BYU Men's Swim Team Aims to Place High at NCAA Championships

PROVO -- The BYU men's swim and dive team will send five athletes to compete in six events at the 2007 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis. The meet will be held at the University of Minnesota Swimming Pool on March 15-17.

"This meet is the fastest in the world," said BYU men's head swim coach Tim Powers. "It's a collection of the best swimmers and divers in the United States and most of the world."

The Cougars' Brett Allen, Jorge Azevedo and diver Brandon Watson will compete in the individual events and Travis Price and Chris Patience will join Allen and Azevedo to compete in the 200 free and 400 free relays.

Allen, who competed in the 50 free at the 2006 NCAA Championships, will swim in the 50 free and the 200 and 400 free relays. Last year he placed 12th overall in the 50 free with a time of 19.62, the time he swam three weeks ago when he won the 50 free Mountain West Conference title.

Azevedo, a senior from Brazil, will swim in the 100 fly and the 200 and 400 free relays. He has won two 100 fly MWC titles and holds the BYU record in the 100 fly (47.70). Watson, the 2006-07 MWC Diver of the Year, will compete in the 1- and 3-meter dives. He placed second in the 3-meter and third in the 1-meter at the Zone E Diving Regional two weeks ago.

The other two events BYU will compete in are the 200 free and 400 free relay events. Allen, Azevedo, Price and Patience will make up the two relay squads. The Cougars won the MWC title in the 200 free relay and placed second in the 400 free relay at the MWC Championships three weeks ago.

"I'm resting Brett in the in 100 free and Travis in the 500 free because relays points are worth double," said Coach Powers. "We're all really excited for the meet."

BYU will begin the NCAA Championships competing in the first event on Thursday, the 200 free relay. The Championships run throughout the day and will conclude on Saturday.