Branton named Western’s female athlete of the year

Port Lambton’s Shona Branton was named Western University’s female athlete of the year in a ceremony held on campus on Wednesday afternoon.

This is the second consecutive year that Branton has won Western’s Female Athlete of the Year award.

Branton won two golds, a silver a bronze and broke two meet records at the USports swimming championships held in Montreal this past weekend, swimming for the Western Mustangs.

A Wallaceburg District Secondary School grad, Branton was named U Sports female swimmer of the year, based on her top two performances at the championship meet held in Quebec last month. The 5-foot-9 senior, broke the only two meet records to tumble on the women’s side, both of them on the final day in the same event.

Branton won gold a set a meet record in the 50-metre breaststroke (30.84), won gold in the 100-metre breaststroke (1.07:64), silver in the 200 metre-breaststroke (2.31:12) and was part of of Western’s bronze medal winning 4×100 medley relay.

At the OUA’s held in February, Branton not only won gold in her three individual events (50m, 100m and 200m breastsroke), she also broke the OUA records in all three as well.

“Shona continues her rapid progression both nationally and on the international stage. There is much more to see from her and Olympic trials are right around the corner. Shona comes prepared to every practice and gives 100% to each and every work out. We are hopeful that her continued progression will lead her to great things in the years to come at Western. Shona has broken a barrier [and U SPORTS and Western records] with her swimming and continues to push herself every practice and at every competition.” – said Paul Midgley, Head Coach, Mustangs Swimming, in a statement on Western’s athletics website.