Rebels Open WAC Championships with Relay Sweep

Wednesday, February 17

Las Vegas, NV

University of Nevada Las Vegas

Mountain West Championships (Day 1)

Photo by: UNLV Photo Services

2/24/2021 11:09:00 PM | Swimming & Diving

DAY 1 RESULTS

UNLV stands in the lead with 80 points after first day's events

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV men's swimming and diving swept the 200 medley relay and 800 free relay races held Wednesday night to kick off the 2021 Western Athletic Conference Championship swimming competition at Jim Reitz Pool. The Rebels are in the lead with 80 points in the team standings after two events with the defending WAC Champion Air Force right behind in second with 68 points.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY:

The Scarlet and Gray relay squad of senior Richard Szilagyi, and juniors Sam Willstrop, Casey McEuen and Reece Hemmens picked up right where the women's team left off, capitalizing on the momentum in their home pool with the 200 medley relay title in the first race of the night. During the race, Willstrop recorded the fastest 50 breast split in UNLV history (23.68) and Hemmens notched a 19-second split as the anchor to bring them within striking distance of a program record in the 200 medley relay.

Closing the night in convincing fashion in the 800 relay, the Rebels' crew of Vuk Celic, senior Bryan Chavez and sophomore Christopher Mykkanen built a sizeable lead to set up sophomore Panos Bolanos' finish ahead of Air Force by 4.38 seconds for the Scarlet and Gray's second straight WAC championship in that event. Featuring Chavez and Mykannen as the only returners from last season's 800 free relay quartet for UNLV, this season's group came within 1.66 seconds of last season 's performance (6:20.04) in which the Rebel set program and WAC records in the 800 free relay.

THE RUNDOWN – MEN:
*During their 800 free relay title defense, the Scarlet and Gray's quartet pulled off an NCAA 'B' mark of 6:21.70 and subsequently moved into second all-time in program history for that event.
*In the preceding 200 medley relay, UNLV posted a finishing time of 1:25.45 to also take over the second-fastest time on the school's all-time record chart. This was also their first time winning the 200 medley relay at the WAC annual meet.
*Junior Ivan Zhukov turned in a second NCAA 'B' cut for the Rebels on opening night, as he clocked a 53.68 in the 100 breast time trials which took place after the relays.

QUOTABLE: "This was certainly a good start for us this evening. Our guys came out fired up and ready to go. It's a little disappointing to barely come up short of that legendary 200 medley record, but if we settle down we will eventually get there. We have a lot of racing ahead of us, and a big part of this week's trajectory toward the outcome for us will be what happens in the prelim sessions." - Head coach Ben Loorz

NEXT FOR THE REBELS: The Rebels will return for the second day of the WAC Swimming Championships with the swimming prelims beginning at 11 am, followed by the finals at 6 pm Thursday. UNLV's diving team, meanwhile, jump starts day one of the WAC Diving Championships hosted by Northern Arizona with prelims at 10:30 am on Thursday, followed by a 6:30 pm start time for the finals.

2021 Western Athletic Championship Swimming Championships
Jim Reitz Pool at UNLV
Las Vegas, Nevada
& 2021 Western Athletic Championship Diving Championships
Aquatics Complex at Northern Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
Wednesday, February 24
Final Results

Team Scoring
1. UNLV – 80
2. Air Force - 68
3. Cal Baptist - 62
4. Grand Canyon – 62
5. Wyoming – 56
6. Seattle - 52

Top-Eight Finishes
800 Free Relay: 1st place - Celic, Chavez, Mykkanen, Bolanos (6:21.70*)
200 Medley Relay: 1st place – Szilagyi, Willstrop, McEuen, Hemmens (1:25.45)

^-NCAA 'A' Automatic Time
*-NCAA 'B' Provisional Time
~-NCAA Diving Zone Qualifying Score

-UNLV-