UNLV’S PACO-PEDRONI AND HENDRICK SWEEP SWIMMER AWARDS
Rebel duo picks up conference honors from the WAC and the Mountain West
UNLV’s Tom Paco-Pedroni and Kristina Hendrick made it a sweep of their conference Swimmer of the Week awards on Tuesday, as Paco-Pedroni was honored by the WAC and Hendrick was selected as the week’s best from the Mountain West, both league offices announced on Tuesday morning. It’s the first career weekly conference honor for both Rebels.
Paco-Pedroni, a senior from Nice, France, returned to the pool for the Rebels this past weekend after redshirting the 2015-16 season while training for the Olympic Trials. He showed the same dominate form as always, winning a total of four out of five individual events he swam in while placing second in the fifth event. His win in the 50 free came in a time of 20.14, which currently ranks him 23rd in the nation, while he has a top-10 time in the 100 free in 43.41, ranking him sixth. He holds the top time in the WAC in the 50, 100 and 200 free events. He also helped the 400 free relay to a win in a time of 2:59.47 against BYU, the 21st-fastest time in the nation so far.
Hendrick, a senior from Santa Maria, Calif., was key in the Rebels’ first win of the season, a 160-120 home victory over BYU on Nov. 5. Over the two days against the Cougars and Utah on Nov. 4, she posted three individual wins while also swam on a pair of second-place relays. Hendrick swept the 100 breast on both days, and her time of 1:03.61 against Utah is the second-fastest in the MW this season. Also claimed the 200 IM against Utah in 2:04.80, third-fastest mark in the league.
The Rebels are back in action in two weeks when they take a select squad to the Mizzou Invite in Columbia, Mo., on Nov. 17-19.