Swimming - W | 3/12/2016 9:06:00 PM
RESULTSINDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Simon Fraser University freshman
MacKenzie Hamill won the 1650 yards freestyle to become the Clan's first NCAA champion in men's swimming at the 2016 NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships that wrapped up Saturday.
Hamill's performance capped a remarkable season for the Clan men, who brought a small team of six athletes to the national meet and still finished 10th overall, its highest placing ever in NCAA.
The Clan men earned All-American honours in six individual events and the 800 freestyle relay while
Lauren Swistak, in the 200 butterfly, was the lone female All-American.
Hamill and teammate
Tim Woinoski were ranked 7th and 13th, respectively, entering the 1650 race on Saturday but none of the mattered once the swimmers were in the water. Hamill was fifth after the first lap, second after the ninth split, and then battled freshman Cristian Vasquez of Lindenwood the rest of the way.
Hamill edged Vasquez by less than a second, 15:19.73 to 15:20.66. Woinoski was 11th in 15:38.41.
Hamill broke the Clan all-time record in the event set in 1983 by Eugene Gyorfi.
Hamill is just the second SFU swimmer – male or female – to win an NCAA national title in swimming. Mariya Chekanovych won two titles for the women in the 100- and 200-yards breaststroke in 2013.
Adrian VanderHelm came closest on the men's side in 2015, finishing second in the 200-yard freestyle.
Hamill and VanderHelm each earned All-American honours in three individual races and the 800 free relay at the 2016 nationals. The top eight swimmers or teams in any event receive All-American honours.
2016 SFU NCAA D2 Swimming & Diving All-AmericansAdrian VanderHelm - 500 free, 200 free, 200 IM, 800 free relay
MacKenzie Hamill - 1650 free, 1000 free, 500 free, 800 free relay
Gabriel Lee - 800 free relay
Colton Peterson - 800 free relay
Lauren Swistak – 200 butterfly
VanderHelm, who swam the fifth fastest 500 freestyle time in NCAA history in finishing third on Friday, was second in the consolation final of the 100 freestyle Saturday. His time of 43.97 come close to the Clan all-time record 43.94 set by David Hibberd in 2011.
VanderHelm was 10th overall in the event.
SFU's
Gabriel Lee was 21
st, and
Maran Kokoszka was 25
th, in the 200 backstroke, while
Robyn Lee was 54th in the 100 free.
The Clan women's 400 freestyle relay team of Lee,
Lauren Swistak, Kokoszka and
Alicia Kan placed 19th while the men's team of
Justin Kiedrzyn,
Colton Peterson, VanderHelm and Lee was third in the consolation final and 11th overall.
Queens University (N.C.) won the men's and women's divisions of the Division II Swimming & Diving Championships, defending the titles both teams first won in 2015.
Queens won the women's competition by more than 200 points, totaling 567. On the men's side, Queens also won handily with 449 points. Lindenwood (Mo.) was second with 382.5 points and Florida Southern was third with 299.5 points. Simon Fraser was 10th with 164 points.
A total of 340 student-athletes, including 157 men and 183 women, are scheduled to compete in the championships. Thirty-one teams are competing for the men's title and 38 teams for the women's championship.
Follow the SFU Clan swim team on the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/SFU_Swim.
--@SFUClan--
