Dec. 3, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Two current University of Kentucky swimmers who are redshirting this season, and a pair of former UK swimmers, are competing this weekend in the 2010 AT&T Short Course National Championships being held at the Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatics Pavilion on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
The championships, which began Thursday, conclude Saturday evening.
Current swimmers Maclin Simpson, a sophomore from Louisville, Ky., and Tyler Reed, a senior from Morgantown, Ky., have been putting in good scores through the opening two days. Simpson is swimming in the 200 individual medley, the 100 butterfly and the 200 fly. Reed is competing in the 500 freestyle, 200 free and 100 free.
Fifth-year students Alex Forbes and Elvis Burrows are also competing. Forbes and Burrows are both competing in the 50 free, 100 fly and 100 free.
Simpson earned a career-best time in the 200 IM Thursday when he clocked in with a time of 1:51.23 in the preliminary round. Simpson’s time shatters his previous best time of 1:53.71 in the 200 IM.
Simpson kept it going Friday, earning another personal best, this time in the 100 fly with a time of 49.37 in the preliminary round.
Reed has also had a strong opening two days at the championships with a pair of seventh-place finishes in the 500 free and 200 free finals. Reed qualified for the 500 free Thursday with the sixth fastest time at the pool. tapping in at 4:20.78, a personal best. On Friday, Reed qualified in first in the 200 free with a time of 1:34.82. He swam a 1:35.69 in the 200 free finals.
Forbes and Burrows each swam in the 50 free on Thursday, with Forbes tapping in with a time of 20.20 seconds, and qualifying for the finals, and Burrows clocked in at 20.53. Forbes swam even faster in the 50 free finals later on Thursday with a time of 19.96.
On Friday, Forbes and Burrows swam the 100 fly preliminaries alongside Simpson. Forbes swam a 49.86 while Burrows led the trio with a time of 49.15.
While at Kentucky, Forbes excelled in the freestyle and butterfly events. As a senior, Forbes tapped in with a career-best time of 19.61 in the preliminary round of the 50 free at the NCAA Championships, also held in Columbus, Ohio. Forbes finished the finals in 14th place with a time of 19.76.
As a senior, Burrows earned a season-best time in the 50 free at the NCAA Championships, clocking in with a time of 19.90.
The 2010 AT&T Short Course National Championships will conclude Saturday, Dec. 4. Simpson will compete Saturday in the 200 fly and Reed, Forbes and Burrows will each compete in the 100 free. Preliminary rounds will begin at 9 a.m. with the finals following at 5 p.m.
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for all Kentucky swimming and diving news.
