Redlands' Harp named top swimmer

The University of Redlands swimming & diving team's freshman Tyler Harp (San Bernardino, CA) garnered Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Athlete of the Week honors today following his dominance at the 2009 SCIAC Swimming and Diving Championships from Feb. 12-14 in Long Beach.

Harp torched the program record book, breaking three individual records while having a hand in four relay records. The only event in which he did not walk away a school record holder was in the 50 freestyle as he finished the event just .08 seconds behind sophomore Miran Terzic (Mostar, Bosna i Hercegovina) in an NCAA "A" qualifying time of 20.39.

Additionally, he won the 100 freestyle in an NCAA "A" qualifying mark of 44.97 and registered "B" marks with a first-place 100 butterfly (50.02) and a lead-off split of 1:40.69 in the 800 freestyle relay.

He served as a part of the winning 200 freestyle relay (1:23.16), the winning 200 medley relay (1:34.34) and the winning 400 freestyle relay (3:02.46). Also, he partook in the 800 freestyle relay (6:54.35) that took second overall. Each of his relay contingents captured NCAA "B" qualifying marks.

For his successes, the conference head coaches named him the men's SCIAC Athlete of the Year, edging out worthy candidates such as his teammate, sophomore Alec Alders (Los Angeles, CA), and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges' Vincent Pai.

Harp, as well as a few additional Bulldog swimmers, will compete next in the 2009 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships, which occurs from March 18-21 in Minneapolis, MN.

The SCIAC Athlete of the Week is voted on by the eight conference sports information directors on a weekly basis.