April 18, 2007

ST. LOUIS - The most prestigious honors doled out at the Saint Louis swimming and diving team's annual banquet on Sun., April 15, went to junior Brad Byars (Marion, Ill./Marion) and sophomores Kevin Parker (Germantown, Tenn./Christian Brothers) and Elena Ramirez (Champaign, Ill./St. Thomas More). Parker and Byars shared Most Valuable Performer honors on the men's team, while Ramirez was named the MVP of the women's squad. All three received MVP honors for the second straight season.

Byars helped the Billikens finish with an all-time best 23-2 dual-meet record. He recorded a team-best 25 first-place finishes in 2006-07. Byars was the Bills' top finisher at the Atlantic 10 Championships with a third-place performance in the 100 free and a sixth-place result in the 50 free. He also swam on four relays that turned in times among SLU's top five all-time at the league championships, including the 400 medley relay that established a new school record.

Just a sophomore, Parker has already tallied more individual performances (19) that rank among SLU's all-time top 10 than any other swimmer in Billiken history. He owns the top eight times in the 100 back, the top five in the 200 and the top two in the 200 fly. At the 2007 A-10 Championships, Parker broke his own school record in each of those events, placing seventh in the 100 back and ninth in both the 200 fly and 200 back. He also was a member of three relay teams that finished among the top five all-time at SLU, including joining Byars on the record-breaking 400 medley relay squad. Parker established new personal bests in all of the events he competed in during his second collegiate season.

Ramirez was the dominant force on a women's team that extended its dual-meet win streak to 60 with a 25-0 mark this season. For the second straight year, she won both the 100 and 200 fly at the A-10 Championships in addition to a ninth-place showing in the 100 breast. Ramirez also swam on four relays that turned in times among SLU's top five all-time at the league championships. Her 43 appearances in Saint Louis' top 10 in various events is nearly three times as many as any other Billiken swimmer in school history. Ramirez recorded 30 first-place touches during her sophomore campaign.

Freshmen picked up the remaining awards presented to the women's team. Erica Polachek (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham) was named the Hardest Worker, Laura Robertson (Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch) was deemed Most Improved and Emily Triggs (Edina, Minn./Edina) earned Best Attitude honors. Underclassmen also dominated the awards on the men's side. The Hardest Worker Award went to rookie Stefan Thorarensen (O'Fallon, Mo./Timberland) while sophomores Kristopher Priemer (South Bend, Ind./Marian) and Justin Breithaupt (Swansea, Ill./Belleville East) received Most Improved and Best Attitude honors, respectively.

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