Beehive Relays Kick Off 2006-07 Swim Season

PROVO -- The Cougars will begin the 2006-07 swim season by hosting the annual Beehive Relays versus in-state rival Utah on Thursday and the traditional Blue/White alumni meet on Friday. Both meets will begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at the Richards Building Pool.

Last year both BYU men's and women's squads won the Beehive Relays held at the University of Utah, with Villanova joining the competition. The Cougar men's team won eight of the 12 events and the women took six of the 12.

Thursday's relay meet will not be scored. The meet gives the Cougars a chance to prepare for competition while providing the coaches with a good perspective of where their teams are entering the 2006-07 season. Coaches and fans will be able to look at the newcomers, as well as returnees from last year's teams.

The BYU men's team features All-American Brett Allen who swam at the NCAA Championships last season. This year's team also features Mountain West Conference Champion Travis Price and All-MWC swimmers Jorge Azevedo and Jeffrey Su. A number of new swimmers have joined the team this year after returning from missions, transferring from other schools or coming in as freshmen.

The BYU women's team will feature NCAA qualifier Angela Goodson and MWC Champions Brittany Davis-Burk, Leilani Roberts and Jamie Bloom. This year's team has only three seniors, but there are a number of incoming freshmen that are expected to have a significant impact on the team.

The divers will also compete Thursday night at the Beehive Relays. Sophomore Swaraj Patel is the lone returning diver for the men's team, and the women return All-MWC diver Angela Nelson. Between the BYU men's and women's teams there are 10 freshmen divers on the roster this season.