The U Sports national swimming championship took place this past weekend in Quebec City, Que. to the surprise of nobody, fifth-year Bison athlete Kelsey Wog put on a fantastic performance.
Wog began her historic weekend on day one of the competition with a great race in the women’s 100-metre breaststroke. Her time of 1:04.88 ended up being a new U Sports record for that event.
She went into day two being a record holder and did not stop there. Her time of 2:18.67 placed her first in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke.
Wog may have saved her best performance for the final day of the meet, as she posted a time of 30.45 in the women’s 50-metre breaststroke. This was also a U Sports record, her second broken record of the weekend. She also finished first place in the women’s 200-metre medley to cap off the day.
“This means the world to me. I am just so happy that my hard work has paid off,” Wog said.
“I have put in so much time and so much effort to get to where I am at today. I am just very happy and proud of myself.”
Wog emphasized the importance of hard work in competing at the level at which she now finds herself. “I think that it just takes consistency every day,” she said.
“It might come down to the meals you eat the day of the swim or even the warm-up that you put yourself through. It also includes the practice that I have put in every day.”
Wog has been swimming all her life, spending many days in the pools and many days training mentally and physically outside the water.
“I have always loved swimming,” Wog said.
“I started when I was younger and had a passion for it ever since then. When you get good at something, it is nice to practice it and get even better. It always helps when it is something that you love.”
It is a blessing for the university to have Wog as a part of its team. She consistently does well for them and is a great athlete to have in the program.
“I love being a Bison for so many reasons,” Wog said.
“The group of swimmers that we have [is] amazing. Everyone is so close as a group. The coaching staff and trainers are great people and are very knowledgeable.”
Along with Wog, Dora Modrcin also had herself a successful championship. Modrcin’s time of 27.35 won her a silver medal in the women’s 50-metre backstroke.
