Swimming - W | 10/25/2014 11:45:00 PM

It was a record-breaking weekend for Simon Fraser University swimmers. The Clan set 10 new university dual meet records against top NCAA Division 1 and 2 schools in California on Friday and Saturday.

Led by freshman Adrian VanderHelm (Barrie, ON), who set three new schools records, breaking marks held by former Clan and national team swimmers David Hibberd and Sandy Henderson, eight different swimmers set records.

The Simon Fraser men set eight Clan dual meet records in the 100-, 200-, 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle (twice), 100- and 200-yard butterfly, and 200-yard backstroke. The women's team established two new marks in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle.

"In the midst of such a heavy work load and a great deal of stress it is remarkable that our athletes performed so well," said head coach Liam Donnelly.

The Clan men won three dual meets and lost one while the women finished 4-4. The men defeated Fresno Pacific 144.5-112.5 and UC Santa Cruz at two different meets, winning 148-74 and 148-57. The Clan's lone loss came against NCAA Division 1 University of the Pacific, 138.5-123.5.

The women's victories came against Fresno State, 179-80, Cal State East Bay, 111-81, and UC Santa Cruz twice, winning 159-63 and 168-71. The Clan lost to NCAA Division 1 schools Pacific and San Jose State, twice.

In the early 1970s legendary SFU swim coaches Margaret and Paul Savage took Clan teams to California for grueling multi-meet events over a short period of time against NCAA Division 1 competition.  It came to be known by Clan swimmers as the "Death March" and helped the men's program win nine straight NAIA national championships from 1972 to 1980.

 "We are carrying on the 'Death March' tradition established by the Savages," continued Donnelly.  "It was an exhausting few days and we faced some tough programs but the team rose to the occasion."

Against Pacific, Adrian VanderHelm won the 200-yard free in 1:38.20 and followed that with a second place finish in the 100-yard free in 45.72 seconds, both new team dual meet marks. He also set a Clan record against UCSC in the 500-yard freestyle.

Freshman Saveli Yungman (Prince George, BC) set a record in the men's 200-yard butterfly, winning in 1:51.59, while freshman Gabriel Lee (Delta, BC) won the men's 200-yard backstroke in a record 1:50. Junior Kiedrzyn (New Westminster, BC) finished second in the 100-butterfly in a Clan record 50.25.

The 1000-yard freestyle record was broken twice. Freshman Tim Woinoski (Coquitlam, BC) set a new mark versus Pacific on Friday, and freshman Youn Ho Choi (Richmond Hill, ON) broke it against UCSC on Saturday.

The Clan's record swims on the women's side came against Pacific, with senior Nicole Cossey (Innisfail, AB), winning the 100-yard freestyle in 51.42, and senior Alexandria Schofield (Coquitlam, BC), who finished third in the 100-yard butterfly, setting a new Clan mark with a time of 56.75.

The team returns home Sunday and will prepare for the Clan Cup International, Nov. 21-23, at the Margaret and Paul Savage Pool at SFU.