The University of Idaho women’s swimming and diving team returned to Moscow to take on Fresno State in a Pac-12 matchup that came down to the final relay. The Vandals put together a strong all-around performance, earning several individual event victories, multiple podium sweeps and NCAA Zone Diving Championship qualifications throughout the meet.
Idaho opened the competition on the 3-meter diving board, where the Vandals claimed the top three positions. Amelia Ward led the way with a first-place score of 292.20, followed by Saige Anderson with 261.50 and Morgan Christian with 254.93.
The Vandals continued their success in the 1-meter dive, with Ward and Christian finishing first and second, respectively. Ward posted a score of 278.70, while Christian followed with 269.48. Both divers qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships in the 1-meter event, while Ward also secured qualification in the 3-meter.
The swimming portion began with the 400-yard medley relay, where Idaho placed two teams among the top three finishers. The quartet of Katy Foley, Courtney Crawford, Adelaide McRoberts and Sydney Heasman earned second place with a time of 3:47.57. The team of Sienna Lefeber, Natalie Charles, Italia Ingle and Sadie Schaffer finished third in 3:50.82.
Idaho continued collecting podium finishes in the individual events. Freshman Bella Liao highlighted the 200-yard freestyle, claiming first place with a time of 1:52.43. Isabelle Borke added a third-place finish in the same event, touching the wall in 1:53.12.
Holly Lenarz also delivered a strong performance, finishing second in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:26.27. Foley earned second place in the 100-yard backstroke at 56.66, while Catherine Hyde followed in third at 57.84.
The Vandals remained competitive in the breaststroke events, with Kirsten Sautel taking second in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:03.77. Charles finished just behind her in third at 1:03.90. Italia Ingle added another podium finish in the 200-yard butterfly, placing third with a time of 2:06.24.
Borke continued to contribute throughout the meet, earning second place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.16. Heasman followed closely in third at 24.34. Borke later secured another second-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle, recording a time of 52.25. Foley added another runner-up finish in the 200-yard backstroke, finishing in 2:02.68.
One of Idaho’s strongest performances came in the 200-yard breaststroke, where the Vandals swept all three podium positions. Sautel led the group, taking first place in 2:19.00. Crawford finished second at 2:20.78, while Charles placed third just behind her teammate in 2:20.85.
All-MPSF honoree Marie Mason added another second-place finish for Idaho in the 500-yard freestyle, recording a time of 4:59.27.
The Vandals delivered another podium sweep in the 100-yard butterfly. Ingle secured first place with a time of 56.33, followed by Hyde in second at 56.58 and McRoberts in third at 56.66. Idaho also recorded a third-place finish in the 100-yard individual medley with a time of 58.41.
The competition concluded with the 200-yard freestyle relay. The Idaho team of Foley, Liao, Borke and Heasman finished second with a time of 1:35.20, bringing the meet to a close after a strong showing across both swimming and diving events.
Between Ward’s success on the boards, Liao’s individual victory and Idaho’s two podium sweeps, the Vandals demonstrated depth throughout the lineup. Multiple swimmers contributed top-three finishes, giving Idaho several opportunities to collect valuable points in its matchup against Fresno State.
Idaho will look to carry that momentum into its next competition as the Vandals prepare to host the NW Collegiate Invite in Boise, Idaho, from Wednesday, Nov. 18, through Sunday, Nov. 22.