Feb. 25, 2002

LAS VEGAS - The Mountain West Conference Swimming & Diving Championships will be held in Oklahoma City, Okla., for the third straight year. Oklahoma City Community College will host the event Feb. 27-Mar. 2.

Two-time defending conference champion BYU leads the eight-team Mountain West field. The Cougars' men's and women's teams captured the 2000 and 2001 MWC Championships and enter this year's event in search of the school's third straight and 12th overall league crown. However, UNLV will look to challenge for the conference crown with the help of four Olympians.

Two Rebel swimmers have Oklahoma ties. Edmond, Okla., native Andy Kapchinske (Edmond North HS) of UNLV returns to his home state for the 2002 Mountain West Conference Championships. A two-time Academic All-MWC selection, Kapchinske totaled 29 points in last year's conference championship and enters this year's event with the league's 12th best time in the 200-yard backstroke.

UNLV senior David Schick also made his home in Jenks, Okla., graduating from Jenks High School in 1998. An Olympic Trial qualifier in the 1999-2000 season, Schick tallied 53 points in last year's MWC Championships and was the third highest scorer in the 2000 conference championships, winning the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard individual medley. Schick holds the MWC's best time this season in the 100 butterfly.

The Rebels bring a host of talent to the championships again this year after challenging for the titles a year ago. The UNLV men finished just 11.5 points behind BYU at the 2001 MWC Championships, and seniors Michael Short, Jacint Simon and Andrew Livingston are in search of a conference title. A two-time All-American, Short is a member of three Rebel relay teams (200 free, 400 free, 200 medley) that set MWC Championship records. A Hungarian Olympian (2000) and three-time All-American, Simon earned MWC Swimmer of the Year honors at last year's conference championships. Simon is the MWC record holder in the 500 freestyle and has the league's top time in the 200- and 500 freestyle this season. Livingston, a three-time All-American, Olympian (2000) and U.S. National Champion in the 200 butterfly (2001), has the league's best time in the 200 fly and ranks second in the 100 fly and the 400 individual medley.

On the women's side, senior Lorena Diaconescu holds MWC records in the 100-, 200- and 500 freestyle and should be the frontrunner in those events at this year's championships. A two-time Olympian (1996-2000) and two-time All-American, Diaconescu earned MWC Swimmer of the Year the past two years and has captured a total of six individual conference titles and has been a member of four championship relay teams.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 20027:00-10:00 a.m.   Warm up10:00 a.m.        Women's One-meter Springboard Prelims2:00 p.m.         Men's One-meter Springboard Prelims6:00 p.m.         200-yard Medley Relay FINALS                  One-meter Springboard FINALS                  800-yard Freestyle Relay FINALS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 20027:00-11:00 a.m.   Warm up11:00 a.m.        500-yard Freestyle Prelims                  200-yard Individual Medley Prelims                  50-yard Freestyle Prelims2:00 p.m.         Men's Three-meter Springboard Prelims6:00 p.m.         500-yard Freestyle FINALS                  200-yard Individual Medley FINALS                  50-yard Freestyle FINALS                  Men's Three-meter Springboard FINALS                  200-yard Freestyle Relay FINALS
DIVING FINALS WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CONCLUSIONOF THE FINAL INDIVIDUAL EVENT OF THE EVENING.
FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 20027:00-11:00 a.m.   Warm up11:00 a.m.        400-yard Individual Medley Prelims                  100-yard Butterfly Prelims                  200-yard Freestyle Prelims                  100-yard Breaststroke Prelims                  100-yard Backstroke Prelims2:00 p.m.         Women's Three-meter Springboard Prelims6:00 p.m.         400-yard Individual Medley FINALS                  100-yard Butterfly FINALS                  200-yard Freestyle FINALS                  100-yard Breaststroke FINALS                  100-yard Backstroke FINALS                  Women's Three-meter Springboard FINALS                  400-yard Medley Relay FINALS
SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 20027:00-11:00 a.m.   Warm up11:00 a.m.        200-yard Backstroke Prelims                  100-yard Freestyle Prelims                  200-yard Breaststroke Prelims                  200-yard Butterfly Prelims                  1650-yard Freestyle Prelims1:00 p.m.         Men's Platform Prelims3:00 p.m.         Women's Platform Prelims6:00 p.m.         1650-yard Freestyle FINALS                  200-yard Backstroke FINALS                  100-yard Freestyle FINALS                  200-yard Breaststroke FINALS                  200-yard Butterfly FINALS                  Platform Diving FINALS                  400-yard Freestyle Relay FINALS
DIVING FINALS WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CONCLUSIONOF THE FINAL INDIVIDUAL EVENT OF THE EVENING