Swim and dive back in action

Nathan Romans | Argonaut Junior Jamie Sterbis competes in the 200 Fly, in which she took second with a time of 2:02:52, during Idaho’s meet with Northern Arizona University Friday at the University of Idaho Swim Center. Idaho lost 185-115 to the Lumberjacks.

After tough loss, Idaho gets pair of conference wins

Competing for the second time at the University of Idaho Swim and Dive Center this season, the Idaho swim and dive team put out an impressive showing in two meets Friday and Saturday, taking two wins and one loss. 

Sophomore Sophie Britzmann, top, and sophomore Kelly Giffey launch off platforms into the water to swim the 200-yard freestyle during Idaho's meet with Northern Arizona Friday at the University of Idaho Swim Center. Idaho lost 185-115 to the Lumberjacks.

Sophomore Sophie Britzmann, top, and sophomore Kelly Giffey launch off platforms into the water to swim the 200-yard freestyle during Idaho’s meet with Northern Arizona Friday at the University of Idaho Swim Center. Idaho lost 185-115 to the Lumberjacks.

The back-to-back meets were the Vandals’ first home meets since Oct. 11, and only the fourth and fifth meets of the season. They are scheduled like that for a reason, too.

“In a championship meet, you will have a performance that is unexpectedly not as good as we want,” Idaho coach Mark Sowa said. “What we do with that is going to determine how we finish. No one is going to swim a perfect meet and what we try to do is learn from that and move on.”

Friday, the Vandals competed against Northern Arizona who is historically one of the best teams in the WAC. NAU beat Idaho 185-115. Saturday, the Vandals beat Seattle U 218-76 and Cal State-Bakersfield 174-126.

Nathan Romans | Argonaut Junior diver Delaney Peugh walks out to the edge of the board and in front of the U.S. flag while competing in the 3M diving event during Idaho's meet with Northern Arizona University Friday at the University of Idaho Swim Center. Idaho lost 185-115 to the Lumberjacks.

Nathan Romans | Argonaut
Junior diver Delaney Peugh walks out to the edge of the board and in front of the U.S. flag while competing in the 3M diving event during Idaho’s meet with Northern Arizona University.

“We just got beat by a really good team,” Sowa said of the NAU loss. “There were a lot of points that we left out there that we could have gotten, but sometimes things just don’t go your way. It is a bitter pill to swallow, but the performances were good, but they could be great and that to me is exciting.”

Among those performances were the performances of freshman distance swimmer Christine Renzini and junior butterfly swimmer Jamie Sterbis, Sowa said.

The Vandals will be back in the pool Nov. 21 when the diving team travels to the Wildcat Invite in Tuscon, Arizona, while the rest of the team will participate in the Frank Elm Invite at Rutgers in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Friday, Sterbis and two Northern Arizona swimmers were separated by a mere 0.2 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly, which was encouraging because it is not normally her event of expertise, Sowa said.

“The young lady that beat Jamie in the 200 butterfly was eight at German nationals in the 100 fly,” Sowa said. “That is a very experienced, very good swimmer right there and so is Jamie. There is a reason why Jamie made our national championship meet last year. Sometimes you just get beat.”

The effort was good Friday, and it was great Saturday, Sowa said.

Nathan Romans | Argonaut Junior Jamie Sterbis competes in the 200 Fly, in which she took second with a time of 2:02:52, during Idaho's meet with Northern Arizona University Friday at the University of Idaho Swim Center. Idaho lost 185-115 to the Lumberjacks.

Nathan Romans | Argonaut
Junior Jamie Sterbis competes in the 200 Fly, in which she took second with a time of 2:02:52, during Idaho’s meet with Northern Arizona University Friday at the University of Idaho Swim Center.

“I am pretty impressed with Christine Renzini doing the 1,000 and the 500 again today, and winning them both and competing in the 200 backstroke for the first time this year,” Sowa said. “That is a pretty tough kid and we are impressed with her.”

After two extremely close losses in both Friday races, Sterbis came out Saturday and impressed with two wins as well, Sowa said.

The Idaho relay teams were also impressive both days, coming away with victories Friday and Saturday. The relay teams are going to be one of the strengths of the team come the WAC Championship meet this spring, Sowa said.

After Friday’s loss, Sowa said he and the coaching staff used the loss as motivation to get the Vandals to come out and perform better Saturday.

“It is tough to lose when you perform really well,” Sowa said. “As a coaching staff, we really challenged them yesterday. ‘What are you going to do about it? You have another opportunity tomorrow against two really good conference opponents, pull yourself up by your boot straps and go out and race again.’ They performed really well today. I am very proud of them.”

Joshua Gamez can be reached at [email protected]

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