By John DeCoste '77 - Dean Sangster came to Acadia last September as one of the program's top recruits, but it's a good bet not many expected him to be this good this soon.
Entering Acadia's fourth meet of the 2019-2020 AUS varsity season, Sangster, a backstroke specialist from Truro, had already qualified for the U-Sports nationals in each of his three top events – the 50, 100 and 200-metre backstroke. "I've had some success thus far," he acknowledged in an interview prior to the Jan. 18-19 invitational meet at Acadia, "and I'm very surprised with my results."
Entering the season, "the best backstroker in the AUS was Christian Payne from Dartmouth who's now at Dal. I've swam against him for years and never been able to beat him. The first time we swam against each other in AUS (at a meet at UNB back in October), I beat him." The two have been "back and forth ever since," with Sangster holding a slight advantage. "There's a rivalry, but it's a friendly rivalry."
Growing up in Truro, Sangster, who was always "big for my age" (he currently stands 6'6"), played "a lot of basketball," and volleyball "all through high school" at Cobequid Education Centre.
He began swimming in Grade 7. "My dad had been a swimmer, and he thought I'd like it." He swam for five years with the Truro Centurions club team, and also provincially with Team Nova Scotia. "The backstroke is my favorite stroke. At first, I was a freestyler," but eventually "the backstroke chose me."
When it came time to move on to university, he "wanted to stay in the Maritimes, and I knew I wanted to swim." after visiting Acadia, he "liked the small school feel. I haven't looked back since. I love it here."
Axemen head coach Gary MacDonald has been impressed with Sangster's performance so far. "I recruited Dean pretty heavily because I saw a big lanky kid (6'6") with a load of potential. He came from a small club and was really undeveloped. I guessed right and he is having a banner year."
At his first AUS meet at UNB, Sangster won the 50 and 200 backstroke and was fourth in the 100 freestyle. He likely would have had similar results in the 100 back had he not ended up disqualified.
At the Jack Scholz meet at Acadia, he won the 50, 100 and 200 back, was third in the 100 free, and helped Acadia to first-place finishes in both the 400-metre freestyle and medley relays, swimming backstroke in the medley relay.
At the Kemp-Fry meet at Dal two weekends later, Sangster achieved the U-Sports qualifying standards in all three backstroke events in the preliminaries, placing first in the 100 and 200 and third in the 50. In the finals, he bettered all three times, including breaking the two-minute barrier (for the first time) in the 200 back with a time of 1:59.94. Overall, he was first in the 50 and 200 and second in the 100..
At the Acadia Invitational meet Jan. 18-19, Sangster won the 50 back, was second in 100 free and helped the Axemen to a first-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay. The Acadia men enter the AUS championships Feb. 7-9 in Halifax having placed first in all four of their meets this season.
To Sangster, swimming is "a great sport." Swimmers compete in individual events, "but you're also part of a team that's like a family." Moreover, the team has swimmers of both genders. "We all practice together, support each other and cheer each other on. It's a great vibe." Since the start of the season, he has "spent a lot of time with my teammates. They're a great group."
For the Acadia men, "our goal is to win the AUS. Everybody on the team has the same mindset and focus." Currently, the men are a little ahead of the women – the Acadia men topped Dal in all four meets this season, while the women were second or third – but "if next year is a good recruiting year, and there's no reason it shouldn't be, we should be able to give Dal a run in both men's and women's."
When the Acadia men placed first at the opening meet at UNB, it was the first time in many years anyone had beaten Dal. "It was unreal," Sangster says, "but we weren't really surprised. Everybody had been working hard, and all our hard work paid off."
Academically, Sangster started off the year in an engineering program but switched to business this semester. "It's a new road for me." While currently undecided about his future, he is looking at possibly specializing in marketing or finance but for now, is "keeping my doors open."
Sangster works as a lifeguard at Melmerby Beach near New Glasgow in the summers and has also been involved in lifesaving sports competitions. "There are provincial and national competitions in lifesaving sports. I got to compete at the worlds in Adelaide, Australia. I was there for the better part of a month. It was an amazing experience. There's a lot of swimming in lifesaving sports, so I'm pretty suited to it."
Sangster is happy he has already qualified for U-Sports nationals. "It's maybe not an advantage per se to have already qualified, but it's taken a weight off my back. It's less pressure, and now I can focus more on the Olympic trials in Toronto in March."
The Olympic trials are a long-course meet, "and we swim short-course in AUS. I'll get one shot at it at the U-Sport nationals, which is short-course in the morning then shifts to long-course for the finals."
Four Acadia male swimmers – Brett Liem, Gordon Shortt, Reilly Baker, and Sangster – will attend the Olympic trials as well as the U-Sports nationals where they will swim both individually and relays. "We'll all be gunning for the Olympic standard. It'll be tough because we don't get to train long-course, but it'll be a challenge for us."
As for short-term goals, Sangster is "really looking forward to (his first AUS championship). I'd like to improve all my times, and maybe swim an AUS record time in the 200. Currently, I'm two seconds off." Long-term, "I'd like to hopefully try and set all the AUS backstroke records before I'm done."
He is "looking forward to spending a long time (at Acadia). I'm looking to do four years anyway, then see what happens." Swimming-wise, "hopefully we can run off a string of AUS titles."
He has been enjoying "watching the other varsity teams," and has been impressed with how the teams support each other. "I've not been used to that kind of support. It's been great." Given his volleyball background, "I've been especially enjoying watching the women's volleyball team play."
He would like to get involved in the S.M.I.L.E. program at Acadia starting this semester, and also work more with special needs children, helping them with their reading skills. "I did a shared reading program in high school. My sister has cerebral palsy. I see it as a chance to give something back."