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Swimmer Spotlight
11/12/2009 12:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
Nov. 12, 2009
Tim Leonhart enters this season as a junior for the University of Utah swim team, competing in the 100 and 200 breast, the 50 free and occasionally the 200 IM.
"100 breast is my favorite," he said. "It's a sprint, so I can get up and go. I don't have to worry about pacing at all."
In his senior year in high school, Leonhart wasn't sure if he was going to come to the University of Utah to swim.
"I had offers to play soccer at other schools. I played defense as a center fullback," he said. "I guess a big factor why I came to Utah was that my brother, Will, was already on the team. That, and my dad had been a swimmer and had coached me. I felt like I had to keep swimming. It was a tough decision, but I haven't regretted it once."
Leonhart originally wanted to be an architecture major, but is now studying graphic design and will turn in his portfolio this spring for entrance into the program.
When asked what his favorite part of being the team is, he said, "I love being part of the meets, getting excited for them and swimming fast. When you see someone succeed, whether it's winning a big race or getting a best time, that's the best cause you know what they have been through."
Kwan Ling "Queenie" Yu is in her junior year at the University of Utah. Before coming to Utah, Yu lived in Hong Kong before coming to the U.S.
"I had come to California for the last years of high school and was competing on a club diving team when I was recruited to come to Utah," she said.
Yu is the reigning platform dive champion for the Mountain West Conference, a title that she has won two years in a row.
"We don't have a platform dive at dual meets, so the only time I get to practice is at the conference meet, right before competing," she said. "It's taller than the other dives, sometimes 5 or 10 meters, so it's a little scary."
Yu is planning on competing in the East Asian Games in Hong Kong this December during the break.
"At the games, they only compete on the 10-meter platform, so I'm going to have to practice on the taller one's from now on."
Yu is studying hospitality management and was named to the 2009 Spring Academic All-MWC team.
"I speak three languages, English, Cantonese and Mandarin, so I can go work all over the world," she said. "I love being a part of the team. It's like being part of one big family. Since I don't have family here, the team is my family."
Players Mentioned
Breast
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Diving
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