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Mountain West Conference Swimming and Diving Championships Preview
Championships will run from Feb. 21-24; real-time results to be available online for the first time.
Feb. 14, 2007 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Mountain West Conference Swimming and Diving Championships begin next week with the men's one-meter dive at 10 a.m. Wed., Feb. 21. For the first time, real-time results will be available online by visiting http://themwc.cstv.com/livestats/c-swim/results/index.htm, or go to the MWC Swimming & Diving Championships page at http://themwc.cstv.com/champ/swim-champ-2007.html. The championships, which run from Feb. 21-24, are being hosted for the eighth year by Oklahoma City Community College at the Aquatic Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. The UNLV men, two-time defending champions, tied BYU for the regular season title with 4-1 dual meet records. The Rebels will be tough to beat in the relay events, holding the MWC best time in every relay this season. UNLV sophomore Jonas Andersson also owns two MWC season best times in the 100 breaststroke (55.54) and 200 breast (1:59.25). BYU, which lost to only UNLV in conference duals, is led by senior Brett Allen. Allan, a three-time MWC Swimmer of the Week, has dominated the sprint freestyle events, going undefeated in both the 50 and 100 free this season. His 19.82 swim in the 50 free and 44.33 clocking in the 100 free are both MWC season best times. He also set the MWC all-time record in the 50 free with a 19.62 in the prelims of last year's NCAA Championships. Also watch for Air Force senior Chris Knaute in the distance free events. Knaute, who led the Falcons to a dual meet win over UNLV, holds the league all-time record in the 500 free (4:20.00), 1000 free (9:11.98), 1650 free (15:09.15) and 400 individual medley (3:49.33), while owning MWC season best times in the 200 free (1:38.91), 1650 free (15:38.13), and 400 IM (3:54.36). Knaute was voted as the MWC Swimmer of the Week a league-high four times this season. In men's diving, BYU freshman Brandon Watson holds both conference season best scores with a 349.73 in the one-meter dive and a 391.35 in the three-meter event. Wyoming senior Kevin Bretting will provide close competition, ranking second on the league performance list in both events this year. Both earned two MWC Diver of Week awards this year. On the women's side, watch for Utah senior Amber Walter, who set an MWC all-time record in the 50 free with a 22.59 at the Ohio State Invitational in December. Walter, who earned two MWC Swimmer of the Week awards this season, led the Utes to and undefeated conference dual meet record, setting league season bests in the 50 free, 100 free (50.40) and 100 backstroke (1:02.89). Utah, the 2006 champions, also owns MWC season best times in all five relay events. BYU, which lost to only Utah in dual meets this year, is led by junior Angela Goodson in the butterfly events. She owns the MWC season best of 56.03 in the 100 fly and ranks second to New Mexico freshman Ashley Grisdale in the 200 fly. Grisdale posted a 2:03.22, while Goodson follows with a 2:05.03. Expect TCU freshman Jennifer Ferguson to bring her best to the women's diving events. Ferguson set an MWC record with four consecutive Diver of the Week honors this season. She is second in the league in both the one and three-meter dives at 315.67 and 331.13, respectively. New Mexico senior Carrie Quinn, who won Diver of the Week honors Jan. 31, owns the MWC season best in the one-meter event (342.45), while BYU junior Angela Nelson leads the league with a 332.40 in the three-meter event.
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