The University of Idaho swim and dive team opened its home schedule with an impressive performance Friday, defeating Seattle University 232-62. The Vandals controlled the meet across the pool and diving boards, collecting victories in numerous individual events and relays.
The win gave Idaho a strong start to its home slate, with several returning athletes leading the way and younger swimmers making their mark. The team will now shift its attention toward its next competition in California as the season continues.
Senior Amelia Ward highlighted the diving events, taking first place in both the 1-meter and 3-meter competitions. Ward scored 280.71 in the 1-meter event before earning 290.17 points in the 3-meter dive. The returning NCAA Zone E Championships participant demonstrated her consistency on the boards, while teammate Saige Anderson placed second in the 3-meter competition with 230.55 points. Freshman Morgan Christian finished third at 226.35, giving Idaho the top three positions in the event.
The swimming portion began with the 200-yard medley relay, where the quartet of Katy Foley, Courtney Crawford, Adelaide McRoberts and Isabelle Borke earned the opening victory in 1 minute, 46.17 seconds. Another Idaho group, made up of Grace Benson, Kirsten Sautel, Italia Ingle and Sydney Heasman, secured third place in 1:48.10.
Idaho continued to build its lead in the distance events. Marie Mason, a First Team All-MPSF selection, won the 1,000-yard freestyle in 10:36.49. Ena Lehmann followed in second at 10:47.29, giving the Vandals the top two finishes.
Freshman Bella Liao delivered another highlight in the 200-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 1:54.56 to claim first place. The result improved on her previous best during just her second week of collegiate competition. Borke finished only four-hundredths of a second behind Liao in 1:54.60, while Elly Lewis placed third in 1:55.51 to complete an Idaho sweep of the event.
Foley added another victory in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing in 57.29 seconds ahead of Benson, who recorded a time of 58.69. Crawford then led the breaststroke group, winning the 100-yard event in 1:05.40. Sautel followed in second at 1:06.12.
The 200-yard butterfly provided another one-two-three finish for Idaho. Holly Lenarz led the group with a time of 2:08.28, followed by Ingle in 2:11.96 and Becca Koza in 2:17.11. In the 50-yard freestyle, Sadie Schaffer claimed first place in 24.77 seconds, while Heasman took third in 24.81.
Borke added to the team’s victory total by winning the 100-yard freestyle in 52.77 seconds. Schaffer finished second at 53.71, continuing a productive day for both swimmers. Foley later secured another backstroke title, winning the 200-yard event in 2:05.56.
The Vandals were particularly strong in the 200-yard breaststroke, claiming all three top positions. Crawford finished first in 2:21.65, with Sautel taking second in 2:25.29 and Natalie Charles placing third in 2:26.27.
Lenarz returned to the top of the podium in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing in 5:10.24. Liao placed second at 5:14.96, and Gabriella Stanton finished third in 5:19.14. McRoberts added another individual victory in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 58.31 seconds.
Mason also captured the 200-yard individual medley, finishing in 2:09.96. Teammate Madison Williams came close behind in 2:10.08, securing second place and another one-two finish for Idaho.
The Vandals carried their momentum into the final relays. Foley, Liao, Heasman and Borke teamed up to win the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:35.23. A second Idaho group featuring Schaffer, Lenarz, Koza and Brigid Dinnen also secured a top-two finish, posting a time of 3:37.58.
The result showcased Idaho’s depth across multiple disciplines, with established team leaders and underclassmen contributing to the decisive win. The Vandals found success in sprinting, distance swimming, individual medley events, relays and diving, giving the team a positive foundation as its schedule progresses.
Idaho will next travel to Long Beach, California, for the MPSF Open Water Championships on Saturday, Oct. 17. The competition will provide the Vandals with their next opportunity to build on the momentum from their home-opening victory.