Ï㽶ÊÓƵ

By Earl Zukerman

TROIS-RIVIERES – Team captain Danielle Hetherington, a backstroke and individual medley specialist from Richmond Hill, Ont., won two silver medals and a pair of bronzes as the McGill Martlets finished second of five teams at the third Quebec Cup swim meet of the season on Saturday in Trois-Rivières.

On the men’s side, Steven Bielby, a freshman from Pointe Claire, Que., had a pair of silvers and a bronze as the Redmen placed third of four teams.

This was the first competition for the McGill squad since returning from a two-week training camp in Waikiki, Hawaii, Dec. 26 to Jan. 8.

Hetherington, a 21-year-old humanistic studies senior, led off both of the silver-medal winning 4x50m and 4x200m freestyle relays, which were clocked in one minute, 54.05 seconds and 9:18.28, respectively.

She was third in the 50m backstroke (32.49) and the 200 IM (2:29.42).

Other members on the 4x50 included junior Kyla Ashbury of Toronto, freshman Caitlin Chapman of Pointe Claire, Que., and Caitlin Berry, a sophomore from Sackville, N.B. Rounding out the 4x200 were three freshmen -- Marija Vujovic of Aurora, Ont., Jiyoon Oh from Langley, B.C., and Leanne Roach of Riverview, N.B. Roach also finished third in the 200 breaststroke (2:41.35).

Laval won the women’s competition with 176 points, followed by McGill (106), Montreal (62), UQAM (17) and Sherbrooke (15).

The Rouge et Or also swept the men’s division with 162 points, placing ahead of Montreal (155), McGill (70) and Sherbrooke (30).

Bielby, a 5-foot-7, electrical engineering major, was second in the 400 freestyle (4:04.65), which met the qualifying standard for the CIS championships. He swam the second leg of the 4x50 freestyle relay, which placed second in 1:37.45. Joining him in that event was freshman Diego Pessoa, a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, plus freshman Jason Boivin of Pointe Claire and Sean Bell, a junior from Barrie, Ont.

Bielby also led off the 4x200 freestyle relay, which was third in 8:13.06. Other members of the quartet included, Bell, senior François Castonguay of Quebec City and Kevin Harmidy, a senior from Kirkland, Que.

Next on tap for McGill swim team is a tri-meet in Ottawa with the Gee-Gees and Waterloo, on Jan. 23, followed by the fourth Quebec Cup competition in Ste. Foy, Que., the next day.