Acadia Swimming at AUS championships Day 2

SAINT JOHN, NB - The Dalhousie Tigers grip on the top step of the podium at the Subway Atlantic University Sport Swimming Championships is beginning to slip… ever so slightly. 

Tigers swimmers won eight of the 14 events on the second day of competition, at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre, in Saint John. 

Acadia swimmers won six events, while Memorial took the top spot in one. 

Eight swimmers met U SPORTS Championship qualifying standards in nine different events. 

Acadia's Jessica Pelletier(Fredericton, NB) began the evening with a victory in the women's 100-metre backstroke, in a U SPORTS qualifying time of 1:03.30. 

Acadia's Brett Liem(Bedford, NS) punched his ticket to the national championship meet, winning the men's 50-metre freestyle in 22:78. 

Liem also won the men's 50-metre butterfly and helped the Axemen's 4 by 200-metre freestyle relay team to a silver medal finish. 

"That's what I was hoping for, just trying my best and seeing if I could hold the seeds from this morning," said Liem. "I just try to do my best, do what I can for the team and see what we can do as a team." 

Dalhousie's Isabel Sarty(Halifax, NS) was a triple gold medalist on day two, qualifying for the U SPORTS Championships in two events. Sarty won the women's 400-metre freestyle in 4:17.69, and the 50-metre freestyle in 26.49. She was also a member of the Tigers team that took first place in the women's 4 by 200-metre freestyle relay. 

Sarty says, of her three medals, the relay gold was the most satisfying. 

"Winning it with, besides, my teammates, that was so exciting. And the fact that everyone on the team is cheering. You feel so much support," she said. 

Memorial's Jasmine Foran(Bathurst, NB) won gold for the second day in a row, capturing the women's 200-metre breaststroke, in a U SPORTS Championship qualifying time of 2:33.12. 

"It helps that it's my home pool," said Foran. "I've been swimming in this pool a lot, before, and I know my parents and friends came too, so that really helps my performances." 

Kelsea Vessey(Orleans, ON), of Acadia, won the women's 200-metre butterfly in 2:18.14. She too qualified for the U SPORTS Championships. 

After two days of competition, the Dal Tigers lead the men's standings by just 64 points. Acadia is second and Memorial third. 

The Tigers are well on their way to another women's championship, leading Acadia by 296 points. The host UNB Varsity Reds sit third in the women's standings. 

Dal has won 16 consecutive women's titles, and Sarty is eager to make it 17. 

"On the women's side, we've always been in a secure position, but we always want to do more and there's never any wavering from that," she said. 

The AUS Championships conclude Sunday. Preliminaries are at 10:00am. Finals are at 6:00pm. 

RECAP AND PHOTOS BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletic