BURNABY, B.C., Canada, December 1. THE University of British Columbia ended the six-year win streak of the Simon Fraser University Clan women’s swim team in convincing fashion Wednesday night as the Thunderbirds used both speed and depth to power its way to dual meet victories over both Clan teams at the SFU Aquatic Centre.
The seven-time defending CIS champion Thunderbirds easily defeated the five-time defending NAIA national champion Clan women's swim team 153-43. It was the Clan’s first dual meet loss in six years. SFU had won or tied 30 straight dual meets entering the match with UBC, its last lost against the University of Washington Huskies on January 24, 1998.
The seven-time defending CIS champion UBC men’s team wasn’t as dominant as its women, but still knocked off the two-time defending NAIA champion Clan 123-81.
“UBC really came with numbers and talent,” said Clan coach Liam Donnelly. “I have a lot of respect for their program; they really took it to us tonight.”
Simon Fraser, with one of its smallest women’s swim teams in recent years, had just seven swimmers to challenge the Thunderbirds. The 15-member UBC women’s team won all but three races and swept the top two spots in seven of the 11 events in a dual meet scoring system where nine points is awarded for first place, four for second, three for third and one for fourth.
UBC third-year swimmer Caitlin Meredith (Kamloops), a Canadian national champion, and Jennifer Ng (Vancouver), each won two individual races while Meredith also led the Thunderbirds to victory in the 200-metre medley relay. Meredith captured the 200-metre individual medley in 2:18.35 and won the 100-metre backstroke in 1:02.09. Ng finished first in the 50-metre freestyle in 26.78 and the 100-metre freestyle in 57.90.
SFU sophomore Kathryn Rosberg (Burnaby), co-winner of the Swimmer of the Year award in the NAIA last season, was the only Clan woman to win and she did so in record-setting fashion. Rosberg broke two SFU 22-year-old records, finishing first in the 800-metre freestyle in 8:54.78, and first in the 400-metre freestyle in 4:21.80. Judy Baker held both Clan marks in the 800-m (8:59.27) and the 400-m (4:22.79).
“Kathryn was outstanding – really impressive. She won two events that UBC is typically really strong in,” said Donnelly
The Clan women also won the 200-metre freestyle relay in 1:46.64.
The UBC men’s team won six of 11 races with Malcolm Lavoie (Edmonton) capturing two races, the 400-metre freestyle (3:59.16) and the 800-metre freestyle (8:26.28).
SFU senior Paul Wilkins (Salmon Arm) was the only other swimmer to win two individual races. He won closes races. In the 50-metre freestyle he out-touched teammate Lubrey Lim (Malasyia) to win in 23.35, and he out-touched UBC’s Jason Strelzow (Toronto) to win the 100-metre freestyle in 52.02. Wilkins also anchored the Clan’s winning 200-metre medley relay team.
SFU’s Felix Steinhauer (Germany) won the 200-metre individual medley in 2:04.02.
Wednesday night was the first meeting between the two Lower Mainland universities since 1996.
In a special “Swim with the Stars” community race at intermission, six young swimmers had the chance to race with some of the meet’s top athletes. Steinhauer (SFU) swam with 8-year-old Michaela Slinger (Port Moody Aquarians), Meredith (UBC) swam with 12-year-old Ciaran McDonnell (SFA-Coquitlam Sharks), Vicky Sui (SFA) swam with 11-year-old Nathan Kotylak (SFA), Desmond Strezlow (UBC) swam with 11-year-old Adam Godkin (SFA-Port Coquitlam Marlins), Canadian Olympian Matt Huang (UBC) swam with 12-year-old Amanda Kan (Burnaby Mountain Mantas) and Pan American Games medalist Kathleen Stoody (SFA) swam with 12-year-old Asia Van Buuren (SFA-Coquitlam Sharks