Simon Fraser University swimming and diving head coach Liam Donnelly unveiled his 2015 men’s and women’s recruiting classes that feature up-and-coming swimmers from British Columbia, across Canada and a few international recruits.
Donnelly signed Colton Peterson of Chilliwack and Mackenzie Hamill of Oakville, Ont. two Canadian swimmers who competed at the Canadian world championship trials in April. Pablo Beltran Martinez of Valencia, Spain, also signed a Letter of Intent to join the Clan. He competes on Spain’s junior national team and is one of the country’s rising swim stars.
Peterson, 19, finished 22nd in the 200 metres long course individual medley at the Canadian world trials. Hamill, 18, was 19th in the 200m butterfly and 18th in the 400m freestyle at the trials.
Martinez is the Spanish junior national champion in the 400m free and his personal best time of 4:00.23 would have placed him right behind Hamill at the Canadian trials.
The trio is among seven recruits who will bolster a men’s program that saw VanderHelm become the first SFU male swimmer to qualify for the NCAA championships last spring.
“We have a strong incoming freshman class and I expect several of our newcomers will qualify, compete and score at the NCAA championships,” said Donnelly. “It will be an exciting start in September.”
There are eight athletes from B.C., as well as athletes from across Canada, Spain and Hong Kong in this year’s recruiting class.
The women’s team features Bree Cooper of Salmon Arm, a top graduating Canadian, and Robyn Lee of Port Coquitlam, who turned down scholarship offers from NCAA Division I programs to stay at home and compete for the Clan.
Lee’s first competitive swimming experience was with Simon Fraser Aquatykes 10 years ago. She has been swimming for Simon Fraser Aquatics and Coquitlam Sharks, while attending Burnaby Mountain Secondary. Lee was a medalist at the 2014 provincial championships in the 50, 100, 200 and 400m free events and she competed at the 2015 Canadian age group championships. Lee was also selected to compete for the West Team against the East in a Canadian dual meet.
“I feel like SFU will make me a better swimmer and I want to find out how good I can be,” said Lee, who sees her future as a 200 or 400m freestyler.
“SFU values Canadian meets and I don’t think that US-based schools would care as deeply about the Canadian trials and factor that into my preparation,” said Lee. “Here, I will get to compete against American swimmers in NCAA Division II, while also focusing on important Canadian meets.”
Nicholas Lau, an exchange student from Hong Kong, chose SFU for entirely different reasons.
“SFU is an internationally renowned institution, in academics and in sports, and as an exchange student it will be easier for me to adapt to the university life,” said Lau.
“I believe that I can reach my full potential academically and athletically at SFU,” said Nicolas Hernandez, a native of Bogota, Columbia, living in North Vancouver and attending St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Secondary School.
The 2015 SFU recruiting class:
Women’s Team
Brooke Ancell - Port Coquitlam
High School: Riverside Secondary
Events: 50, 100, 200m Backstroke; 100m Freestyle
Athletic Accomplishments: Competed at the Western Canadian Championships
Top Times:
50 Backstroke, 31.08 SCM, Western Canadian Championships
100 Backstroke, 1:05.43 SCM, Western Canadian Championships
200 Backstroke, 2:21.50 SCM, Western Canadian Championships
Bree Cooper - Salmon Arm
High School: Salmon Arm
Events: 50, 100m Butterfly; 50, 100m Breaststroke; 50, 100m Freestyle
Athletic Accomplishments: won silver medal in 100m breaststroke at the 2015 Western Canadian Open Championships
Top Times:
100 Breaststroke, 1:11.11 SCM, 2014 JP Fiset International 2014
Ali Gracan - Ladner
High School: South Delta
Events: Freestyle, Breaststroke, Individual Medley, Butterfly
Athletic Accomplishments: Qualified for Western Canadian Open Championships
Isabella Koch- White Rock
High School: Semiahmoo Secondary
Events: 50, 100, 200m Breaststroke
Athletic Accomplishments: Competed at the Canadian Age Group Swimming Championships
Top Times:
200m breaststroke, 2:44.59 LCM, Canadian Age Group Swimming Championships
Elaine Lam - Vancouver
High School: Burnaby Mountain
Events: 50, 100, 200m Freestyle
Athletic Accomplishments: Competed at the BC Provincial Championships, Western Canadian Championships, and Mel Zajac International.
Top Times:
50 Free, 27.88 LCM, 2014 Mel Zajac
100 Free, 59.61 LCM, 2014 Mel Zajac
200 Free, 2.09.62 LCM, 2014 Mel Zajac
Robyn Lee - Port Coquitlam
High School: Burnaby Mountain
Events: 50, 100, 200, 400m Freestyle
Top Times:
50 Free, 26.76 SCM, 2014 Swim BC AAA Provincial Championships
100 Free, 57.20 SCM, 2014 Swim BC AAA Provincial Championships:
200 Free, 2:05.22 SCM, 2014 Swim BC SC AAA Provincial Championships
400 Free, 4:25.04 SCM, 2014 Swim BC AAA Provincial Championships
Men’s Team
James Cormier - Bedford, N.S.
High School: Charles P. Allen Secondary
Events: Individual Medley & Distance
Athletic Accomplishments: Triple bronze medalist & silver medalist at Canadian Age Group Championships
Top Times:
200 IM, 2:04.56 SCM, Provincial Junior & Senior Championship, Montreal
400 IM, 2:25.58 SCM, East West Dual Meet, Winnipeg
800 Free, 8:18.40 SCM, NS Open Swim Meet
1500 Free, 15:50.54 SCM, Ontario Junior International, Toronto
Mackenzie Hamill - Oakville, Ont.
High School: Iroquois Ridge High School
Events: 200 Fly, 200, 400, 800, 1500m Free
Athletic Accomplishments: Canadian 15-17 age group record-holder in 4x100m Freestyle
Top Times:
400 Free, 4:00.03 LCM, Canadian Swimming Trials
200 Fly, 2:04.25 LCM, Canadian Swimming Trials
800 Free, 8:23.55 LCM, Canadian Swimming Trials
200 Free, 1:50.99 SCM, McDonald's Canadian Record Challenge
1500 Free, 15:42.65 SCM, Thunderbolt Junior International
Nicolas Hernandez - Bogota, Columbia
High School: St. Thomas Aquinas
Events: 100, 200m Free
Top Times:
200 Free, 1:49.81 SCM, International Thunderbolt Swim Meet
Nick Lau - Hong Kong
High School: Diocesan Boys’ School
Events: 50, 100, 200, 400m Free
Top Times:
50 Free, 24.08, Hong Kong-Macau Interport
100 Free, 53.24, McDonald’s Swimming Championships
200 Free, 1:57.49 LCM, Victorian Open
400 Free, 4:10.85, Hong Kong Age Group Swimming Championships
Pablo Beltran Martinez - Valencia, Spain
High School: IES Conselleria
Events: 200 Fly, 200, 400, 800m Free
Athletic Accomplishments: Competes on the Spanish National Junior Team and Spanish champion in 400 metres freestyle
Top Times:
400 Free, 4:00.23 LCM
Colton Peterson - Chilliwack
High School: G.W. Graham
Events: 200 IM; 50 and 100m Breaststroke
Athletic Accomplishments: Competed at the 2015 Canadian Trials
Top Times:
200 IM, 2:07.32 LCM, 2015 Canadian Trials
100 Breast, 1:03.33 SCM, 2014 Thunderbolt Junior International
50 Breast, 29.35 LCM 2015 Canadian Trials
Inder Pooni- New Westminster
High School: New Westminster Secondary
Events: 50,100m freestyle; 50,100, 200m Backstroke
Top Times:
50 Backstroke, 26.89 SCM, Hyack Trials
