CLEVELAND, Ohio (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV men's and women's swimming wrapped up its season with three first-place swims and an overall third place finish for the men's team Thursday at the 2020 National Invitational Championship, held at the Robert F. Busbey Natatorium on the campus of Cleveland State University. This year's competition was originally scheduled for three days, but officials with the NIC and the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) canceled the remaining two days due to the evolving COVID-19 public health threat.

HIGHLIGHTS:
* - Rebels Win two individual events and one relay on the first and final night of the NIC
* - Kate Afanasyeva finished as the second-highest point scorer on the women's side


The National Invitational Championship ended after the first full day of competition (due to COVID-19 precautions), but it was a day full of wins for the Rebels. 

Leading the way was junior Kate Afanasyeva, who was 4th in the 50 Butterfly, and then turned around a half hour later to win the 50 Backstroke with a 24.79.  Her back-to-back efforts put her as the 2nd-highest point scorer for women's swimmers. With only two women at the meet, UNLV still secured a top-20 overall when Kacey Kiuchi took over a second off from her Conference effort in the 200 I.M. to stomp the "B" final with a 2:01.79.

The men's efforts were led by sophomore Sam Willstrop, as he was an individual winner in the 50 Breaststroke in 24.34, and then dropped a head-turning 51.85 split on the 400 Medley Relay, leading the Rebel men to another gold medal.  He was joined by Hayden Cornellison, Bryan Chavez, and senior Hayden Hemmens on the anchor leg, who held off a hard-charging TCU for a win in his last swim as a Rebel.

The men finished the meet 3rd in the overall team standings, led by top-10 efforts from Bryan Chavez (50 Fly - 6th), Jack Binder (50 Breast- 9th), Chris Mykkanen (500 Free - 3rd), Hayden Hemmens (500 Free - 6th), Richard Szilagyi (50 Back- 4th), and Hayden Cornellison (200 I.M. - 6th).

THE RUNDOWN - WOMEN: 
*Junior Kate Afanasyeva finished fourth in the 50 fly with a time of 24.28.
*Afanasyeva took first in the 50 back with a swim of 24.79.
*Sophomore Kacey Kiuchi placed 11th in the 200 IM with a 2:01.79.

THE RUNDOWN - MEN: 
*Kicking off the meet, the 200 free relay team of Hayden Hemmens, Bryan Chavez, Richard Szilagyi, and Christopher Mykkanen touched sixth with a time of 1:21.05.
*Sophomore Bryan Chavez touched sixth in the 50 fly with a swim of 21.71, sophomore Michal Cukanow took 12th (22.27).
*Sophomore Sam Willstrop touched first in the 50 breast with a time of 24.34, sophomore Jack Binder took ninth (25.43), and sophomore Ivan Zukov finished 11th (25.57).
*Freshman Christopher Mykkanen placed third in the 500 free with a swim of 4:23.80, senior Hayden Hemmens followed in sixth (4:29.11)
*Junior Richard Szilagyi touched fourth in the 50 back (22.52).
*Sophomore Hayden Cornellison took sixth in the 200 IM (1:49.93), followed by Zukov in 12th (1:49.27).
*Szilagyi finished 14th in the 50 free (20.41).
*Closing out the competition, the 400 medley relay team of Cornellison, Willstrop, Chavez, and Hemmens touched first with a time of 3:10.52.

QUOTABLE-
"We attend this meet with two very specific purposes - to represent UNLV well at the national level, and to capitalize on 2nd-taper opportunities for our swimmers who are rising in the national rankings.  The team did a phenomenal job at both these objectives.  Hats off to Coach Ota and Coach Jordan, who led the charge in Cleveland this weekend."