This week the WAC (Western Athletic Conference) swim and dive championships are, and the Vandals have 22 swimmers, and four divers set to take part in the events down in Houston. UI finished the regular season 5-3 and 4-1 in the conference. Their last meet was back on February 8 when they beat the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley by a final tally of 222-72. This will be their first meeting in three weeks.
Of the 22 swimmers for the Vandals that will be a part of the championship meet, here are a couple of names to keep in the back of your mind. Starting with sophomore Ginger Kiefer who won the 5K MPSF Open Water Swimming Championship in Long Beach back on October 19.
She has also had multiple first place finishes including at the Northwest Colligate Invitational where she took the top spots in the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard back stroke and the 200 and 400-meter individual medley.
Senior Ella Haskins finished first against Seattle University in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle. She also finished first in the 100-yard backstroke at the NW Collegiate Invite. Freshman Molly Lenarz finished at the top of the list in the 500-yard freestyle both against Seattle U and at the NW Collegiate invite. Also, second place finishes against Northern Colorado and the College of Idaho.
Junior Madelynn Butler has a couple first place times in the 50-yard freestyle which she set against Northern Colorado as well as the College of Idaho. She placed third in the same event against Washington State.
Junior Grace Ruble has swum her best in the 100-yard butterfly, finishing first in multiple matchups as well as coming in second place a couple of times. She has also had some second and some third-place finishes in the 200-yard butterfly as well.
Some final names to keep track of are Silvana Cabrera, Amelia Buyers, and Natalie Charles. They have put on some strong performances as well. Cabrera in the 200-yard butterfly and the 100-yard breaststroke has had a few top three finishes. Buyers in the 100 and 200-yard individual medley have been in the top five and Charles has had strong performances in each of the breaststroke distance relays.
The four divers that will be competing are freshman Kaitlyn Blackmer, sophomore Saige Anderson, freshman Abigail Pink, and sophomore Lauren Wierschke. Blackmer finished second in the meter dive with a time of 2:36.85 and third in the 3-meter dive at 2:10.90 when UI went against the Utah tech Trailblazers on January 18.
Against Northern Colorado on October 12, Anderson placed fourth in the 3-meter dive with a time of 2:24.85. She also had a couple of second place finishes against Washington State. Completing the meter dive in a time of 2:19.45 and the 3-meter in 2:29.95.
Pink also had a second and third place finish vs Utah Tech but the opposite of Blackmer. Pink finished second in the 3-meter with a time of 2:19.90 and third in the meter at 2:03.25. She also placed first in the meter against the College of Idaho, recording a time of 2:51.63.
Wierschke had a couple top finishes against the Trailblazers. Placing first in both the meter and 3-meter dives. She recorded 2:37.75 in the meter and 2:48.70 in the 3-meter. She also finished first in the 3-meter against the College of Idaho with a time of 2:41.58.
Jackson Hamelund can be reached at [email protected]