Ã山ǿ¼é

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 Ã山ǿ¼é 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 Ã山ǿ¼é 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 Ã山ǿ¼é (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), Ã山ǿ¼é (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 Ã山ǿ¼é 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.