Everything is bigger in Texas, and the saying will hold true for Idaho swim and dive as the team travels to San Antonio to compete on its largest stage yet in the WAC Championship meet.
The Vandals left Moscow Monday to prepare for the three-day event that begins today at the Palo Alto Natatorium.
Idaho has been off since Feb. 4, after consecutive meets against Pac-12 opponents Oregon State and Washington State. Coach Mark Sowa said his team is upbeat about the trajectory of the season heading toward the conference championship. Idaho drew against OSU and defeated WSU the following week.
“Competition prepares us,” Sowa said. “Good competition prepares us to race better competition. It’s why we try to race Pac-12 opponents because it brings out the best in us. … We are confident going in to this (Championship meet) that we can do something special.”
The meet will determine a conference champion, as well as individual swimmers and divers who will represent Idaho at the NCAA Zone diving championship March 8 in Colorado Springs, and the NCAA Championship meet March 15 in Auburn, Ala.
Sowa said he expects his team to continue to compete and perform well.
“Expectations are to swim fast and dive well, beyond that the last chapter has not been written yet,” Sowa said. “It’s always fun to discover what we’re capable of doing.”
Sowa said at this point in the season his team has learned everything necessary and that it is all about execution at this point.
“The work has been done. We aren’t going to re-invent the wheel going in to this. Now we just have to put it all together and perform,” Sowa said. “Making sure we execute our skills better — starts, breakouts, turns, finishes. Getting technically better, executing race plans better — things we started talking about since day one.”
The trek to Texas won’t be the first for the team this season — Idaho participated in the University of Houston Cougar Classic Invitational in November to prepare for this trip. Sowa called the earlier meet a trial run.
“We are not going in to this not having done something like this before,” Sowa said.
Sowa said Idaho will have the opportunity to get as many as five or six participants into the NCAA Championship meet depending on its performances at the WAC Championship.
“That’s why we do this stuff,” Sowa said. “Any time you have a best performance, break a school record, chance to compete is a chance to discover the unknown and we’re looking forward to discovering what that unknown is.”
The Championship meet will stream live at WAC.tv with coverage starting today with the 200 medley and the 800 freestyle.
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]