PROVO, Utah — For the third time in five weeks, BYU swimmer Nathaniel Eliason has earned Big 12 Men’s Newcomer of the Week, the league announced on Wednesday.
| Big 12 Swim & Dive Weekly Awards | Jan. 29 | ||
| Award | Athlete | School |
| Men's Swimmer of the Week | Ilya Kharun | Arizona State |
| Men's Diver of the Week | Jesco Helling | Utah |
| Men's Co-Newcomer of the Week | Nathaniel Eliason | BYU |
| Men's Co-Newcomer of the Week | Quin Seider | Arizona State |
| Women's Swimmer of the Week | Charli Brown | Arizona State |
| Women's Diver of the Week | Shiyun Lai | Kansas |
| Women's Newcomer of the Week | Caroline Bentz | Arizona State |
Eliason’s presence was felt throughout the Cougars’ first-place team finish in a tri-meet versus Air Force and Colorado Mesa in Colorado Springs Jan. 24-25. The freshman from Mechanicsville, Virginia secured his fifth and sixth event wins of the season and now has three consecutive meets with at least one first-place individual finish.
Eliason’s individual victories came at 1:36.91 in the 200 free and 44.08 in the 100 free. Each of BYU’s four men’s relay teams won their respective events at Cadet Natatorium with Eliason in the thick of each.
The Cougars’ 200 medley relay squad of Eliason, Peter Etzold, Max Kleinman and Luigi Riva won at 1:27.26. The same foursome returned in the 400 medley relay to clock a winning 3:12.66. Eliason, Kleinman, Riva and Diego Camacho Salgado combined to win the 200 free relay at 1:19.14. Eliason, Kleinman, Riva and Payton Plumb then secured the relay sweep with a 2:55.82 in 400 free relay.
Following the 2025 season, Eliason will set aside swimming for two years to serve a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico City, Mexico.
With Eliason’s award on Wednesday, BYU swim and dive has its 12th weekly Big 12 honor of the season, second-most behind only No. 4/17 Arizona State.
After a week off, Eliason and the Cougars finish the regular season in their annual rivalry showdown with Utah. This season, BYU and the Utes face-off in Salt Lake City at Ute Natatorium Feb. 7-8.