Coming off CIS titles for both the men’s and women’s teams this past year, the Thunderbirds swim team have reloaded with a crop of recruits who are primed to keep the 'Birds momentum going for years to come.
On the men’s side, the defending CIS champions will welcome Hau-Lin Fan of Burnaby, Colby Evans of West Vancouver, Darian Fry of Surrey, Ryder McGinnis of Edmonton and Carson Olafson of Chilliwack to the already strong squad. The team is so deep that the new additions will push UBC over the allowable quota of 18 swimmers for championship meets. However, with the 2016 Olympics on the horizon, it is expected that some may redshirt in preparation for the Olympic trials. The team is deep and built to last, with Coleman Allen being the only fifth year on the team heading into the season.
For head coach Steve Price, this is as good a team as any he has fielded in his four years at UBC. The reigning CIS men’s and women’s coach of the year has won two men’s titles and four straight women’s titles during his tenure at UBC.
“This men’s team may be as deep and as talented as I’ve ever had,” said Price. “They’re pretty young and they’re going to develop as athletes over time.”
On the women’s side, the Thunderbirds begin what is being called a rebuilding year after stalwarts Savannah King, Fionnuala Pierse and Heather McLean all have moved on after helping UBC dominate the CIS over the last four years.
“We’re not going to be as deep as we were, we lost some quality girls at the top,” said Price. “It’s actually going to be a bit of a rebuild…it doesn’t mean they’re not going to be competitive, it just means they’re not going to be as deep.”
Coming in this year to help with the rebuild are Heather Lam of Vancouver and Mia Bottrill of Port Moody. They will be joined next year by one of the top young swimming talents in the country; Emily Overholt. Overholt, a 17-year-old West Vancouverite, will compete for Canada at the upcoming Pan Am games and World Championships this summer and has her eyes set on the 2016 Olympics as well. She currently trains at UBC and will join what promises to be a loaded UBC women’s team in the fall of 2016.
“[Overholt] is by far the best junior and senior girl out there,” said Price.
Of the eight recruits on their way to UBC, including Overholt, seven of them are from the Lower Mainland. While the temperate climate of the west coast does have a positive impact in general, Price points to the quality of the smaller swim clubs and those people running them as cause of this considerable British Columbian flavour.
“We’re particularly pleased with the amount of quality kids coming out of the local programs, and there are a lot of good, young coaches out there on the smaller teams,” said Price. “Normally we get a lot of kids from Ontario but to get the one offs from each of the programs around the lower mainland is very encouraging. It shows the quality kids that there are and the quality coaching as well.”
With plenty of talent now aboard, the Thunderbirds will not only look to continue their overwhelming success in the CIS, they will also have their eyes set on something bigger for their athletes.
“We have two goals next year,” said Price. “Obviously we want to continue to take a run at the championship but we also have pretty big aspirations to try to populate the Canadian National Team with as many of our swimmers as possible for Rio 2016.”
Next year is a big year for Price and his team and it is already off to a strong start with what he is calling a “banner year” of recruits. With the amount of success Price has already enjoyed, it won’t be long before UBC swimmers are again raising banners and even possibly raising the Canadian flag in Rio.