Markham, Ont. – University of Calgary Dinos star Alexanne Lepage delivered a standout performance on Day 1 of the 2026 U SPORTS Swimming Championships Thursday at the Markham Pan Am Centre.

In a night filled with record-breaking swims, Lepage delivered the top showing in the women's 100-metre breaststroke. After finishing just shy of the Canadian record in the preliminaries, Lepage broke the previous mark – set by Olympian and former Manitoba Bison Kelsey Wog in 2023 – with a new national record time of 1:04.11.

"I wasn't really thinking about it coming in, but after this morning, I looked at it, and it was in the back of my head," reflected Lepage. "I have been having a pretty good season so far, but I didn't really set any particular goals for myself – it is just all about having fun with the team."

Lepage later added a second gold medal in the women's 400-metre individual medley and helped Calgary earn silver in the women's 4x100-metre freestyle relay. Ian Cameron and Sarah Haugen also claimed silver medals as the Dinos finished Day 1 with five podium finishes.

"We swam really well. We had so many great swims, and this is a great group of kids – so many best times and a Canadian record," said Dinos head coach Mike Blondal. "Alexanne, as a junior, was pretty high up in the world, and she has been working through all the pieces that need to go together to get a Canadian record. She was great."

Lepage's swim in the 100-metre breaststroke marked the first A final of the day for the Dinos. The third-year Schulich School of Engineering student pulled away from the field during the second length. By the final turn, Lepage had opened a full body-length lead as she chased down and secured the national record.

Calgary's next medal came in the following event. In the men's 100-metre breaststroke, Cameron touched the wall in 58.82 to finish second. The Dinos swimmer edged a UBC Thunderbird at the wall to earn silver and his first individual podium finish at a U SPORTS championships.

The Dinos added two more medals in the women's 400-metre individual medley. Early in the race, it was a battle between Alexanne Lepage and Abbi Bahler of the Toronto Varsity Blues for the lead. Lepage took advantage of the breaststroke leg to put a significant distance between herself and the rest of the field.

Meanwhile, in the neighbouring lane, Haugen kept pace with Bahler. The rookie Dino closed the gap during the freestyle leg and stretched at the wall to secure silver. 

Lepage won gold in 4:35.75, while Haugen finished second in 4:42.03.

Calgary's final medal of the day came in the women's 4x100-metre freestyle relay. UBC pulled away to set a new U SPORTS record, while Calgary's team of Claire Bennett, Myriam Hickey, Eliza Housman and Lepage held off Toronto to secure silver in 3:40.42.

After the opening day of competition, the Dinos sit second in the men's standings and fourth in the women's standings.

Day 2 of the 2026 U SPORTS Swimming Championships at the Markham Pan Am Centre begins Friday at 7:30 a.m. MT with heats, followed by finals at 3:30 p.m. MT. The championship is available on CBC Sports and CBC YouTube.

TEAM STANDINGS *after Day 1

WOMEN

1. UBC - 453
2. Toronto – 287
3. McGill – 280
4. Calgary – 247
5. Western – 144
6. Ottawa – 92
7. Laval – 82
8. Victoria – 71
9. T. Lethbridge/Guelph – 66

MEN

1. UBC – 557
2. Calgary – 279
3. Toronto – 275.5
4. McGill – 263
5. Montreal – 107
6. Victoria – 101
7. Western – 91
8. Ottawa – 85
9. McMaster – 62
10. York - 44

DINOS DAY 1 RESULTS:

Women 200m Freestyle
14. Sarah Haugen – 2:01.34
16. Emily De Jager – 2:01.78
17. Myriam Hickey – 2:02.03
26. Claire Bennett – 2:03.55

Men 200m Freestyle
26. Liam Dennett – 1:48.95
27. Ewan Shearer – 1:48.95

Women 100m Breaststroke
1. Alexanne Lepage – 1:04.11
16. Abby Gebhardt – 1:10.00
22. Katie Graboski – 1:10.71
26. Isabella Duncan – 1:11.98

Men 100m Breaststroke
2. Ian Cameron – 58.82
6. Nicholas Duncan – 59.24
13. Stephen Moore – 1:00.37

Women 100m Butterfly
15. Jasmine Nicols – 1:01.34
24. Kaitlyn Luu – 1:02.03

Men 100m Butterfly
6. Nicholas Duncan – 52.63
7. Thomas McDonald – 52.70
17. Addison Butler – 54.57

Women 50m Backstroke
21. Rosie Housman – 28.44
23. Hannah Johnsen – 28.78
26. Eliza Housman – 29.02
27. Avery Mitchell – 29.11

Men 50m Backstroke
12. Ethan Fast – 24.61
17. Ewan Shearer – 25:15

Women 400m Medley
1. Alexanne Lepage – 4:35.75
2. Sarah Haugen – 4:42.03

Men 400m Medley
5. Carter Scheffel – 4:17.98
6. Matthew Syrgiannis – 4:18.37
12. Aiden Gyorfi – 4:20.04
14. Patrick McCloy – 4:21.77
21. Aiden Luykenaar – 4:23.94
27. Xavier Pimentel – 4:27.12

Women 4x100m Freestyle
2. Lepage, Housman, Hickey, Bennett – 3:40.42

Men 4x100m Freestyle
4. McDonald, Butler, Duncan, Black – 3:15.07

-UC-