About a dozen of Nolan Morrell's relatives and almost as many friends are planning to watch the Tennessee junior swim the next three days in the NCAA championships at Federal Way, Wash.

They won't have to travel nearly as far as Morrell and the Vols, who arrived from their long flight Monday afternoon. They're mostly from Bend, Ore. - just a hop, skip and jump (about 300 miles) from Federal Way.

Morrell hasn't made as big of a splash as some former Vols. He has gradually moved toward the top and is on the verge of becoming readily recognized in college swimming.

He and the Vols will begin three days of intense competition today, starting with preliminaries this morning and championship swims tonight. Morrell will go in the 200-yard individual medley today.

Morrell had 2-3-4 finishes at the SEC championships last month. He missed tying for 200 freestyle title by .06 of a second, getting touched out by Florida's Shaune Fraser. He took third place in the 200 individual medley and fourth in the 100 freestyle. Morrell's 48 points in those events went a long way toward Tennessee's team total of 562.

He also swam on the Vols' three freestyle relays (200, 400 and 800). More crucial points.

As a middle-schooler, Morrell fancied himself as a future basketball star. Morrell is 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds. But the demands of swimming - early morning and evening workouts - didn't fit well with basketball. He opted for swimming.

It paid off in high school. Morrell won four events at the Oregon state high school meet his senior year, two as a junior and one as a sophomore.

So, how did Tennessee become his No. 1 choice?

"You take recruiting trips, and Tennessee is the place I liked best," he said by phone moments after the team landed in Washington.

"I liked the area, the atmosphere, the coaches, the team," he said. "You take everything into account."

His future after swimming for the sport management major?

"I might go into sports psychology or coaching," he said.

Morrell's goal is to go faster than he did at the SEC meet in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

"I think I can go faster, and of course, anything can happen," he said. "I feel I have the best shot in 200 free. You know, .06 of a second is not that much to make up."

And he believes Fraser will be among the top three favorites, along with Dave Walters and Matt McGinnis of Texas.

"I hope to score in all three events, but my goal is to be in the top eight of each race."

Morrell has good vibes about UT's relays.

"They're a good group of guys for a relay," he said. "All four legs are solid on each relay."

The individual medley is not new to Morrell. It's just that coaches have used him for his strength in the freestyle, partly because of relays.

"I was an IMer in high school, so I'm pretty happy with my times considering that I haven't swum the race that much in college," he said. "I swam it once in competition before this year's conference meet.

"I really like swimming the IM. It's a really fun event, and not as fatiguing."

His big challenge for the meet is to make his family and friends happy with good swims ... and to help the Vols in the team race.

Roland Julian may be reached at 865-342-6278.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.