MacKenzie Hamill earned the final All-American trophy for the Clan on the final day of the 2018 NCAA Division 2 men's and women's swimming and diving championships, as Simon Fraser University returns home from Greensboro, N.C., with 14 All-American performances.
Clan swimmers posted four all-time SFU records as well at nationals.
The Simon Fraser women’s team finished the national championship meet in 14th place with 83 points, and the men’s team finished in 18th place with 100 points.
Hamill entered the 1,650-yard freestyle as the top seed along with sophomore Tim Samuelsen of Missouri University of Science and Technology, both with season-best times of 15:20.15.
In the end, less than 20 seconds separated the top six swimmers in the race with Samuelsen posting a time of 15:08.53 to take the title by seven seconds over Nova Southeastern's Franco Lupoli. Hamill, a native of Oakville, Ont., was clocked in 15:27.02 for 6th place. SFU’s Andrew Woinoski finished in 10th place, cutting five seconds off his seed time at 15:30.89.
Hamill also finished 6th Saturday in the 1,650-yard freestyle and was 5th in the 1,000 free on the first day of the meet, setting one of the four SFU all-time records.
Hamill and Woinoski were All-Americans in three events.
Jessica Gibson was the other Clan swimmer who participated in the final session of the meet on Saturday, swimming in the consolation final of the 200-yard backstroke. Gibson had a strong performance, touching the wall 4th in the heat and 12th overall, in 2:00.09. She earns All-American Second Team honours for her efforts, giving her four All-American swims at nationals.
Clan swimmer Rolando Hernandez was in the men’s side of the 200-yard backstroke, finishing his last race in a time of 1:48.49, placing 22nd overall.
Senior Meaghan Frenks competed in her final swim of the season in the 200-yard breaststroke placing 24th in 2:18.72. Freshman Kaleigh Sharkey completed the 100-yard freestyle in 48th place (51.97).
The Clan women competed in the 400-yard freestyle relay in a time of 3:30.35, with Gibson, Kristen Olvet, Erin Lawrance, and Sharkey, finishing in 26th place.
Simon Fraser concluded the 2018 NCAA Div. 2 Championships with 12 All-American performances:
NCAA All-Americans First Team (Finish 1-8); Second Team (Finish 9-12)
MacKenzie Hamill – 500 free (6), 1,000 free (5)*, 1650 free (6)
Andrew Woinoski – 500 free (8), 1,000 free (8), 1650 free (10)
Rolando Hernandez – 400 IM (5), 500 free (2)
Jessica Gibson – 100 fly (5)*, 200 fly (2)*, 200 back (12), 800 free relay (8)*
Kaleigh Sharkey – 100 fly (10), 200 fly (4), 800 free relay (8)*
Erin Lawrance – 800 free relay (8)*
Kristen Olvet – 800 free relay (8)*
*SFU All-time record
