Pronghorn swimmers earn medals

The Canada West Swim Championships have wrapped up, but at least five members of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns will have their season will continue in the New Year. The championships wrapped up Sunday in Victoria with the Pronghorns women’s team placing fifth — narrowly missing fourth — while the Horns men took sixth.

The women’s team finished with 289 points, only nine points back of the host University of Victoria, while the men finished with 150.5 points. The Pronghorns were held off the podium on the final day Sunday, but still brought home four medals and a slew of new school records.

With the final laps swam, the Pronghorns have qualified at least five swimmers for the U Sports Championships, Feb. 22-24 in Toronto.

Confirmed for the U Sports Championships are Pronghorns Joel Robinson, Owen Guyn, Christyna Dashko, Tricia Fair and Kalyna Dashko with the possibility of further additions to qualifiers early in the New Year.

Robinson won the first Canada West gold medal by a Pronghorn swimmer since 2005 in the 50m breaststroke with a time of 28.20 seconds, while Christyna Dashko picked up two medals, a silver in the 50m breaststroke with a time of 31.75, and a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke (1:09.40).

Guyn won the other medal, a bronze medal on day two in the 50m freestyle with a time of 22.94.

The Pronghorns set eight school records in Victoria.