SFU aims for success on the mat, in the pool, and on the track
By Jade Richardson
Photos by Mark Burnham
In December of 2012 the Clan men’s soccer team made history as the first International school to compete for a National Collegiate Athletic Association title. They would make the final four, ultimately falling short of the championship game, but solidifying themselves as a powerhouse within the association.
Now, SFU is preparing to send their next round of national contenders to Birmingham, Alabama, where men’s wrestling, women’s swimming and women’s indoor track and field athletes compete simultaneously in an NCAA championships weekend.
This will be another historic weekend for Simon Fraser as the five runners and six swimmers will represent the first women from an International institution to compete in an NCAA championship, much like the soccer team before them.
All of the Clan teams have an excellent chance of performing well in Alabama, as SFU boasts some top seeds for each sport.
In the pool, swimmers Carmen Nam, Jordyn Konrad, Mariya Chekanovych, Kristine Lawson, Alexandria Schofield and Nicole Cossey will be representing the Clan in 15 individual events and two relays.
Freshman standout Chekonovych boasts the top ranking in both the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke events, while Nam is ranked eighth in the 400-yard I’m and ninth in the 200-yard butterfly.
As a team the Clan also hold the second fastest time in the 400-yard medley relay heading into the championships, and as of Feb. 18, the team is ranked 10th nationally.
The women’s track and field team is expected to succeed at their championships as well, as the five-woman team of Helen Crofts, Michaela Kane, Sarah Sawatzky, Lindsey Butterworth and Chantel Desch prepares to make the trek to Alabama to represent Canada and Simon Fraser.
Crofts has posted the fastest seed time in the 800-metres, and has led the field since her very first race of the season, while teammates Butterworth, Kane, and Sawatzky are ranked ninth, 10th, and 11th in that same event. Crofts is a two-time NAIA champion in the 800-metres from 2010 and 2011, and will be looking for her first national title in the NCAA.
“I have been looking forward to racing in an NCAA championship ever since the transition process first began,” explained Crofts. “Now we are here, and although it won’t be easy, I feel like it is absolutely possible for our team to come out with a win in the 800-metres and the distance medley relay.”
The Clan hold the second-fastest time in the aforementioned DMR, trailing only the University of Mary as they head into the competition, and the women are hoping to make a race of it as they take on the national leaders head-to-head.
Men’s wrestling will be sending their smallest and largest two athletes to their championships as 125-pound Skylor Davis and 285-pound Sunny Dhinsa prepare for their first NCAA wrestling competition.
Dhinsa placed second at the West regional qualifiers, while Davis placed fourth, punching their tickets to Birmingham. His defeat in the finals marked Dhinsa’s only loss in his 20-match season, so he will be looking for redemption against his first competitor in the national tournament. Davis boasts an impressive 20–4 record this season.
A win in any event would mark the first NCAA victory by an athlete from an international institution, a fact not lost on the 13 SFU athletes heading to Alabama.
“Coming into any event ranked first puts pressure on you knowing that everyone is out to beat you,” continued Crofts. “But the possibility of having an opportunity to give SFU their first NCAA national champion just adds to the excitement!”
The three championships run from March 6–9, and results will be available at athletics.sfu.ca at the end of each day.
