By LESLIE ARMSTRONG
The BYU men's and women's swimming teams both beat PAC-10 and WAC powerhouses to capture third place at the 1997 Speedo Cup Invitational this weekend.
The teams traveled to Long Beach, Calif. for the annual competition and came home with season bests, lifetime bests, and enough points for both to secure a third place win.
The women finished with 696 points, trailing California Berkeley (1233.5) and University of Nevada, Reno (788). The men's final score was 801.5, just below the University of California Berkeley (1177) and Stanford (1080).
Women's swimming coach Stan Crump said both teams had impressive performances this weekend. Regarding the women, he said, 'I thought they swam really well.'
Crump said the women travelled to the invitational with two goals in mind -- first, to swim their fastest times so far this season, and second, to simulate their swimming techniques with WAC Championship conditions.
Crump said most of the swimmers had one or two season best times and others had lifetime bests. Junior Sarah McKeever led the team with season best times in all of her events -- the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, and 200 IM.
McKeever said the team's relays 'did really well' also. The relays swam season best times.
The invitational was a championship format, the format used at the WAC Championship meet. In a championship format all participants swim in the preliminary events each morning, but only those who swim the top 32 times in the preliminaries qualify for finals each night. The top 24 times of the evening events receive points for their team.
BYU had five swimmers make finals at this weekend's competition -- Sarah McKeever, Valynn Grant, Hanalee Hawkins, Sarah Street and Jennifer Tasker. Each of the female finalists also swam top 24 times in their evening events, capturing points for the team.
Coach Crump said the men's team had a great meet also. He said the sprinters swam well, and there were also many record times.
Once again, Byron Shefchik and Arunas Savickas led the team with multiple victories in the backstroke and breaststroke events.
Both teams will begin Christmas training Dec. 26 in San Diego, Calif., and will resume competition next semester. The next swim meet will be Jan. 3 in Irvine, Calif.