Horns ready to put on the laps

The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns swim teams are headed to the West Coast this weekend.

The Horns are in Victoria for the Canada West Championships running today through Sunday, hosted by the Victoria Vikes.

Last year, both the Pronghorns men’s and women’s teams placed sixth overall and this year, the team of 16 men and 16 women look to build on that result.

The Pronghorns women’s team has cracked the U SPORTS top-10 standings twice this season, peaking at No. 7 in the first week and 10th two weeks ago.

In the final top-10 rankings released on Tuesday, the Pronghorns were ranked 12th.

Fifth-year breaststroke swimmer Christyna Dashko and second-year athlete Tricia Fair lead Lethbridge as the top-ranked swimmers heading into Victoria.

Dashko is the school record holder in the 50m and 100 metre breaststroke and Fair will look to add points in all the free sprint events and likely all three relays.

The Pronghorns men have narrowly missed the top-10 ranking and currently sit in 17th.

Two Horns rookies, Micaela Wong and Brook Kienas, have had strong starts at the university level.

Wong, who hails from Medicine Hat, will compete in the backstroke and sprint freestyle events and Kienas — from Mission, B.C. — is a butterfly specialist.

Fourth-year swimmers Joel Robinson (breaststroke) and Owen Guyn (sprint free) look to lead on the men’s side.

Robinson won a bronze medal last year in the 50m breaststroke and returns this year to face a strong field.

Guyn has continued up the Canada West rankings over the season.

The meet will be streamed live on

and full results will be available there as well.