Jan. 12, 2000
LAS VEGAS - Taper and Shave, home of the national rankings office, recently released its current best times list. On it were UNLV swimmers' Lorena Diaconescu, Bobby Middleton, and Jacint Simon. Each placed in the top 25 in at least one of their individual events.
Lorena Diaconescu (Bucharest, Romania), who has been dominating the Mountain West, ranks 15TH in the nation in the 200 free (1:48.91). She is also listed as 25TH in the 500 free, posting a time of 4:52.91. Both were set during the 16TH Annual Winter Invite on December 18 at the Buchanan Natatorium.
Diaconescu, who is a sophomore, transferred from Romania this season to join the Rebel swim team. She placed first in the 100 free and second in the 200 free at the 1999 World University Games ? Posted a third-place finish in the 4x200 freestyle relay at the 1999 European Championships ? Placed seventh in the 4x200 freestyle relay during the 1998 World Championships in Perth ? Was a seventh-place finisher in the 4x200 freestyle relay at the 1996 Olympic Games ? Was a four-time National Champion from 1995 through 1998. She will be the Rebel's top freestyler and has the speed to qualify for the NCAA's this season.
Bobby Middleton (Cathedral City, Calif.) remains unbeaten in the 50 and 100 breast events this season. He ranks 9TH in the nation in the 100 breast with a time of 55.50. Middleton set this season and personal best at the 16TH Annual Winter Invite in the Buchanan Natatorium at UNLV. He also holds the 29TH position in the 200 breast with a mark of 2:03.17.
Middleton is the school record-holder in two individual events and three relays at Cathedral City High School. He also captured the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Division 3 title in the 100 breast. He has emerged as the Rebel's top breaststroker and will have a great chance of qualifying for the NCAA's this season.
Jacint Simon (Kecskemet, Hungary) has catapulted himself onto the national scene by ranking seventh in the nation in the 500 free (4:23.80). He has also ranks 15TH in the 1650 free (15:31.19) and 16TH in the 200 fly (1:48.30).
Simon, who has competed at the international level, was a member of the Hungarian National Team. He was a participant of the World University Games and was a Hungarian Champion in the 1500 M-Free. He is regarded as the Rebel's top freestyler and will strive to qualify for the NCAA's and make the Hungarian Olympic Team.
The men's and women's teams will be at UC Santa Barbara on January 22, but will return to the Buchanan Natatorium on the 29TH to face Mountain West rivals Air Force (COED) and San Diego State (women). Competition will begin at 2pm.
