By AmyAnn Rupp
Swimming and diving seniors Jeff Mason and Aaron Russell have been honored, respectively, as the Mountain West Conference men”s swimmer and diver of the week.
Mason, a Mesa, Ariz., native, recorded two individual victories in the 200-yard freestyle, coming in 1 minute 41.67 seconds; and the 100-yard freestyle in 46.00.
Mason completed the meet by anchoring BYU”s 400-yard freestyle team to victory, posting a time of 3:03.51, helping the Cougars to a 1161.50 – 81.50 dual meet win over in-state rival Utah on Nov. 1.
“I feel wonderful. The people in the MWC really do a great job in giving athletes positive recognition,” Mason said.
All-American Russell, a product of Provo, Utah County, swept the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events against Utah. In the 1-meter, he bested the second place finisher by 81 points with a score of 347.60. Russell”s score of 290.40 topped the four-man field in the 3-meter.
Russell received a BA in Portuguese from BYU and is now studying Portuguese as a graduate student.
“I hope these awards are to promote good sportsmanship,” Mason said. “If you promote only the all-stars it takes away from the sportsmanship and team aspect of competition. I don”t think I am an all-star but I do my best to have good sportsmanship.”
Mason and Russell will compete next Nov. 22 in Las Vegas against UNLV and Florida State.
