BURNABY, BC – Simon Fraser swimming & diving coach Liam Donnelly unveiled his 2018 men’s and women’s recruiting classes that feature promising young stars from across Canada, Alaska and around the world.
Donnelly has recruited student-athletes from B.C. (7), Alberta (3), Manitoba (1) and Ontario (3). There is also a recruit from Alaska, one from Italy and two from Greece.
“This recruiting class will help us strengthen our men’s and women’s teams and to create a culture where everyone pushes each other to reach their full potential,” said Donnelly.
The Simon Fraser men’s swim team will be stacked next year with six returning All-Americans – MacKenzie Hamill, Rolando Hernandez, Adrian VanderHelm, Gabriel Lee, Andrew Woinoski and Tim Woinoski – and the addition of eight new recruits.
The Woinoski brothers, Tim and Andrew, will be joined in 2018-19 by younger brother Alex. All three brothers specialize in distance freestyle events. Tim was an All-American in 2017 in the 1,650 free while younger brother Andrew was an All-American in three events (500 free, 1,000 free, 1650 free) in 2018.
Not to be out-done, Alex was a Canadian age-group open water champion at 5 kilometres in 2016.
The international recruits on the men’s team come with championship pedigree. George Vougiatzis from Athens won four national titles in the Greek national championships and recently qualified and competed in the World Schools Championship while Antonio Marino (Naples, Italy) placed 9th at his country’s Junior National Championships.
The Canadian recruits come highly touted as well. Mathew Fuller of Edmonton, Alberta won three gold medals (200,400&1500 freestyle) at Canadian Junior Championships, Collyn Gagne of Oakville, ON placed top five at Canadian senior nationals in the 400 individual medley and Jimmy Zhang of West Vancouver was a five time medalist at Canadian Age Group Nationals.
Rafik Jiwa of Belleville was the 2017 Ontario provincial champion in the 200 butterfly while Micah Lau of Burnaby set an age group (15-17) provincial record in the 200 freestyle.
The women’s team is adding 10 recruits to its program, led by Kennedy Loewen from High River, Alberta, who was a bronze medalist at Canadian Junior Nationals and Jordan Doner from Newmarket, Ontario, who qualified for the Canadian Junior Championships three years in a row.
Marina Cummiskey, who holds dual Canadian/USA citizenship, joins SFU from Kodiak, Alaska, where she was the 2018 female swimmer of the year for the ASSA high school season.
“After considering several universities in both the United States and Canada, I ultimately felt that Simon Fraser best fit my personal goals both academically and athletically,” explained Cummiskey. “I am proud to become part of Canada’s NCAA team and to live in Canada and embrace that part of my identity.”
Other notable female swimmers joining the Clan are Katie Rosychuk from Edmonton, AB, who made finals at the 2018 Western Canada Championships and Hattie Sun, from Coquitlam, who competed in the Canadian age group nationals.
Simon Fraser Swimming & Diving Recruiting Class
SFU Women’s Team 2018 Recruits
Marina Cummiskey (Kodiak, AK)
High School: Kodiak HS
Home club: Kodiak Kingfishers
Events: 200, 100 Freestyle, 100 Butterfly
Major: Communications
Jordan Doner (Newmarket, ON)
High School: Newmarket HS
Home Club: Newmarket Stingrays
Events: 50, 100 Breaststroke
Major: Psychology
Kaylie Hardman (Winnipeg, MB)
High School: Grant Park HS
Home club: Junior Bison Swim Club
Events: Butterfly, Individual Medley
Major: Psychology
Rafik Jiwa (Belleville, ON)
High School: Nicholson
Home club: Belleville Youth Club
Events: 200 Butterfly
Major: Environmental Sciences
Kennedy Loewen (High River, AB)
High School: Highwood HS
Home club:
Events: Backstroke, 200 Individual Medley
Major: Psychology
Tassa Marchese (Edmonton, AB)
High School: Strathcona Composite HS
Home club: Olympian Swim Club
Events: 100 Freestyle
Major: Chemistry
Katie Rosychuk (Edmonton, AB)
High School: Strathcona Composite High School
Home club: Edmonton Keyano Swim Club
Events: 200, 400 Freestyle
Major: Biochemistry
Hattie Sun (Coquitlam, BC)
High School: Dr.Charles Best Secondary
Home Club:
Events: 200, 100 Butterfly
Major: Criminology
Victoria von Sacken Nash (Victoria, BC)
High School: Spectrum Community School
Home Club: Pacific Coast Swimming
Events: Breaststroke
Major: Business
Sara Whelan (Port Coquitlam, BC)
High School: Riverside Secondary
Home Club:
Events: Middle Distance Freestyler
Major: Criminology
SFU Men’s Team 2018 Recruits
Mathew Fuller (Edmonton, AB)
High School: Stelly’s Secondary School
Home Club: Island Swimming Club
Events: 200, 400 Freestyle
Major: Psychology
Collyn Gagne (Oakville, ON)
High School: Iroquois Ridge High School
Home Club: Oakville Aquatics
Events: 400 IM, 200 IM, 1500 freestyle, 200 backstroke
Major: Earth Sciences
Micah Lau (Burnaby, BC)
High School: Moscrop secondary school
Home Club: Hyack swim club
Events: 200, 400, 800, 1500 Freestyle
Major: Computer Science
Antonio Marino (Naples, Italy)
High School: Liceo Classico-Scientifico “Vittorio Imbriani”
Previous School: University of North Texas
Home club: Circolo Canottieri Napoli
Events: 200 Breaststroke, Individual Medley
Major: Physics
Kyriakos Papaggelis (Glyfada, Greece)
High School: Pierce The American College Of Greece
Home club: Deree Swimming Club
Events: Freestyle
Major: Kinesiology
George Vougiatzis (Athens, Greece)
High School: Pierce The American College Of Greece
Home Club: Deree Swimming Club
Events: Freestyle
Major: health sciences
Alex Woinoski (Coquitlam, BC)
High School: Burnaby Mountian Secondary
Home Club: Simon Fraser Aquatics
Events: Freestyle
Major: Physics
Jimmy Zhang (West Vancouver, BC)
High School: Sentinel secondary school
Home Club: West Vancouver Otters
Events: Freestyle
Major: Criminology
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