Three Receive Swimmer and Diver of the Week

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - BYU freshman Jake Taylor and junior Brandon Watson have been named Mountain West Conference Men's Swimmer and Diver of the Week, respectively, while Utah senior Natalie Edge and BYU sophomore Dayna Christensen earned women's swimming and diving honors, respectively.

Taylor, a product of Honeyville, Utah, recorded first-place finishes in six individual events in BYU's Conference dual meets vs. Air Force and Wyoming, including a sweep of the backstroke and 200-yard individual medley events at both meets. On Thursday vs. the Falcons, the freshman clocked respective times of 49.54 and 1:49.73 in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke to claim first in both events, while adding a first-place finish in the 200 IM (1:51.82). On

Saturday against the Cowboys, he paced the field in the 100 back with a season-best time of 49.17, and followed that performance with a winning mark of 1:49.23 in the 200 back. Taylor, who took first in the 200 IM (1:52.67), also led off for the Cougars' winning 200-yard medley relay squad (1:31.62).

Watson, from Riverton, Utah, went a perfect 4-0 in both springboard events vs. Air Force and Wyoming. The junior finished first on the 3-meter springboard vs. the Falcons with an NCAA zone-qualifying score of 400.65. He also won the 1-meter springboard after tallying 345.08 points to qualify for the postsea son. Watson also swept the springboard events vs. the Cowboys, collecting NCAA-zone qualification marks of 369.38 and 363.15, on the 3-meter and 1-meter boards, respectively.

Edge, a native of South Jordan, Utah, captured four individual wins in Utah's Conference meets vs. Wyoming and Air Force. Against the Cowgirls, the senior swept the freestyle sprint events, finishing the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 23.39 and the 100 free in 50.64. Edge, swam anchor for the Utes' first-place 200-yard medley relay (1:42.78), and also led off the 400-yard freestyle relay that paced the field in 3:24.63. She opened Saturday's meet anchoring Utah's 200-yard medley relay that won in 1:47.23. Edge also captured firsts in the 200 free (1:53.75) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:28.21) vs. the Falcons.

Christensen, who hails from Garland, Utah, earned back-to-back 1-meter springboard titles in the Jan. 20 and Jan. 22 meets vs. Air Force and Wyoming, scoring 376.90 and 279.23 points, respectively. The sophomore, who placed second on the 3-meter springboard vs. the Cowgirls after tallying 263.03 points, captured a first-place finish on the 3-meter board vs. the Falcons with a mark of 307.20.