UBC's Pierse sets 100m breaststroke Canadian record

Archive photo courtesy Rich Lam / UBC Athletics: Annamay Pierse set a national 100m breaststroke record with a time of 1:07.32

VANCOUVER - Annamay Pierse continued rewriting Canadian history in the pool as the UBC Thunderbird standout set a national record in the women's long course 100 metre breaststroke (1:07.32) at the Mel Zajac Jr International swim meet at the UBC Thunderbird Aquatic Centre in Vancouver on Friday.

Pierse, who just wrapped up her CIS career with her second consecutive Female Swimmer of the Year award, bettered her own national record by just over a half of a second in her 100m breaststroke victory tonight. Her old Canadian standard was 1:07.78, a time she set at the Pan American Games in 2007.

The Edmonton native will be looking for more breaststroke records later this weekend as she will compete in her best event, the 200 metre breaststroke, on Saturday. Pierse set a world record in the women's short course 200 metre breaststroke in March but will have to contest with 2008 Olympic silver medalist Megan Jendrick of the United States this weekend. Pierse finished sixth in that Olympic final en route to setting a Canadian record of 2:23.77 that will certainly be in her sights on Saturday.