BYU Tallies Multiple MWC Championship Awards

COLORADO SPRINGS -- On top of the BYU women’s swim and dive Mountain West Conference title and a third-place finish for the BYU men, five Cougars were named MWC Coach and Athletes of the Year, as well as 24 individuals and six relays were named to the All-MWC team.

BYU diving coach Keith Russell was named MWC Diving Coach of the Year for both the men and the women for exhibiting success in crowning his divers in four of six diving events at the MWC Championships and had his divers make it to the top-eight 21 times in six events. This award marks Russell’s 15th and 16th MWC Coach of the Year awards in 11 years.

“The horse does all the work and the jockey gets the credit is how I feel,” said Russell. “They are all just out there working hard and doing what they can do.”

Senior Natasha Menezes was awarded the Senior Recognition Award for a stellar season in the distance events. Menezes finished second in the 200 and 500 free and placed fourth in the mile swim at the MWC Championships. Menezes is a five-time MWC champion and tallied 79 first-place finishes in her tenure at BYU.

After tallying four MWC Diver of the Week awards, sophomore All-American diver Brandon Watson was named MWC Diver of the Year at the MWC Championships. In the 2009-10 season he tallied 11 dual meet wins, finished first on the 3-meter against PAC-10 schools at the Wildcat invitational and won both the 1-meter and 3-meter titles at the MWC Championships.

Along with Meghan Zimmer of San Diego State, junior Rachel Grant was named Swimmer of the Year for her two titles at the MWC Championships in the 400 individual medley and 200 fly as well as placing second in the 200 IM. Grant tallied 21 first-place finishes during the dual meet season – more than any other Cougar.

Taking the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard titles at MWC Championships was Tawni Jones, also named MWC Diver of the Year. After a stellar season with 14 first-place finishes and six MWC Diver of the Week honors, Jones led her Cougars to the fourth MWC title in four years.

Along with the above honors, nine men, 15 women, one BYU men’s relay and five women’s relays were named to the All-MWC team.

The men’s All-Conference team included Travis Day, Sam Hatch, John Kendrick, David Mason, Ron Morris, Hayden Palmer, Vytenis Slenys, Nic Suder and Watson while the women’s team included Sara Jayne Christiansen Baldwin, Kassandra Bispo, Dana Christensen, Londyn Clawson, Mikenna Cloward, Kirsty Ferrell, Grant, Kelsey Higginson, Ava Jackman, Jones, N. Menezes, Aleesha Miller, Candice Smith, Taryn Toolson and Emily Woods.

These 24 individuals were named to the All-Conference team for 45 different events. The 800-yard free relay team of Kendrick, Christian Keil, Chad Fong and Joshua Tanner earned relay honors while the women took home honors in all four relays. In addition to the individual women named above, Amy Xu and Michelle Menezes helped make up the five relay teams.

A complete list of the BYU swimmers and divers named to the All-MWC team follows.

Men’s All-Conference Team – Individuals

Travis Day, BYU (3-meter springboard)

Sam Hatch, BYU (platform diving)

John Kendrick, BYU (200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 1650-yard freestyle)

David Mason, BYU (100-yard breaststroke)

Ron Morris, BYU (1-meter springboard, platform diving)

Hayden Palmer, BYU (400-yard individual medley)

Vytenis Slenys, BYU (100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard individual medley)

Nic Suder, BYU (1-meter springboard, platform diving)

Brandon Watson, BYU (1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard, platform diving)

Men’s All-Conference Team – Relays

BYU 800-yard freestyle relay (John Kendrick, Christian Keil, Chad Fong, Joshua Tanner)

Women’s All-Conference Team – Individuals

Sara Jayne Christensen Baldwin, BYU (100-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard individual medley)

Kassandra Bispo, BYU (100-yard breaststroke)

Dana Christensen, BYU (platform diving)

Londyn Clawson, BYU (200-yard breaststroke)

Mikenna Cloward, BYU (1-meter springboard)

Kirsty Ferrell, BYU (100-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly)

Rachel Grant, BYU (200-yard butterfly, 200-yard individual medley, 400-yard individual medley)

Kelsey Higginson, BYU (100-yard breaststroke)

Ava Jackman, BYU (1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard)

Tawni Jones, BYU (1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard, platform diving

Natasha Menezes, BYU (200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 1650-yard freestyle)

Aleesha Miller, BYU (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle)

Candice Smith, BYU (100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke)

Taryn Toolson, BYU (50-yard freestyle)

Emily Woods, BYU (1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard)

Women’s All-Conference Team – Relays

BYU 200-yard freestyle relay (Taryn Toolson, Sara Jayne Christensen Baldwin, Kirsty Ferrell, Aleesha Miller)

BYU 400-yard freestyle relay (Kirsty Ferrell, Natasha Menezes, Sara Jayne Christensen Baldwin, Aleesha Miller)

BYU 800-yard freestyle relay (Rachel Grant, Amy Xu, Michelle Menezes, Natasha Menezes)

BYU 200-yard medley relay (Candice Smith, Sara Jayne Christensen Baldwin, Kirsty Ferrell, Aleesha Miller)

BYU 400-yard medley relay (Candice Smith, Sara Jayne Christensen Baldwin, Rachel Grant, Aleesha Miller)