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Spartan Swim Club grad qualifies for NCAA nationals

Simon Fraser University sophomore Jessie Gibson set three team records at a meet in Cleveland.
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Chilliwack Spartan grad Jessie Gibson had a spectacular freshman season with the Simon Fraser University swim team and has continued her record-breaking ways as a sophomore. RON J. HOLE PHOTO

Chilliwack Spartan Swim Club grad Jessica Gibson qualified for the NCAA D-II Championships with a remarkable performance at the sixth annual Magnus Cup meet, held last weekend in Cleveland, Ohio.

Gibson set Simon Fraser University all-time short-course records in the 100 yard backstroke and 100 and 200 yard butterflies.

Her most notable performance came in the 200 yard butterfly where she went head-to-head with Cleveland State U’s Molly McNamara. The smallest of margins separated the two. McNamara, a junior, clocked 1:58.65 while Gibson, a sophomore, clocked 1:58.63.

Gibson’s swim eclipsed the ‘A’ standard of 1:59.37 for the NCAA D-II Championships, automatically qualifying her for nationals.

In the 100 yard butterfly Gibson cut through the water in 53.93 seconds to finish third behind the University of Akron duo of Pauline Nogaj (53.32s) and Sadie Fazekas (53.34s).

In the 100 yard backstroke, Gibson qualified for the ‘B’ final where her time of 56.16 seconds was good for top spot, well clear of second place Abby Watson from Duquesne University, who touched the wall in 57.37s.

Gibson teamed with Kristin Olvet, Erin Lawrence and Kaleigh Sharkey to finish third in the womens’ 800-yard freestyle relay with a time of 7:34.15.

That eclipsed the ‘B’ provisional qualifying standard for nationals.

Gibson will be making her second trip to NCAA D-II Championships after earning All-American status in two races as a freshmen last year.

The SFU swim squad returns to competition in two weeks at the Husky Invitational in Seattle, their final meet before they head to Arizona for training camp.



Eric Welsh

About the Author: Eric Welsh

I joined the Chilliwack Progress in 2007, originally hired as a sports reporter.
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