March 26, 2009

COLLEGE STATION, Texas. - It was a disappointing day for the UNLV men's swim team on Thursday, as the Rebels' 200 free relay was disqualified due to a false start in the first event of the morning preliminaries at the 2009 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships. This year's championship is being held from Thursday through Saturday at the Texas A&M Student Rec Center Natatorium in College Station, Texas.

Steven Nelms, Charlie Tapp, Thomas Andolfsson and Calan Eldridge entered the championships seeded 10th in the event with a time of 1:17.61, but during their swim the relay squad was disqualified after it was ruled that one of the Rebels left .02 early on his leg of the relay.

Four Rebels swam individual events as well in the preliminaries. The best showing came in the 50 free, as Andolfsson placed 30th with a time of 19.71, Nelms finished in a tie for 35th in 19.78, and Tapp was tied for 57th in 20.11. Also swimming an event on Thursday was Kier Maitland, who placed 47th in the 500 free in 4:28.21.