By Madeline Folsom on SwimSwam
2026 Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet
June 5-7, 2026 UBC Aquatic Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada LCM (50 Meters) Meet Central Psych SheetsThe Mel Zajac Jr. Invitational kicked off on Friday and some of Canada’s biggest stars took the water to race. There were also a number of up and coming stars both from Canada and from the United States.
Women’s Recap
Liberty Clark won two individual events on night one, setting the top time in the 200 freestyle and the 50 butterfly.
In the 200 freestyle, she set a new personal best 1:57.64 to win by almost two seconds over Canadian Marlee Winser‘s 1:59.55. Clark’s previous best was 1:58.18 from the U.S. Open in December. Winser, who is 17, has a best of 1:59.27 from March.
In the 50 fly, she swam 26.52 to win by five tenths over Canadian legend Kylie Masse‘s 27.05. This swim was another best for Clark, dropping from the 26.92 she swam at the beginning May. Masse’s best is 26.59 from April of 2023.
American Sydney Schoeck also won two events and finished 2nd in a 3rd. Her first win of the day came in the 200 backstroke, where she set a massive personal best time of 2:09.81 to win the event by about four tenths over fellow American Alyssa Sagle‘s 2:10.17 in 2nd. Another American Sadie Buckley took 3rd in 2:11.19.
Schoeck took two seconds off her previous best of 2:11.81, which she swam in August. She is committed to Texas for the fall. Sagle, who is committed to Virginia for the fall, also dropped time, taking more than a second off the 2:11.54 she swam in July. Buckley, who is committed to Texas for 2027, has a best of 2:09.95 from the beginning of May.
Schoeck went on to also win the women’s 400 IM, touching in 4:41.21, beating Buckley’s 4:41.53 by just three tenths. Buckley led for the first half of the race, turning about a second ahead of Schoeck at the 200 mark with her 1:04.02/1:10.49 splits compared to Schoeck’s 1:05.56/1:10.10.
Schoeck came back strong, though, splitting 1:22.44/1:03.11 to make up all the ground on Buckley’s 1:23.02/1:04.00.
Schoeck’s swim was another new best, taking two seconds off the 4:43.20 mark she set last June. Buckley’s best is 4:39.79 from May.
Finally, Schoeck picked up a silver in the women’s 1500 freestyle, touching in 16:41.11. This was the only event she added in on Friday, coming in about 12 seconds off her best of 16:28.74 from August.
American Brinkleigh Hansen won the 1500, stopping the clock in a new personal best 16:30.66. This swim took a second off the 16:31.31 she swam in January at the Pro Swim Series in Austin.
The only other women’s event on Friday was the 100 breaststroke, which was won by Canadian Eloise Allen in 1:09.69. This was a new lifetime best for her, taking a little more than two tenths off the 1:09.92 she set in June of 2025.
Men’s Recap
The biggest name at the meet is Canadian Olympian and world record holder Josh Liendo. He raced two events on Friday, the men’s 50 freestyle and the men’s 50 butterfly.
In the 200 freestyle, Liendo finished 6th overall, touching in 1:51.93 to come in about a second behind Finlay Knox, who swam the top time of 1:50.75. American teenagers Gabriel Manteufel (1:50.76), Kenneth Barnicle (1:51.05), and Norvin Clontz (1:51.57) took 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively. Canadian Andrew Coombs finished 5th in 1:51.81.
All six men have been faster before and everyone except Coombs has been under 1:50 in the past. Liendo’s best is 1:47.83 from May of 2024 and Knox’s best is 1:47.92 from April of 2022.
In the 50 fly, Liendo also finished outside the top spot, stopping the clock in 23.81 to come in about a tenth behind Santo Condorelli‘s 23.69 for the win. Knox also swam the 50 fly, touching in 24.07 for bronze.
Liendo’s lifetime best is 23.11 from the 2025 World Championships and Condorelli’s is 23.12 from the Pro Swim Series in Sacramento last month. Knox’s best is 23.25 from the 2024 World Championships.
There were a few other men’s events on night one. American David Kovacs, who just finished his freshman year at the University of Indiana, won the men’s 200 backstroke in 1:59.15, seven tenths ahead of Canadian Blake Tierney, who swam 1:59.86 for 2nd. Kovacs’ swim was a new personal best time, taking four tenths off the 1:59.50 he swam at the Indy Spring Cup in May.
Tierney, who was one of last summer’s breakout stars, has a lifetime best of 1:55.03 from the 2025 World Championships.
The 400 IM went to American Wilson York in 4:23.62, four seconds ahead of fellow American Brayden Capen. York was the only swimmer who came in under Summer McIntosh‘s 4:27.31 from the Longhorn Elite Invite in Austin on Friday.
York, who just finished his sophomore year in high school, has a lifetime best of 4:20.97 from March. Capen, who just finished his junior year and is committed to Tennessee for 2027, has a best of 4:21.21 from last July.
He also picked up a 2nd place finish in the men’s 100 breaststroke, touching in 1:02.48, a second off his best of 1:01.64. The top time in the event went to Canadian Apollo Hess in 1:01.51. This was a half-second add from his best of 1:00.99, which he set in May of 2024, but this was his fastest time since that meet.
Aiden Hammer, who just wrapped up his freshman season at Texas, won the men’s 800 freestyle in 7:54.08, five seconds ahead of American junior Manteufel’s 7:59.25 in 2nd. Hammer’s best is 7:51.68 from August of 2025 best is 7:54.71 from August.
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