COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Mountain West Conference Swimming & Diving Championships will be held in Oklahoma City, Okla., for the fourth straight year. Oklahoma City Community College will host the event Feb. 19-22.

Three-time defending conference champion BYU leads the eight-team Mountain West field. The Cougars' men's and women's teams captured the 2000, 2001 and 2002 MWC Championships and enter this year's event in search of the school's fourth straight and 13th overall league crown. However, UNLV will look to challenge for the women's conference crown after winning the inaugural regular-season title.

LOCAL INTEREST

Six Mountain West Conference student-athletes have Oklahoma ties. Edmond, Okla., native Andy Kapchinske (Edmond North HS) of UNLV returns to his home state for the 2003 Mountain West Conference Championships. A two-time Academic All-MWC selection, Kapchinske enters this year's event with the league's 10th best time in the 200-yard backstroke. Colorado State's Dylon Groenewald, of Jenks, Okla. (Northside HS), ranks in the MWC top 25 in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke.

Air Force Academy's Rory Peterson, of Ponca City, Okla. (Ponca City, HS), a two-time Academic All-MWC honoree, will challenge the field in the 200, 500- and 1000-yard freestyle. Peterson currently ranks in the top 15 in all three events, including a conference ranking of No. 9 in the 500 free. Making their first appearance at the MWC Championships this year are Air Force Academy freshmen Charles LeBeau (Tulsa, Okla.; Jenks HS), Robin Hernden (Edmond, Okla.; Edmond Memorial HS) and Amy Liu (Lexington, Okla.; Lexington HS).