PREVIEW: Final tune-up before championships

The Gee-Gees swim team heads to Laval this weekend for the third installment of the RSEQ University Cup circuit this season. It is the final weekend of racing for the team before the RSEQ conference championships on which open on January 31 and run until February 2. 

This weekend will mark the Gee-Gees debut of Nathan Schiffmann, a transfer student from Penn State University. A freestyle swimmer originally from France, Nathan began his collegiate career at Penn State in 2017-18 and competed at the Big Ten Championships that season. He holds the fourth fastest time in Penn State team history in the 500m free (4:20.99) and is fifth all-time in the 200m free (1:36.26).

"We're excited to welcome Nathan to the team and we expect him and Davide [Casarin] to push each other to new levels," said head coach Dave Heinbuch. Schiffmann's career best time in the 200m is below Casarin's uOttawa team record, while Casarin won six RSEQ gold medals in 2019, including four individual wins in the freestyle events. 

More generally for the team, this week's event marks a good opportunity to lead into the upcoming championships as the team currently has 18 student-athletes qualified for the U SPORTS National Championships. Heinbuch notes that at least ten more Gee-Gees are on the bubble and says,"this weekend will be the first step in getting them qualified."

"Both this meet and the conference championships will be competed in the long course pool which we feel will give us an advantage during the competition," Heinbuch continues. "Montpetit gives us access to three long course practices per week and there were a number of long course practices in Florida. Finals at U SPORTS championships will be competed in long course as well and this gives the U SPORTS qualifiers a chance to work on racing and planning for that championship." 

The team spent a portion of the exam and holiday break at a training camp in Florida, which included sessions in the outdoor facilities at Deerfield Beach Aquatic Centre, north of Miami. "Florida provides the perfect venue because of the weather and facilities. This is the only time during the year where the whole team trains together for an extended period and it makes a huge difference," notes Heinbuch.

Live results from Laval will be available on Swimrankings.net.