By Troy Langstaff

The 2021-22 Tigers women’s swimming season ended the same way the previous 19 have - with an AUS championship.

This time it was Regan Crowell leading the way earning AUS swimmer of the year and AUS Championship swimmer of the meet honours. She posted multiple U SPORTS-qualifying times over the course of the year and then capped it off with an amazing performance at the national championships. She set a Dalhousie and Swim Nova Scotia record in the 800m freestyle earning a silver medal with a time of 8:42.20. 

2021-22 Women's Swimming Photo Gallery

“She has improved a little each season, winning more and gaining experience in tight competitive moments,” said coach Lance Cansdale. “This season was the breakout, as she was able to parlay her AUS success into the type of performances at the national level that her training and desire have indicated.”

Dalhousie also had strong performances by a lot of their first-year swimmers including Emilie Schofield and Elaine Gentlemen. Schofield earned AUS championship rookie of the meet honours after claiming three first-place finishes (200m IM, 400m IM, 4x100m relay) and a third in the 200m freestyle. Gentlemen was a consistent performer in the sprint freestyles and in the 4x100m relay. 

“I was impressed by many of our first-year student-athletes and they exceeded my overall expectations as many slashed their lifetime bests in many events,” explained Cansdale.

The depth of the women’s team really showed during the Kemp-Fry Invitational in November when the Tigers swept the podium in the 400m IM, 100m breaststroke and the 200m freestyle events.

The AUS championships saw a handful of U SPORTS-qualifying times posted by the Tigers. One included the 4x100m relay team of Schofield, Crowell, Gentleman, and Martine Nyhof when they marked a time of 3:51.17. 

At the U SPORTS championships in Laval the 4x100m relay team would go on to place sixth. Other top ten results for Dalhousie included Crowell who finished sixth in the 400m freestyle and 10th in the 200m freestyle. The 4x200m freestyle relay of Crowell, Nyhof, Schofield, and Abbey Nichols raced to a seventh-place finish. The Tigers ended the weekend 11th place in the team standings.

Only three swimmers from this year’s team will be graduating. Fourth-years Madeline Shivgulam and Victoria MacDonald, as well as third-year Martine Nyhof.

Both Mady and Victoria have been integral pieces of our team these past five seasons, coming back this year as graduate students,” said Cansdale. “Martine’s energy and positivity is going to be impossible to replace and it will also be very difficult to replace her versatility.”

With most of this year’s team returning, the Tigers will be in an excellent position to not only retain the AUS championship but make a charge for a top-10 finish at the U SPORTS championships.

“The core is intact and if we can carry the belief that we are competitive with anybody in the country, we should continue to see improving results,’ said Cansdale. “I’m excited, as I am sure the swimmers are too!”

2021-22 Women's Swimming Award Winners

Team MVP Reagan Crowell	Co-Class of '55 Winner Reagan Crowell
Tiger of the Year Martine Nyhof	President's Award Victoria MacDonald
Manager of the Year Lauren Mouser	Tigers Assist Award Keishia Mills
Co-Trainer of the Year Emma Thompson