.16). He was seventh in the 200m freestyle.
McGill's other gold medals were won by freshman
Jules Guerin (50 back, 100 free, 4x50 MR, 4x50 free),
Tristan Govier (50 fly, 4x50 free, 4x50 MR, 4x100 MR),
Hocine Feddag (50 free, 4x100 free, 4x200 free, 4x100 MR),
Mats Baradat (400 free, 4x100 free, 4x200 free),
Bruno Dehem-Lemelin (4x50 free, 4x50 IM, 4x200 free),
Erik Linseisen (4x50 IM, 4x100 IM),
Artiom Volodin (4x200 free),
River He (4x100 free) and
Mathieu Ionescoux-Tremblay (4x50 free).
All gold medalists automatically merit RSEQ first team all-star honours, while silver medalists earn second-team status.
LINK TO WOMEN'S RECAP
COMPLETE MEET RESULTS
RSEQ SWIM STATS & RECORDS
List of McGill Redbirds Qualifiers for 2025 U SPORTS Championship (19):
NAME / EVENT(S)
River He — 100 free
Erik Linseisen — 50-100-200 breast, 200 IM
Bruno Dehem-Lemelin — 100-200 free
Robin Domingo — 100-200 fly
Alejandro Giggey — 200 breast
Riccardo Camuso — 200 back, 100-200 fly, 200 IM
Cameron Carlyle — 200 back, 100-200 breast, 200 IM
Mats Baradat — 200-400-1500 free, 200 fly
Mathieu Ionescoux-Tremblay — 50-100 free, 100 back, 200 IM
Tristan Govier — 50-100-200 back, 50-100-200 fly
Torren Vandersteen — 1500 free, 200 fly
Artiom Volodin — 200-400 free
Romain Vanmoen — 100-200 back, 400 IM
Hocine Feddag — 50-100-200 free
Loic Courville-Fortin — 50-100-200 back, 100 fly, 200 IM
Charles-Antoine Boucher — 100 back
Yegor Semenyuk — 200 fly, 200-400 IM
Jules Guerin — 50-100-200 free, 50-100 back
Keenan Gander — 1500 free
RSEQ SWIM CHAMPIONS THROUGH THE YEARS
| SEASON |
COMBINED |
WOMEN |
MEN |
| 2024-25 |
McGill |
McGill |
McGill |
| 2023-24 |
McGill |
McGill |
McGill |
| 2022-23 |
McGill |
McGill |
McGill |
| 2021-22 |
McGill |
McGill |
McGill |
| 2020-21 CANCELED / Saison annulée (Covid-19) |
| 2019-20 |
McGill |
McGill |
McGill |
| 2018-19 |
Montréal |
Montréal |
Montréal |
| 2017-18 |
Montréal |
Montréal |
McGill |
| 2016-17 |
Montréal |
Montréal |
Montréal |
| 2015-16 |
Montréal |
Montréal |
Laval |
| 2014-15 |
Montréal |
Montréal |
Montréal |
| 2013-14 |
Montréal |
Montréal |
Montréal |
| 2012-13 |
Montréal |
Montréal |
Laval |
| Dec-11 |
Laval |
McGill |
Laval |
| Nov-10 |
Laval |
Montréal |
Laval |
| Oct-09 |
Laval |
Montréal |
Laval |
| Sep-08 |
Laval |
Laval |
Laval |
| Aug-07 |
Laval |
Laval |
Laval |
| Jul-06 |
Laval |
Laval |
Montréal |
| Jun-05 |
Laval |
Laval |
Laval |
| May-04 |
Montréal |
Laval |
Montréal |
| Apr-03 |
McGill |
McGill |
Montréal |
| Mar-02 |
McGill |
Laval |
McGill |
| Feb-01 |
Laval |
Laval |
McGill |
| Jan-00 |
McGill |
McGill |
McGill |
| 1999-00 |
McGill |
McGill |
Laval |
| 1998-99 |
McGill |
McGill |
McGill |
| 1997-98 |
McGill |
McGill |
Laval |
| 1996-97 |
Laval |
McGill |
Laval |
| 1995-96 |
Laval |
Laval |
Laval |
| 1994-95 |
Laval |
McGill |
Laval |
| 1993-94 |
Laval |
Montréal |
Laval |
| 1992-93 |
Laval |
Montréal |
Laval |
| 1991-92 |
Laval |
Montréal |
Laval |
| 1990-91 |
Laval |
Montréal |
Laval |
| 1989-90 |
Laval |
Laval |
Laval |
| 1988-89 |
McGill |
McGill |
Laval |
| 1987-88 |
- |
Laval |
Laval |
| 1986-87 |
- |
McGill |
Laval |
| 1985-86 |
- |
Laval |
Laval |
| 1984-85 |
- |
Laval |
McGill |
| 1983-84 |
- |
McGill/Montréal |
Laval/McGill |
| 1982-83 |
- |
McGill/Laval |
Laval/McGill |
| 1981-82 |
- |
Laval |
Laval |
| 1980-81 |
- |
|
|
| 1979-80 |
- |
Laval/McGill |
Laval/McGill |
| 1978-79 |
- |
|
|
| 1977-78 |
- |
McGill |
McGill |
| 1976-77 |
- |
McGill |
McGill |
| 1975-76 |
- |
McGill |
McGill |
| 1974-75 |
- |
McGill |
McGill |
| 1973-74 |
- |
McGill |
McGill |
| 1972-73 |
- |
Laval |
McGill |
| 1971-72 |
- |
|
* McGill |
| * : Titre canadien / CIAU national champs |
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (cell.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
