Swimming and Diving Jumps into Conference Contest at Home

PROVO -- The Cougars will kick off the new year with Mountain West Conference swimming and diving competition at home against the TCU men and women Friday at 6 p.m. and the New Mexico women Saturday at noon at the Richards Building Pool.

The No. 20 BYU men, the only nationally ranked team in the MWC, are looking for redemption after their first loss to Washington, 105-100, last week. The men are currently 6-1 on the season and 1-0 in Mountain West competition.

BYU's women's team has not officially competed since late November when the Cougars finished third out of 21 teams at the Speedo Cup in Long Beach, Calif. The women swam in a non-scored meet over the Christmas break at the Claremont Club in Calif., winning every event but one. Women's swimming coach Stan Crump said the team is ready to jump back into competition.

"We're ready for the Mountain West," said Crump. "We're in great shape. We've just got to pick up some more speed, and when that happens I think we'll be really good."

The divers also kept up their training competing over the holidays, learning new dives and preparing for conference competition.

"I hope they get in there and do what we've worked on," said diving coach Keith Russell. "It's going to be a challenge, but we can take advantage of being at home."