March 4, 2008
LAS VEGAS - The final tally of the accomplishments of the UNLV men's and women's swimming and diving programs remain just as impressive three days later as it did this past Saturday night after the conclusion of the 2008 Mountain West Conference Championships. Following the completion of the four-day event, the domination of the Rebels at this year's league championships could be summed as this: one MWC men's championship trophy, one MWC women's runner-up fnish, nine new MWC Records, 16 new UNLV team Records, 24 1st-place finishes, three NCAA "A" cuts, 37 NCAA "B" cuts, two MWC Senior Recognition Awards, two Swimmer of the Meet Awards, and one Coach of the Year.
The 2007-2008 Rebel Swimming & Diving season is already one for the record books, and the Rebels added to the awards, as the All-Mountain West Conference Teams were announced on Wednesday. To be placed on the all-conference team, an individual must place in the top six for the men and top eight of a women's event, while a top-three finish in the relay also earns all-conference honors. As expected, UNLV placed a league-best 12 on the men's all-conference team, and a MWC-best five relays as well, while on the women's side, 10 Rebels were named all-conference, third-best among conference women's teams. UNLV also had all five women's relays named as well.
Among the highlights from the past weekend was UNLV won all four major swimming awards. Seniors Johan Claar and Kim Bonney earned recognition for their years of accomplishments in leadership, athletic performance, and academics when they earned the MWC Senior Recognition Award. Kim Bonney was called back to the podium, this time with senior Richard Hortness, to be handed the Swimmer of the Meet awards. Bonney won all three of her individual events, including a MWC record-setting performance, good for an NCAA "A" cut, in the 200 breaststroke. Every race that Kim swam, including her relays, was a team record, and five of them were conference records. Richard Hortness became the first MWC swimmer in history to win the "Sprinter's Cup" - a first-place finish in the 50-yd., 100-yd., and 200-yd. freestyle events, with his 100 free setting a new league record as well. He is currently ranked top-25 in the NCAA in all three of these events.
Head coach Jim Reitz, who was named the MWC Men's Coach of the Year for the fourth time, evaluated the meet after its conclusion. "This is perhaps the most dominating performance in UNLV history . . . certainly in Conference history," said Reitz, in his 28th season as the UNLV head coach.. The amount of 1st-place finishes on the men's side is completely amazing, and the number of records broken in a single meet is unsurpassed. I could not be more proud of what this squad has accomplished.
Men's All-Conference TeamIndividualsJonas Andersson, UNLV (100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke)Thomas Andolfsson, UNLV (50 Freestyle)Tomas Bosnyak, UNLV (100 Breaststroke)Timothy Christian, UNLV (100 Butterfly, 100 Backstroke, 200 Backstroke)Johan Claar, UNLV (200 Freestyle, 500 Freestyle, 1650 Freestyle)Daniel Egly, UNLV (200 Butterfly)Michael Ellingsen, UNLV (100 Backstroke, 200 Backstroke)Richard Hortness, UNLV (50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle)Peter Lorring, UNLV (100 Butterfly, 200 Butterfly)Kier Maitland, UNLV (500 Freestyle, 1650 Freestyle)John Mendoza, UNLV (500 Freestyle, 1650 Freestyle)Devin Phillips, UNLV (200 Individual Medley, 100 Backstroke, 200 Backstroke)
RelaysUNLV 200 Freestyle Relay (Richard Hortness, Devin Phillips, Timothy Christian, Thomas Andolfsson)UNLV 200 Medley Relay (Timothy Christian, Jonas Andersson, Peter Lorring, Thomas Andolfsson)UNLV 400 Freestyle (Richard Hortness, Tamas Bosnyak, Calan Eldridge, Johan Claar)UNLV 400 Medley Relay (Timothy Christian, Jonas Andersson, Peter Lorring, Richard Hortness)UNLV 800 Freestyle Relay (Richard Hortness, Devin Phillips, Calan Eldridge, Johan Claar)
Women's All-Conference TeamIndividualsKim Bonney, UNLV (200 Individual Medley, 100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke)Kelsey Clarke, UNLV (100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke)Ana Dangalakova, UNLV (400 Individual Medley, 200 Backstroke)Lisa Gillespie, UNLV (400 Individual Medley, 200 Backstroke)Alexa Graham, UNLV (100 Breaststroke)Marva Harpak, UNLV (100 Freestyle, 500 Freestyle)Megan Hunt-Higgins, UNLV (50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke)Jenna Neff, UNLV (100 Butterfly, 200 Butterfly)Marina Sandback, UNLV (50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 100 Butterfly)Amanda Weinbrecht, UNLV (100 Butterfly, 100 Backstroke, 200 Backstroke)
RelaysBYU 200 Freestyle Relay (Aleesha Miller, Leilani Roberts, Angela Price, Kirsty Ferrell)BYU 200 Medley Relay (Sara Jayne Christiansen, Jamie Bloom, Angela Price, Aleesha Miller)BYU 400 Freestyle Relay (Leilani Roberts, Aleesha Miller, Sara Jayne Christiansen, Kirsty Ferrell)BYU 400 Medley Relay (Sara Jayne Christiansen, Jamie Bloom, Angela Price, Aleesha Miller)BYU 800 Freestyle Relay (Rachel Grant, Leilani Roberts, Michelle Menezes, Natasha Menezes)UNLV 200 Freestyle Relay (Megan Hunt-Higgins, Kim Bonney, Madison Rousell, Marina Sandback)UNLV 200 Medley Relay (Amanda Weinbrecht, Kim Bonney, Marina Sandback, Megan Hunt-Higgins)UNLV 400 Freestyle Relay (Megan Hunt-Higgins, Kim Bonney, Marva Harpak, Marina Sandback)UNLV 400 Medley Relay (Amanda Weinbrecht, Kim Bonney, Marina Sandback, Megan Hunt-Higgins)UNLV 800 Freestyle Relay (Marva Harpak, Ana Dangalakova, Kari Nettenstrom, Lisa Gillespie)
