Two-time Olympian Kayla Sanchez turned heads and was named the top athlete in the 2025 U Sports Swimming Championships in Toronto, Canada recently.

The Filipino-Canadian tanker made her debut for University of British Columbia a memorable one after snaring seven gold medals and setting two national records in women’s 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle where she timed 25.85 and 24.18 seconds, respectively.

Her teammate Finlay Knox achieved the same award in the men’s class in U Sports, which serves as a governing body for universities in Canada since almost six decades ago.

Aside from her personal feat, Sanchez also powered the UBC Thunderbirds with 1,472 points to capture the national championship, leading to the school's 25th overall in women’s program.

UBC dethroned Toronto (708.5), which won the meet for three consecutive years, with McGill (936.5), Calgary (920.5), Alberta (366), and Western (264) finishing behind.

The Thunderbirds’ men’s squad was successful as well, ruling the male division for its 19th championship.

Sanchez, an Olympic silver and bronze medalist, is expected to banner the Nationals when they compete for December’s 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.