Dazzling Duo: Anderson and Eliason Propel Men’s Swim Team to Victorious 161-101 Triumph Against UCSB

PROVO, Utah — The BYU men’s swimming team secured its fourth dual meet victory of the season, triumphing 161-101 against UCSB at the Richards Building Pool on Friday.

“Following a challenging winter training session, it felt great to compete again today,” stated BYU head swim and dive coach Tamber McAllister. “Our athletes performed excellently, putting up a strong fight in their races today.”

Five different Cougars claimed event victories against the Gauchos, with Darwin Anderson and Nathaniel Eliason together accumulating 36 points across four event wins.

Anderson excelled in the distance races, achieving his sixth and seventh race wins of the season. The junior hailing from Rock Springs, Wyoming, clinched the 500 free in 4:33.87 and the 1000 free in 9:28.04.

While Anderson shone in the long-distance events, Eliason excelled in the sprints. The freshman from Mechanicsville, Virginia, dominated the 50 and 100 free, clocking in at 20.29 and 44.62, respectively.

Max Kleinman, Tanner Nelson, and Jacob Ballard contributed an additional three victories for BYU. Kleinman achieved his fifth win this season with a 48.54 in the 100 back. Nelson secured his ninth victory of the season with a 1:49.54 in the 200 individual medley while Ballard triumphed in the 200 fly with a time of 1:52.61.

Both Cougar relay teams also emerged victorious on Friday. Grant Chapa commenced the 200 medley relay with a time of 23.16, as Peter Etzold, Eliason, and Joshua Reed followed to earn a “B” squad victory in 1:30.33. Kleinman kicked off the 400 free relay in 45.13, with Nelson, Luigi Riva, and Eliason concluding it with a winning time of 2:59.82.

BYU swimming will compete once more this season at the Richards Building Pool with a dual meet against Denver on Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. MST.