Martin Leads REDS

(SAINT JOHN, NB) Élodie Martin led the host UNB REDS on the final day of competition at the UNB Invitational, at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre in Saint John.

Martin won the women's 200-metre backstroke, beating Dalhousie's Katie Berwick by just 3/10ths of a second.

"It's the event that I like to do, it's not one of my best, so it's motivation because AUS is only four weeks away now, so it's a confidence boost," said Martin, who also finished sixth in the women's 100-metre breaststroke.

"This tells me I can do this, I'm able to do this, I'm able to go and race, even if it's not my best event, even if I'm not one-hundred percent ready, I'm able to do it," said Martin. "I feel like I've gotten a lot stronger, a lot faster and I feel like I have more confidence. In this second year, you know what you can do, you know who you're going to race, so I feel this is time for me to show who I am and make my mark in the AUS."

Dalhousie swimmers won nine of the 12 events on Sunday, the final day of the last meet  before the Atlantic University Sport Swimming Championships.

Dal opened the final session with back-to-back-to-back 1-2-3 sweeps in the women's and men's 400-metre individual medleys and the women's 200-metre freestyle.

In the men's 400-metre IM, UNB's Maxime Kenny finished fourth, just 7/100ths of a second out of third place.

Memorial's Thomas Chafe won the men's 200-metre free.

In the men's 200-metre backstroke, Dal's Alex Dalessio beat Mount Allison's Sebastian Cariaga.

Acadia's Sophie Rooney outraced the field in the women's 100-metre butterfly while Dal's Noah Mascoll-Gomes won the men's 100 fly.

Dal's Emilie Schofield won a dramatic women's 100-metre breaststroke, touching fractions of a second ahead of Memorial's Marcy Whelan and Mount Allison's Jordan Thomas.

The Tigers' Connor Maloney won the men's 100-metre breaststroke. UNB's Kenny was fifth.

Dal's Ella Dobson outpaced the field to win the women's 1500-metre freestyle while teammate Yannick Morgans won the men's 1500 free.

"There are some good signs of improvement from the work that we've done over our training camp, so I'm happy with that," said REDS' head coach Marta Belsh. "There is definitely some aspects of our racing that we need to address more in our practices and we'll have to include more mental skills in our training."

In the women's team standings, Dalhousie finished ahead of Acadia, the Mounties, UNB, and the Sea-Hawks.

In the men's team standings, the Tigers beat the Axemen, the host REDS, Mount Allison, and Memorial.

The AUS Swimming Championships take place February 23-25 in Halifax.

"I think it'll help," said Belsh, of the long break between this meet and the conference championships. "For the races that didn't go as well we have enough time to distance it and start working and make changes. This gives us a chance to make some positive changes."

RECAP AND PHOTOS: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics