The University of Idaho Argonaut

The University of Idaho swim team finished sixth in the 2008 WAC Swimming and Diving Championships held in San Antonio Feb. 20-23.
After placing sixth last year as well, the end result was disappointing, especially for Idaho coach Tom Jager who set the team’s sights high in the start of the season by aiming for fourth.  Idaho scored 305 points, putting UI 62 points ahead of Boise State and 75.5 points behind San Jose State. The Nevada Wolf Pack placed first in the four-day meet with a total score of 725.5 points.

 “I think our expectations were too high,” Jager said.
Apart from the overall team results, UI swimmers broke five UI team records. Freshman Alyson O’Brien broke the 100-yard freestyle and 200 yard freestyle records with times of 51.78 seconds and 1:51.35. Anna Humphrey, also a freshman, placed fifth in her record-setting 100 yard butterfly, in a time of 56.80.

The Vandal 400 freestyle relay team, consisting of freshmen Staci Stratton, O’Brien, Humphrey and senior Sara Peterson, set the record at 3:29.80.
Jager placed freshmen and sophomores in the relays in order to prepare them for the years to come.

 “Our depth was our strong point,” Jager said. “We swam good. We didn’t swim great.”
With nine seniors graduating, the team will be left with eight juniors, six sophomores and any new recruits for next year.
O’Brien and senior Adriana Quirke scored high marks with third place each in the 200 yard freestyle and 100 yard backstroke, respectively, with times of 1:51 and 57.35.

The Vandals started out toward the bottom of the points list, ending day two with 94 points, leaving them four points behind BSU and in seventh place.
At the end of the third day, UI lept over BSU to maintain sixth place for the duration of the fourth and final day of the meet.
“There’s a lot more to success than winning the meet,” Jager said. “There’s always next year.”