The Charlatan - Mar 03, 2005

        Carleton swimmers compete at nationals
        by Paige Aarhus

          Keegan Harris and Heather Macdonald competed in the Canadian 
        Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national swimming championship at the 
        University of Alberta in Edmonton Jan. 25-27.

        Harris’s participation marked his fourth-straight year competing at 
        nationals. He swam in four events: 50 metre breaststroke in a time of 
        31.08, for 23rd; 100 metre breaststroke in a time of 1:06.81 for 21st 
        overall; and the 200 metre breaststroke in a time of 2:26.97 to place in 
        the top 20. Harris earned his best personal time in 100 metre freestyle 
        with a time of 54.90 for 36th overall.
        
        "No he wasn’t [satisfied with his result] and I wasn't either," says 
        women’s swim coach Lynn Marshall. "His times just weren't quite up to 
        his capabilities."

        For Macdonald, this was her first time swimming at nationals. She also 
        competed in four events: 50 metre breaststroke in a time of 35.87 for 
        29th overall; 100 metre breaststroke in a time of 1:18.11 for 36th 
        overall; and the 200 metre breastoke in a time of 2:50.20 for 32nd 
        place. Her fourth event was 50 metre fly where she earned her best 
        personal time of 31.05, for a finish of 48th overall.

        The event was nice for Macdonald, says Marshall, because she had family 
        nearby. As for her performance, Marshall says Macdonald handled the 
        pressure very well.

        "The competition was very fast in Edmonton," says Marshall. "There were 
        a lot of fast swimmers so it was an enjoyable competition. I was glad 
        that they each managed a best time but we were a little bit disappointed 
        in their breaststrokes. We're going to change the training plan next 
        year. Since they didn’t perform to the best of their abilities at 
        nationals, there must be improvements."