March 25, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The University of Kentucky men’s swimming and diving team will send seven athletes to the 2009 NCAA Championships hosted by Texas A&M this week aiming for a second consecutive top-20 finish. The Blue and White have four returning All-Americans in the pool this week as they seek to better their 19th place finish from 2008.
Headlining this year’s squad are senior Shane Eliason, juniors Alex Forbes and Eric McGinnis and sophomore Tyler Reed who all earned All-America status a year ago. Reed won four All-America distinctions highlighted by his individual 13th place finish in the 200-freestyle.
Eliason was a part of the 13th place 800-free relay and the 14th place 400-medley relay. McGinnis and Forbes joined Eliason in the 800-free relay and then were vital member s of the 14th place 400-free relay as well.
Joining UK’s four returning All-Americans are first-time participants juniors Elvis Burrows and Kyle Greene and sophomore Colin Faris.
Burrows set Kentucky’s school record in the 100-butterfly at the SEC Championships, while Greene emerged on the stage in several events. Faris one of the best times in the country in the 50-free at the conference meet to earn a spot on the 2009 NCAA Championship team.
Kentucky will compete with two relays this week as the 200- and 400-free relays qualified as one of the top in the nation. UK’s 400-free relay is seeded eighth after breaking the school record in their third place finish at the conference meet. McGinnis, Forbes, Reed and Greene touched in a time of 2:51.72 which bettered the record by nearly two full seconds. The 200-free relay is seeded 12th nationally entering the meet.
Reed and Greene both qualified for three individual events. Reed will return to the pool in the 200-free where he placed as a freshman a year ago. He will also be among the field in the 100- and 500-free.
After a break-out season at the SEC Championships, Greene is among the competitors in the 50-free, 100-free and 200-free.
McGinnis has had a season to remember as well after earning a spot on the 2009 World University Games team this summer in the 50-free, he broke UK’s school record in the 100-free and placed in the top-five in both sprint freestyle races at the conference meet. He will take to the water in both of those events on the national stage this week.
Burrows also broke a school record with a top-eight finish in the 100-fly this season. He also qualified to compete in the 50-free this week in his first-ever NCAA appearance. Forbes will join Burrows in both the 100-fly and 50-free.
Faris rounds out the field in the 50-free for UK, as they have five athletes among the competitors.
Complete coverage of the Kentucky men’s swimming and diving team at the NCAA Championships can be found by visiting UKathletics.com. For complete information regarding the national meet please visit www.aggieathletics.com/ncaa2009/swimming/men/
