It's been a sensational start to the swimming season for the Manitoba Bisons, who enter the Canada West Championships this weekend at UBC with eight student-athletes already qualified for nationals. 
 
On the women's side, Kelsey Fillion, Ella Howe, Shea Guest and Hannah Schanel have hit the cut, while Andriy Usan, Ty Unrau, Rhade Kostelnyk and Tam Doan have done so on the men's side.
 
All of these swimmers qualified for nationals a year ago, while Doan, a rookie, qualified prior to beginning his varsity career, the same accomplishment as Unrau (sprint distance specialist) from the year prior.
 
A massive portion of Manitoba's roster booked their ticket to U SPORTS at the Odlum Brown Colleges Cup earlier this month, and the team returns to the familiar confines of the UBC Aquatic Centre with all kinds of confidence.
 
Howe, a freestyle specialist, was one of many swimmers who hit their cut at the prior event at UBC. She enters her third year as the defending Canada West champion in the 50 free, while fellow freestyle veteran Fillion is also a defending champion, as she and Howe finished first and third in the 100 free a year ago.
 
Overall, the women took home four medals a year ago, also securing silver in the 4x100 freestyle relay, with three roster members back from that quartet, in Howe, Fillion and Schanel.
 
The combined events will once again be a strength this weekend for a women's side that will also include Kara Dziadek, Indi Halldorson Haines, Cameryn Carlos, Avery Weiland and Emma Mitchell.
 
The men, along with their four U SPORTS qualifiers, will feature Eric Dupre, Martin Halayko and Brayden Stacey. 

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The theme all year for Howe and the Bisons has been to have fun.
 
Training twice a day is intense. Workouts can be exhausting. Maintaining a positive mindset has been crucial and it's extended to every member of the roster.
 
"At the beginning of the year, we all went around in a circle, and everyone said something they wanted to bring to the team. The thing I said, was I wanted everybody to know that you can still have fun while working hard," said Howe.
 
"I feel like sometimes a lot of athletes lose that in their training. They think to go fast, you can't have fun. A fast swimmer is a happy swimmer I always think that."
 
Doan – a 50-metre breast stroke specialist – has been a part of the Junior Bisons roster for the last few years, and immediately embraced the culture of the varsity roster, as has fellow rookie Halayko, who's extremely close to getting his U SPORTS cut in the 50 and 100-metre butterfly.
 
"I completely agree with Ella. Going into the year I had the mindset of having to be completely serious to be good. After a while I realized that you can have fun and still chase your goals," said Doan.
 
"Seeing your teammates have fun and work hard in practice also makes you want to work harder too."
 
Doan hit multiple personal bests at the Odlum Brown. He enjoys swimming for the "competitive aspects, getting better every single day and working on beating yourself."
 
He's had a friendly battle all year with Kostelnyk all year, who also specializes in the breast stroke. The two have brought out the best in each other all year.
 
"There's a little friendly competition between the two of us. We both want to be better than each other, but that just motivates us more in training and in competitions, which I think is a healthy thing," smiled Doan.
 
"I think the men's team too, they did really well [at the Odlum]. Even though we're a smaller team, we can still show out within Canada West."
 
Howe is coming off a year where she qualified for Canadian Olympic Trials, along with a handful of her teammates. She swam the 50 free, and got a second swim, participating in a swim off. The experience helped to put the sport into perspective, seeing where all the hard work can lead.
 
"That was really nerve-wracking but fun. The whole goal of the meet was the experience, and to see where it all leads to. I feel like it brings back the love of the sport. When you go to trials, and see where it all leads to, it's something that's super special," she said.
 
"You grow up seeing all your childhood role models. I was swimming in the warm down pool, and I'd touch the wall and Penny Oleksiak was right beside me. That was pretty cool. I got to see Summer McIntosh, Taylor Ruck, who's been a role model of mine since I was younger. Also just being able to see [Bisons alum and record holder] Kelsey Wog race in her own element at trials, it was really fun to see."
 
Expect another big weekend from Howe and company in BC, whose roster is "small but mighty."
 
"Our team, although we are not a big team compared those on deck when we go to meets, we have a lot of quality swimmers," she said. "Every year we continue to have swimmers on the team that specialize in their events. It's really good."
 
"I just want people to know that we won't back down from any challenges," Doan added.
 
"We're always ready to go."