Collins and Thompson named Acadia athletes of the week

Swimmers Ella Collins and Nate Thompson have been named the Acadia Athletes of the Week for the period ending February 23 following their standout performances at the 2025 Bell AUS Swimming Championships in Saint John.

Collins, a third-year swimmer from Halifax, NS, was dominant in the pool, winning gold in the 100m breaststroke (1:09.36), 200m breaststroke (2:32.32), and 50m breaststroke (31.77), all U SPORTS qualifying times. She also helped lead the gold-medal-winning 400m medley relay (4:14.02), which secured another U SPORTS qualification. Her efforts earned her the title of AUS Female Swimmer of the Year, recognizing her as the conference’s top competitor.

Thompson, a second-year swimmer from Oakville, ON, made his mark with gold in the 200m butterfly (2:04.55), setting an Acadia team record, and silver in the 100m butterfly (54.57), another team record and a U SPORTS qualifying time. He also contributed to Acadia’s strong relay performances, helping secure gold in the 400m freestyle relay (3:25.46) and silver in the 800m freestyle relay (7:36.10).

Both Collins and Thompson played key roles in leading Acadia to a second-place finish in the team standings, with the Axewomen scoring 956.5 points and the Axemen earning 802.5 points, both finishing just behind Dalhousie.

Collins, Thompson, and their teammates will now prepare to compete at the U SPORTS Championships against the nation’s top swimmers.

The Acadia athletes of the week are presented by McDonald’s.