LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Feb. 26, 2021) – Senior Mitchell Hovis eclipsed his career-best in the 100 breaststroke while finishing third in the event on Friday at the 2021 WAC Championship. Hovis went 54.52 in the prelims while posting a time of 53.92 in the finals. He now ranks sixth overall in school history.
 
After the third day, Wyoming continues to sit in fourth place with 381.5. UNLV has a commanding lead with 626 points followed by Air Force with 441 and Grand Canyon with 387.5.
 
"Several of the men improved their times today or went best times," said head coach Dave Denniston. "Austin (Crump) winning the 200 free consolation along with Grant (Sloan) in the 100 breaststroke fired our team up. Ryan (Netzel) and Mitch (Hovis) went lifetime bests in the 200 free and 100 breaststroke, respectively. We had a lot more energy tonight and we are improving each day. As always, Juan (Gonzalez) and Brendan (Byrnes) really stepped up big in the points race. It's going to be a fun one tomorrow."
 
Hovis had a great showing in the prelims going just .13 off his career-best with a time of 54.52 to place second. Freshman John Wargin reached his first final with a season-best time of 55.53 for a seventh place finish. Senior Grant Sloan posted a time of 56.03 while sophomore Caleb Worshek went a career-best 58.10. Sloan took the b-final consolation with a season-best time of 54.57.
 
In the 400 IM, sophomore Thomas Diaz cruised his way in to the a-final with a season-best time of 3:58.09 to place seventh. Freshman He ended remaining in the same spot after the finals with a time of 3:59.29. Luke Walker touched the wall in a best time of 4:00.23 along with sophomore Cameron Murphy with a season-best time of 4:02.68 to each reach the b-final. Walker improved his time by three seconds to 3:57.77 and Murphy touched the wall in 4:01.93.  Freshman Andrew Columbus cut six seconds off his season-best with a time of 4:03.56 to finish 17^th and followed it up with a 4:05.65 time in the c-final.
 
Three Cowboys swam their way to the b-final in the 100 butterfly with career-best times. Freshman Reilly Gilbert went 49.57 to finish 13^th followed by fellow freshman Harry Tjaden in a time of 50.04. Senior Austin Crump cut almost a second off his time with a mark of 50.34. Gilbert dropped his time to a career-best 49.47 as did Tjaden with a time of 49.97.
 
In the 200 freestyle prelims, junior Ryan Netzel finished fourth with a career-best time of 1:37.79, which he improved to 1:37.06 in the finals. He now ranks seventh all-time in school history. Senior Austin Crump posted a time of 1:38.40 and dropped almost two seconds in the final for a time of 1:36.67. He followed that up by taking a season-best time of 1:36.67. Sophomore Daniel Cumnock-Francois was solid with a time of 1:41.39 to also reach the b final.
 
Sophomore Andrew Rodriguez turned in a performance of 48.92 in the 100 backstroke for a fifth place finish in the prelim. He improved on that going 48.77 which is fifth all-time in school history. Freshman Max DeYoung posted at the time a career-best 49.45 which was good for a seventh place finish and tenth in school history. He improved with a time of 49.00 in the finals.
 
In the 400 medley relay, the team of Rodriguez, Hovis, Tjaden and Crump went 3:16.62 to place fifth, which was a season best time.
 
For the second day, junior Brendan Byrnes and freshman Juan Gonzalez reached the finals. Byrnes posted a score of 272.55 to place fifth in the 3-meter, while Gonzalez followed in sixth with a six dive mark of 272.15. Sophomore Payton Lee recorded a score of 229.20 to place 12^th and senior Elijah Chan went 228.0, both reaching the consolation final. Both divers improved their scores with Lee finishing fourth posting a 258.90 and Chan going 253.50.
 
In the finals, Gonzalez boosted himself up four spots to finish second with a career-best score of 344.10. He finished just 12 points behind Evan Honer of Cal Baptists. Byrnes recorded a season-best score of 308.70 for his second straight top five finish.
 
The 2021 WAC Championship will close out tomorrow at the Buchanan Natatorium in Las Vegas. Prelims will begin at 12 p.m. MT with the 200 backstroke followed by the 100 free, 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly. The evening session will start at 5 p.m. with three heats of the 1650 free. The finals are slated for 7 p.m. Diving will wrap things up in the platform with the prelims at 10:30 a.m. with the finals at 6:15 p.m.
  
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