Utah Swimming & Diving Looks Forward to MWC Championships

2/15/2011 12:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving

Feb. 15, 2011

UPCOMING

The University of Utah swimming and diving team continues to prepare for the Mountain West Conference Championships, which take place at the OCCC Aquatic Center in Oklahoma City Feb. 23 - 26.

CONFERENCE FLASHBACK

At the 2010 MWC Championships, the Utah women's team placed fifth with 377 points while the men's team finished in sixth place with a score of 401. The women finished behind BYU, Wyoming, SDSU, and UNLV, whereas the men finished behind UNLV, Air Force, BYU, Wyoming, and TCU.

Natalie Edge won the MWC title in the 100 free when she won with an NCAA `B' cut time of 49.82. She also placed fifth in the 50 free (23:24) and posted an NCAA `B' cut time in the 200 free to earn fifth place (1:49.68). Hannah Caron took first place in the 100 fly (54.01), earned the silver in the 200 fly (2:00.06), and placed sixth in the 200 IM (2:02.90).

Other notable performances by current Utah women include Maiya Otsuka's ninth-place NCAA `B' cut time in the 400 IM (4:23.22) and her ninth-place finish in the 200 IM (2:03.27), Kristina Evans' 11th-place finish in the 100 free (51.52), and Danielle Caldwell earning 13th place and posting a personal best in the 200 back (2:02.84). The best performances for the Ute women divers were Kwan Ling Yu's runner-up score on the platform dive (233.55) and Ellis Walters' NCAA Regional qualifying third-place score of 303.75 in the 1-meter dive.

In the women's relays, Edge, Chardonnay Biter-Mundt, Evans, and Caron secured fifth place in the 400 free relay (3:24.07) and Caron, Edge, Evans with current graduate assistant coach, Annie VanLeeuwen placed fourth in the 800 free relay (7:23.98). For the 400 medley relay, Otsuka, Caron, Edge and former Ute Beth Gunderson touched in at fourth place (3:44.20).

For the Ute men, Major Robinson earned the bronze in the 200 back (1:47.04) while Garrett Peterson earned fifth place in the 200 breast (2:02.35). Bjorn Gunnarsson placed sixth in the 100 free as well (45.33).

Other strong performances for current Ute men include Nelson Foo's seventh-place performance on the 3-meter dive (287.65), Gunnarsson's eighth-place performance in the 50 free (20.46), Eric Bonicelli's seventh-place finish in the 400 IM (3:59.56), Major Robinson's seventh-place finish in the 100 back (49.90). Both times for Bonicelli and Robinson were personal bests.

Gunnarsson alongside Eric Murray, Andy Lamb, and Karson Applin earned fourth place in the 400 free relay (3:01.58). Gunnarsson, Applin, and Murray also contributed to a third-place finish in the 200 free relay (1:22.04) with Todd Bradley, another previous Utah swimmer. Murray, Bryan Michaels, Ryan Hansen, and former Ute David Pursley took fifth place in the 800 free relay. In the 400 IM relay, Robinson, Applin, Gunnarsson, and John Baque touched in at fifth place (3:18.52).

QUOTING HEAD COACH Greg Winslow

"It's fun. We're trying to fine-tune some things. The kids are in a lot better spirits because they are not as tired. It's fun to work with them. We leave a week from today so it's pretty exciting.

"The biggest goal going into conference isn't going to be the comparison against anyone else but to control what we can. Control our swims and just have as much fun as we possibly can.

"This is the best team I've seen since I have been here."

-UU-