Adam Scotti

With mostly second and third place overall team finishes throughout the season, the Redmen swimmers had an overall standard year collectively. The team finished 11th out of 19 teams at the CIS championships in late February to cap off a steady season that left the team with room for improvement next year. However since swimming is more individually-based it would be less useful to think of the team’s overall mediocre record and instead remember some of the spectacular individual performances by the Redmen swimmers.

Without a doubt, last year’s Quebec swimmer of the year, Steven Bielby had another stellar season. A hurricane of swimming talent and ability, Bielby won golds in the 200m and 400m individual medleys while breaking the Quebec conference and McGill record with a time of two minutes, 0.24 seconds for his 200m swim. These wins automatically earn him an invitation to swim for Canada in August at the 2011 FISU Summer Games in Shenzhen, China. In his third trip to the CIS Championships, Bielby added to his medal collection, now totaling nine medals (six gold, one silver, and two bronze). At the CIS Championship, Matthew Khatchadourian also reached the finals of his event, the 50m breaststroke, and finished eighth overall.

Unsurprisingly, Bielby was named this year’s MVP of Redmen swimming. If Bielby can produce another great year and the rest of the Redmen can step up to anywhere close to his level, the swimming team has a bright future next year.

MVP: Steven Bielby

Swimmer to Watch: Pierre-Alexandre Renaud