IRVING, Texas — BYU freshman Peter Etzold was named Big 12 Men’s Swimming Newcomer of the Week, the conference announced on Wednesday.
Etzold won both 100 and 200 breast races in the Cougars’ 193-107 win over Denver at the Richards Building Pool in Provo on Jan. 18. In the 100 breast, Etzold clocked 54.12 to beat the Pioneers’ Marco Nosack by over a second. Etzold and teammate Tanner Nelson finished one-two within two-hundredths of a second of each other in the 200 breast to give BYU 13 more points to its total.
The Cougars’ 200 medley relay “A” squad also benefitted from Etzold’s success as the freshman contributed a 24.23 50 fly to a winning time of 1:26.64.
Etzold is one of eight international athletes competing for BYU men’s swim and dive and joined the program after a successful prep career in his hometown of Cape Town, South Africa. Prior to BYU, Etzold competed with Cape Town’s Vineyard Swimming Club and achieved a Junior World Championships qualifying time along with multiple provincial age group records. Etzold was also recruited by Alabama, Tennessee, Minnesota and Pitt before signing with the Cougars.
With Etzold’s receipt of Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, five different BYU freshmen have collected the award this season including Nathaniel Eliason, Max Kleinman, Haylee Tiffany and Lucy Warnick.
Etzold and the Cougars next face Air Force and Colorado Mesa in a tri-meet Jan. 24-25 at Cadet Natatorium in Colorado Springs, Colorado.