LETHBRIDGE -- The Manitoba Bisons swim team advanced to 31 combined finals on the women's and men's side over the weekend, highlighting a great showing at the Canada West Championships. Individually, Ella Howe earned bronze in the 50m freestyle in a time of 25.50 seconds, while Eric Dupre broke his own school record in the 200m backstroke, finishing fourth overall in 2:00.96. Manitoba finished with 193 total points on the women's side and 166 on the men's side. 

Howe and Dupre's notable performances both occurred on day two of the championships.

Howe -- who owns the short course school record in the 50m free at 25.46 -- touched the wall second overall in qualification at 25.47. She had a great battle with Eliza Housman of Calgary for second in the final, with the former finishing just ahead at 25.35 seconds. The third-place finish was Howe's sixth overall medal at the Canada West Championships over the last three years, and was part of a big weekend overall for the Saskatchewan native. 

In total, Howe earned 50 individual points on the women's side, advancing to the A finals in the 50, 100 and 200m freestyle, while finishing first in the B final of the 50m butterfly in 27.86 seconds. Howe finished with times of 56.30 and 2:06.46, respectively in the 100 and 200 free for results of fifth and eighth overall. 

Meanwhile, Dupre also came up big on day two, setting a new standard in the 200m backstroke (short course). He shaved nearly three seconds off of his qualifying time in the event, touching the wall fourth overall for 15 points in the A final, while breaking his own school record of 2:01.13, which was set at nationals last year.

Overall, Dupre scored 33 individual points on the men's side for Manitoba. On day one, he finished second in the B final of the 50m backstroke in 26.12, and earned seventh in the B final of the 200m freestyle, along with his fourth-place result in the 200 back earlier that day. One day three, he won the 50m backstroke B final in 55.79 seconds. 

On day one, Howe, Dupre, Aryana Arquero (50m butterfly), Ty Unrau (50m butterfly), Harlem Lau (50m backstroke), Avery Weiland (50m breaststroke), Carson Beggs (50m breaststroke) and Tam Doan (50m breaststroke) all qualified for A or B finals to secure points for the Herd.

On day two, along with Howe and Dupre, Annabel Kolman (100m butterfly), Stephen Banek (100m butterfly), Shea Guest (200m backstroke), Lau (200m backstroke), Rowan Wick (200m backstroke), Weiland (100m breaststroke), Jillian Stacey (100m breaststroke), Doan (100m breaststroke) and Beggs (100m breaststroke) all qualified for finals. 

The day three finals group consisted of Howe, Dupre, Kolman (200m butterfly and 200m individual medley), Banek (200m butterfly), Arielle Patts (200m IM), Guest (100m backstroke), Lau (100m backstroke), Wick (100m backstroke) and Beggs (200m breaststroke).

It was a stellar first showing for rookies Arquero, Lau, Kolman, Banek, Wick, Stacey and Patts, who all reached finals in their first championship. Howe and Arquero finished 1-2 in the 50m butterfly B final in 27.86 and 27.87, while Dupre, Lau and Wick all qualified for finals in the 100 and 200m backstroke, with Lau and Wick finishing fourth and sixth in the B final of the latter in 57.94 and 1:00.96. Click here to access full results.