By Andrew Ross
The University of Calgary Dinos swimming teams are back and they’re better than ever.
"I think we’ll be better than last year, because everybody’s gotten older and better," said swimmer Carrie Burgoyne. The smooth moving athlete recently competed at the Summer National Championships in Ontario, and attended the World University Games in Beijing.
While Burgoyne may be competing at a higher level than some of her teammates, the Dinos women’s squad has remarkable depth. They had a full 18 swimmers who qualified for and competed in last year’s Canadian Interuniversity Sport (formerly known as the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union) championship–the maximum number of swimmers allowed to represent a school. Unfortunately, even with a full team, the women’s squad finished second. However, the team is optimistic for the coming year.
"I think the girls will have a better chance at winning CIs [this year]," predicted Burgoyne.
One of the new faces on the men’s team this season is Thomas South. Despite only recently arriving in Calgary, South feels right at home.
"We [the Dinos] had an association with [South’s previous] club, so I’ve swam with some of these people before," he said. "We’ve got a really good team."
Although he is new to the squad, he shows confidence–the trademark of the Dinos swimmers.
The returning members of the teams are welcoming the newcomers with open arms. Third-year swimmer Julia Wright indicated that things were looking up.
"I’m excited because we’ve got a lot of new people," she said. "It’s going to be fun to have them swim with us this season."
With the majority of the teams returning, the prospects for the swimmers are bright this year. Their main rivals, the University of British Colombia Thunderbirds, are accustomed to the victory feast. This year, however, they may have to settle for humble pie.
"We have a young team once again," said Wright. "So anything can happen."