Swimming - W | 2/25/2016 3:14:00 PM

BURNABY, BC – Ten student-athletes from Simon Fraser University have been selected to compete at 2016 NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships.
 
The championships will be held Wednesday-Saturday, March 9-12, at the Indiana University Natatorium located on the campus of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis.
 
Six swimmers from the Clan men's team, led by sophomore Adrian VanderHelm (Barrie, ON), who received invites in five individual events, will be competing at nationals. In 2015, VanderHelm was SFU's first swimmer to qualify for nationals, earning All-American honours.
 
This year VanderHelm will be joined by senior Justin Kiedrzyn (New Westminster), who was the first alternate in 2015 and didn't get to compete, sophomores Gabriel Lee (Delta) and Tim Woinoski (Coquitlam) and freshmen MacKenzie Hamill (Oakville, ON) and Colton Peterson (Chilliwack).
 
Headed back to nationals from the Clan women's team are junior Lauren Swistak (Port Moody) and sophomore Maran Kokoszka (Qualicum Beach). Joining them will be freshmen Robyn Lee (Port Coquitlam) and Alicia Kan (Burnaby).
 
"Our goal for our men's team is to finish Top 15 in the nation," said Clan head coach Liam Donnelly. "We want everyone to score by finishing in the top 16. It is a young group that is growing and developing, and we want to keep the momentum going that was started last year."
 
At the 2015 championships, with VanderHelm as the only competitor, the Clan men finished 24th. He took second-place in the 200-yard freestyle to become the Clan's first All-American male swimmer. He was also eighth in the 100-yard freestyle.
 
The Clan men's team has several highly ranked swimmers. VanderHelm is ranked 2nd in the 200 freestyle this year. VanderHelm and Hamill are ranked 4th and 5th, respectively, in the 500 freestyle. Hamill and Woinoski are ranked 7th and 13th, respectively, in the 1650 freestyle. Kiedrzyn is ranked 11th in 100 butterfly and 14th in the 200 fly.
 
The top 16 swimmers in each event score team points and the top eight receive All-American honours.
 
"It's not easy to beat the people in front of you because they are highly ranked for a reason and they are not going to lie down for you," said Donnelly. "Everything we do all year long prepares us for nationals and we hope to give it our best shot in the moment and improve on our performances in the past."
 
The Clan women placed 12th overall in 2015 and Donnelly is hoping for a repeat performance.
 
"We are shooting for top 15 on the women's side as well," said Donnelly. "Last year, we had three seniors, and you can't recover from losing them in just one year, but like the men, we want everyone to score, earn All-American honours and push for national titles."
 
Swistak comes in as the Clan's highest ranked female swimmer. She is No. 5 in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:01.30.
 
In the final meet at Portland on the weekend, both the men's and women's 800 freestyle relay teams made the "B" standard and qualified for nationals. The women are ranked eighth and the men are sixth.
 
Donnelly has until March 8^th to set his lineup, deciding the individual races and relays each swimmer will compete in. Swimmers who have made the "B" cut are eligible to compete in that event at nationals once they have been selected to the meet. An athlete can compete in up to four individual events and three relays.
 
Women's Event Qualifiers
Lauren Swistak – 100, 200 Butterfly; 200, 500, 1000 Freestyle, 200 Butterfly
Alicia Kan -- 100, 200 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle
Robyn Lee -- 100, 200 Freestyle
Maran Kokoszka – 100, 200 backstroke
800 Freestyle Relay
 
Men's Event Qualifiers
Adrian VanderHelm  – 200, 400 Individual Medley; 200 (A Standard), 500, 100 Freestyle
Colton Peterson - 200 Individual Medley; 200 freestyle
Justin Kiedrzyn - 50 Freestyle; 100, 200 Butterfly
Gabriel Lee – 100, 200 Butterfly; 200 freestyle, 200 Backstroke
Mackenzie Hamill – 200, 500, 1000 1650 Freestyle
Tim Woinoski - 1650 Freestyle
800 Freestyle Relay
 
Follow the SFU Clan swim team on the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/SFU_Swim. 
 
--@SFUClan--