Utah Swimming Awaits MWC Championships

2/26/2008 12:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving

Feb. 26, 2008

THIS WEEK:

The University of Utah swimming and diving team will compete at the 2008 Mountain West Conference Championships this week, beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 27 and ending March 1, in Oklahoma City, Okla.

CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW:

Women - Utah, which complied a dual meet record of 6-5 overall and 5-3 in MWC competition, boasts several of the top swimmers in the conference and could have some athletes make a run at qualifying for the NCAA Championships. The biggest threats to qualify for the NCAA's include Shannon McQueen, Jennifer Fredsall and the 400-free relay team. Below is an event-by-event breakdown heading into the MWC Championships for the Utes:

Freestyle - Utah will rely on freshmen Natalie Edge and Kristina Evans to lead the freestyle events. Edge has led the Utes sprints most of the season and is one of the strongest closers on the team. Her best time this year of 51.17 in the 100 free ranks third in the conference while her time of 23.82 in the 50 free ranks fifth in the conference. She is also in the top 10 in the MWC in the 200 free. Evans has surprised many with her impact as a freshman and swims her best on the relays for the Utes.

Backstroke - McQueen is one of the top back swimmers in the MWC and will be looked upon to compete for the conference crown. She currently ranks third in the 100 back (57.51) and fifth in the 200 back (2:04.36). Beth Gunderson has come along strong this season and could be a surprise contender in the back events. She also ranks in the top 10 in both the 100 and 200 back.

Breaststroke - Senior Caitlin Tidwell is coming off a lifetime best time against BYU in the 100 breast and hopes to ride that momentum into the championships. Her time was the fifth-best in the conference in the event this season (1:05.84). In the 200 breast, look for Adrienne Coburn and Maiya Otsuka to have strong swims and possibly qualify for the NCAA Championships. Both rank in the top 10 in the conference.

Butterfly - This is Utah's deepest event on the women's side. Headlined by Jennifer Fredsall, whose best time of 55.36 in the 100 fly this season ranks first in the conference by several seconds, the Utes boast four of the top swimmers in the conference. In addition to Fredsall, Michelle Blair, Kelly McIntyre and Jana Willsey are also very strong in the fly events. McIntyre ranks third in the 200 fly (2:04.45).

IM - Coburn, Otsuka and Gunderson are the top Utes in the IM events. In the IM, winning comes down to which athletes can execute the transitions best. These three women are standout performers at transitions and that could prove to be the difference this weekend. Gunderson is in the top 10 in the 200 IM while Otsuka is sixth in the 400 IM.

Relays - The Utes boast some of the best relay teams in the conference. Headlined by the 400 free relay team, they have been able to win meets based on strong relay performances. The Utes hold the best time in the MWC this season in the 200 free relay (1:34.76) and rank in the top four in all five relays. Getting all four swimmers to perform at their best at the same time will be the key to a strong championship run for the women.

Diving - Anna Braszkiewicz and Kwan Ling Yu will represent the diving side for the Utes. Braszkiewicz was 14th on the one-meter last year and 15th on the three-meter last season. Yu was named the MWC Diver of the Week back on Nov. 21.

Men - The Ute men are coming off a difficult dual meet season (0-7, 0-5 MWC) but face the MWC with hopes of surprising some of the top powers. Utah is led by freshman Garret Beaman and the 800-free relay team has also been strong for the team the season. Both have a chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships if they can swim strong this weekend. Now a closer look at what to watch for at the MWC Championships:

Freestyle - Beaman, Tanner Folster and George Evans are three of the top sprint free swimmers in the conference. If they can perform well then the Utes could earn big points from the sprint events. Adam Oliver and Thomas Ekstrom will anchor the distance events for the team and have been solid all season. Beaman and Evans rank in the top 11 in the 100 and 200 free while Oliver holds the seventh-best time in the MWC in the 500 free.

Backstroke - Todd Bradley has been a solid back swimmer but remained under the radar this season. Bradley swam well against UNLV and if he can regain his early form then he could be a contender. Vlas Lezin will be one of the athletes that the Utes need to have a breakout performance this weekend. Lezin has the potential to earn valuable points for the team with a quality swim. He has the ninth-best time this season in the conference (1:50.85).

Breaststroke - John Baque and Spencer Peterson have each had a phenomenal year in the breast events. Baque was the lone event winner for Utah against BYU, winning the 200 breast. His best time of 2:06.12 in the event ranks eighth in the conference. Peterson will add depth and can compete with the best in the conference if he performs well.

Butterfly - Andrew Brown has been impressive in the fly events all season long. His best time of 1:53.31 in the 200 fly is eighth in the conference and he will be counted on to be the top Ute in these events. Lezin and Oliver will be looking to gain points by improving their times this weekend. Lezin has the sixth-best time in the 100 fly.

IM - The IM is the deepest event for the men. Nick Philpot, Bradley, and Beaman will lead the Utes in this key event. Beaman comes in with the second fastest time in the MWC in the 200 IM (1:51.36). He has a good chance to win the event and also qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Relays - The 800-free relay team will start off the weekend for the Utes and looks to set the tone for the rest of the championships. Their best time of 6:45.50 ranks first in the conference. Utah comes in as underdogs and looks to surprise the field now that they are rested and have the regular season completed.

SCOUTING THE FIELD:

On both men's and women's fronts, BYU and UNLV are the frontrunners for the conference crown, respectively. Utah lost to each of these teams in the dual meet season but will look to challenge in Oklahoma City. BYU finished a perfect conference season in both men's and women's competition. UNLV was second in men's and third in the women's draw behind Wyoming.

ON DECK WITH HEAD COACH Greg Winslow:

"This is an exciting time for our team. We have put our focus on this weekend from the beginning and put the pressure on our athletes to rise to the occasion. We are looking forward to February 27 and we feel confident that we can compete with anyone in the conference. This will be a great challenge for us and we are excited to compete."