Mountain West Conference Swimming and Diving Championships - Day 3

UNLV narrowly leads the men's standings; BYU on top of women's standings.

Chris Knaute
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Feb. 23, 2007

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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Air Force senior Chris Knaute tied an MWC record, winning his ninth career individual title in day three of the Mountain West Conference Swimming and Diving Championships Friday at Oklahoma City Community College. Knaute won the 400 individual medley in 3:50.05, his second win this year, to tie UNLV's Jacint Simon who won nine races from 2000 to 2002.

Knuate could break the record with a win in the 1650 freestyle, which will be held tomorrow at 12:19 p.m. CST. A win in that race would also make Knaute only the second swimmer in MWC history to win the same race four consecutive years. Scott Usher of Wyoming won the 200 breaststroke from 2002 to 2005.

BYU senior Angela Goodson set an MWC Championship and all-time record with a 54.29 swim in the 100 butterfly. Goodson broke her previous record of 54.49 which she set at last year's championships.

The BYU women set an MWC Championship record in the 400 medley relay, repeating its title in 3:42.76. Senior Brittany Burk, junior Jamie Bloom, Goodson and sophomore Leilani Roberts swam the record race for the Cougars.

The men's team race is tight, with just 57.5 points separating the top three teams - UNLV (480.5), BYU (469.5) and Air Force (423). Wyoming (341), Utah (297.5) and TCU (296.5) finish the standings.

The Cougars retain their lead in the women's standings with 542 team points, followed by Utah (439), UNLV (376, Wyoming (367) and Colorado State (281). TCU (270), New Mexico (100), Air Force (129) and San Diego State (118) round out the list.

The final events of the championships begin tomorrow with the women's 200 backstroke prelims at 10 a.m. CST and finals competition at 6 p.m.

NOTES
- TCU sophomore Cheryl Townsend earned the Horned Frogs' first women's swimming title since joining the league last season with a 4:24.60 victory in the 400 IM, nearly two seconds ahead of her closest competition.
- Air Force senior Chris Knaute was less than half a second slow of breaking his MWC championship record with a 3:50.05 swim in the men's 400 IM. Knaute won the race for the third year in a row.
- After finishing second the past two years, BYU senior Jorge Azevedo turned in a winning performance in the men's 100 butterfly of 47.71.
- Utah senior Alison McInturff won the women's 200 freestyle for the second time with a 1:47.78 clocking. She also won the race in 2005 and finished second in 2006.
- Utah senior Amber Walter repeated as the women's 100 breast champion with a 1:02.54 clocking.
- BYU senior Jorge Azevedo became the first Cougar to win the men's 100 back, in a time of 49.33, since Arunas Savickas set the MWC Championship record of 48.28 in 2001.
- Utah senior Kelsey Patterson repeated her title in the women's platform, carding a 273.90. Patterson also won the three-meter event Wednesday.
- UNLV's 400 medley relay team of junior Devin Phillips, sophomore Jonas Andersson, senior John Byers and senior Brandon Nelms won their fifth consecutive title with a 3:15.80.