VANCOUVER -- Ella Howe and Eric Dupre set new school records as part of a successful weekend for Bisons swimming at the Canada West Championships over the weekend.

Overall, Manitoba's team of 16 recorded 27 combined personal bests in an incredible display.

Howe broke the school record in the 50-metre freestyle (short course), blazing to a time of 25.46 seconds on day two of the event, hosted by UBC. That time broke a nine-year best previously set by Kimberly Moors in 2015.

In the process, Howe took home silver in her specialty event, the second of two medals won over the weekend for the Bisons veteran. Dating back to last year's conference championship, Howe has now secured five total medals, three individual and two as part of relays, setting personal bests in four total events.

On day one, Howe was part of Manitoba's 800-metre freestyle relay team, which won bronze. Also representing Manitoba were Kelsey Fillion, Indi Halldorson Haines and Emma Mitchell.

Fillion has now won three medals over the last two conference championships, while Halldorsen Haines earned her first Canada West medal. Mitchell also secured her first medal as part of the Bisons roster, after earning a team bronze as part of the Calgary Dinos' women's roster at nationals in 2024.

Halldorsen Haines also set a personal best in the 200-metre freestyle, while Fillion swam to a personal best in the 50-metre butterfly and Mitchell reached individual marks in the 50-metre free and 200-metre individual medley.

Shea Guest also swam to personal bests in the 50 free and 100-metre backstroke, while Avery Weiland reached a PB in the 100-metre breast stroke, as did Kara Dziadek in the 50-metre butterfly.

Kara Dziadek was also part of a Bisons 400-metre freestyle relay that set a best time at 3:48.99, along with teammates Guest, Howe, and Fillion.

Meanwhile, Cameryn Carlos set personal bests in the 50-metre backstroke, 100-metre butterfly and 200-metre back stroke and Hannah Schanel reached the B final in the 50-metre freestyle.

On the men's side, Dupre shattered a 14-year school record in the 200-metre back stroke (short course), touching the wall in a time of 2:01.69 to top the prior best of 2:03.23, set in 2010 by Riley Pickerl. Dupre finished eighth overall in the A final, and also qualified for U SPORTS.

Overall, Dupre set new individual marks in four events, also touching the wall with new best times in the 50-metre back stroke, 100-metre back stroke and 100-metre freestyle.

Other highlights included a top eight finish for true freshman Tam Doan in the 50-metre breast stroke (also set personal bests in the 100 and 200-metre breast stroke), along with personal bests for Brayden Stacey and Ty Unrau, who also won the 100-metre breast stroke B final in 1:05.66.

Notably, Unrau's 200-metre individual medley time of 2:09.22 was 6.17 seconds faster than his entry time of 2:15.39 in an impressive display.

The men's freestyle and medley relay teams also had a phenomenal showing.

The quartet of true freshman Martin Halayko, Unrau, Dupre and Andriy Usan shed 2.40 seconds off their original entry time in the 800-metre free relay, while Unrau, Dupre, Usan and Brayden Stacey finished fifth in the 400-metre free relay, shedding 3.23 seconds off their time. Additionally, Unrau, Dupre, Usan and Rhade Kostelnyk finished sixth in the 400-metre medley relay, shaving 2.17 seconds off their time.

With Dupre's record-breaking time, nine Bisons have now qualified for U SPORTS, taking place from March 6-8 in Toronto.