VANCOUVER - The Pronghorns made an impressive showing at the 2024 Canada West Swimming Championships, showcasing both athletic talent in the pool and a strong commitment to community involvement. The meet, held in Vancouver, BC, saw 24 swimmers from the Pronghorns—11 women and 13 men—competing across a range of individual and relay events. The team finished 5th in the overall team scoring for both men and women, a solid result against a strong field of competitors.
The women's team stood out with their incredible performances in the relay events, earning bronze medals in both the 400m Freestyle and 400m Medley Relays. This marks a significant milestone for the women's program, which has made substantial progress over the past decade. Last year, the Horns reached the podium for the first time in 20 years in the Women's 400m Freestyle Relay and now they've doubled down with two relay medals at this year's championships.
The Women's 400m Freestyle Relay team of Makena Wood, Delaney Lehman, Amelie Gouttin and Meadow Liversuch not only earned a medal but also set a new Pronghorns record and qualified for the U SPORTS Championships. The Women's 400m Medley relay team of Lehman, Ryenne Katterhagen, Casara Holm and Liversuch also qualified for U SPORTS with their stellar performance.
On the men's side, the Pronghorns set a new record in the Men's 800m Freestyle Relay, with Raine Arden, Parker Brown, Tanner Sanders and Sean Penner smashing the previous record by an impressive 10 seconds. Additionally, the Men's 400m Freestyle and Medley Relays both qualified for U SPORTS Championships and narrowly missed the podium, finishing 4th in both events.
While the Pronghorns didn't land any individual podium finishes, there were numerous highlights from the team in individual events. The Horns had 9 swimmers finish in the top 6 of their events, with four new Pronghorns records set across the weekend. Notably, Delaney Lehman led the women's team with 67 points, securing four A-finals appearances, including a 4th place finish in the Women's 50m Breaststroke and a 5th place finish in the Women's 100m Backstroke, which set a new Horns record. Ryenne Katterhagen also earned three A-final finishes, including 5th place in both the Women's 50m and 100m Breaststroke.
For the men, Tristan Bennett earned 66 points, making A-finals in all four of his events, including a 4th place finish in the Men's 50m Breaststroke. Raine Arden's consistent performance earned him 54 points, with a 4th place finish in the Men's 200m Freestyle and a 5th in the Men's 100m Freestyle.
The Horns also excelled outside the pool, with Makena Wood receiving the prestigious Canada West Women's Community Service Award. Wood was recognized for her outstanding volunteer efforts, including her work with Building Brains Lethbridge, establishing a female athlete mentorship program with local swimmers and volunteering with Big Sisters Go Girls. All of this, while maintaining a remarkable 3.98 GPA as a third-year Neuroscience student.
The Pronghorns' dedication and grit were on full display at Canada West. Head Coach Peter Schori praised the team for their perseverance: "Our goal is always to earn individual and relay medals at the Canada West Championships and while we didn't quite hit that mark this year, our team did an outstanding job of maintaining their standards, even with the challenging preparation."
With several swimmers qualifying for U SPORTS Championships and a host of new Horns' records set, the Pronghorns are primed for even greater success in the months ahead as they continue to build on this year's strong performances. The team's combination of talent in the pool and community impact is setting a new standard for the Pronghorns program.
