Texas-sized goals led to progress when the Idaho swim and dive team traveled to San Antonio for the 2012 WAC Championship meet.
The team finished No. 7 of eight competing teams during the four-day event with an overall score of 364.
“We were really, really good this weekend,” coach Mark Sowa said. “We (wanted) to be great to be fourth, but we were still really, really good.”
The results yielded four swimmers for Idaho who could compete in the NCAA Championship meet March 15. Erica Anderson, Kelsie Saxe, Rachel Millet and Si Jia Pang qualified in the 200 medley relay.
Sowa entered the tournament preaching competitiveness and aimed to prove that the program has taken significant steps forward since last year.
The Vandals met his expectations in that respect, improving their score by more than 100 points, and breaking more than 23 school records in 2012.
Notable records broken include the 200 freestyle, set by Millet with 1:49.69. Lyndsay Williams set the 400 individual medley with 4:23.60. Williams also set the record for the 200 individual medley in 2:04.06. Kelsi Saxe set the record for the 200-yard breaststroke with her 2:20.11 time. Idaho also broke its record for the 800 free relay when Millet, Williams, Megan Venlos and Pang clocked 7:25.74.
Sowa said shattering records is a clear indication of progress.
“It’s been a really good year, and we should be proud of that,” Sowa said. “If you look at the 200 medley we had four girls break the current school record. That’s pretty amazing right there. That’s a testament to the program, and getting better and moving forward.”
The trip to San Antonio was the team’s longest of the year, with the team arriving two days before competition started Wednesday. Sowa was confident the travel had little effect on the team’s performance.
“You never swim a perfect meet,” he said. “We took a big step forward as a program. We’re hungry for more. It was not a perfect meet by any standards.”
The team awaits selection for the NCAA championship meet in two weeks to know whether or not the season will be extended. In the meantime, Sowa said his team will keep training as the Vandals have a “handful” of swimmers and divers who train to compete in U.S. Olympic trials for the summer, with a meet coming up in May.
“These are steps the Vandals are taking to continue to get better,” Sowa said.
“I think it’s going to be even better. Girls who are currently on this team need to do things better. It felt good to walk into that meet and know we were going to make an impact. The girls sensed it and they’re hungry for more.”