IRVINE, Calif.?Kentucky swimmer Grant Nelson did not qualify for the finals in the 200-meter butterfly event at the 2006 ConocoPhillips National Championships in Irvine, Calif., Wednesday.

Nelson swam in the 10th and final heat, a heat which featured Olympic-gold medalist and world recorder holder Michael Phelps. The rising junior for the Wildcats was in sixth place in his heat heading into the final 50 meters, but finished eighth in a time of 2:04.43.

Phelps captured the top time in the preliminary round swimming in a time of 1:57.83, four seconds behind his own world record of 1:53.93.

Nelson finished in 37th place out of 72 swimmers in the event. He touched in 39th place in the 400-meter freestyle yesterday. Nelson will return to Lexington with two years of eligibility remaining.

Recent UK graduate Daniel Farnham and rising junior Jenny Bradford will be in the pool Thursday in Irvine. Farnham will make his first appearance of the week swimming in both the 100-fly and 50-free. Bradford will make her second appearance of the Championship and will compete in the 50-free.