This Week in WAC Swimming- After completing competition in the inaugural WAC Shoot-Out in Las Cruces last weekend, two of the teams are back on the road. Nevada heads out to Stockton, Calif. to compete in the Pacific Invitational while San Jose State travels to Santa Cruz to swim in a dual meet against UC Santa Cruz. San Jose State will also be Fresno State’s first WAC opponent in more than five years when they meet in Santa Cruz this weekend.
WAC TEAMS GO 10-0 AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS - All five of the WAC schools that competed in the WAC Shoot-Out in Las Cruces last weekend defeated both Air Force and Northern Colorado in dual meets.
FRESNO STATE COMPETES IN SWIMMING AND DIVING FOR FIRST TIME IN 5 YEARS ? Fresno State Athletics Director Thomas Boeh announced on Jan. 8 the addition of two women’s sports in a move that reflects the University’s continued commitment to Title IX compliance.
The announcement marks the return of women’s swimming and diving which last competed in the 2003-04 academic year. This addition comes after the recommendations of the Gender Equity Plan Task Force, a 13-member campus-community panel charged by the University President John D. Welty to develop a new five-year gender equity plan that will guide the university to maintain Title IX compliance in its athletics program. Jeanne Fleck was chosen to head up the program in the 2008-09 season.
TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos
The Broncos earned their first dual victory of the season over the weekend after a pair of wins against Air Force and Northern Colorado at the WAC Shoot-Out in Las Cruces. BSU’s Chelsea Lopus finished the WAC Shoot-Out with four wins and two school records.
Fresno State Bulldogs
The Bulldogs look to compete in their first season of swimming and diving in more than five years under new head coach Jeanne Fleck. Fleck brings her expertise all the way from the Big Ten after she was the head coach at Ohio State for nine years. The team competes in its first meet this weekend when it travels to Santa Cruz, Calif., to take on UC Santa Cruz and San Jose State.
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine
The Rainbow Wahine swam in their senior meet in preparation for the Big West Shootout. Hawai?i will have plenty of time for practice as the meet is set to start on Nov. 7, a little less than a month away. UH will look to capitalize on its third place finish in the WAC Championships last year.
Idaho Vandals
Idaho enters the season after its sixth place finish at the WAC Championships last year and returns just one senior in diver Amanda Morrow. The Vandals bring in nine freshmen to the 2008-09 season who will see their first action at the Washington State Invitational on Oct. 24-25.
Nevada Wolf Pack
Senior diver Candice Minette won the 1 and 3-meter events both days of the WAC Shootout. Nevada went 4-1 at the WAC Shootout. Friday, the Pack won seven of the 13 events at the WAC Shoot-
Out and six of 13 on Saturday to take a combined total of 13 of 26 events in the two day competition. Nevada travels to Stockton, Calif. this weekend to swim in the Pacific Invitational where it will compete against against Pacific, Washington State, Oregon State University, Cal Poly and UC Davis.
New Mexico State Aggies
New Mexico State finished the inaugural WAC Shoot-Out with a 3-2 record including wins over Northern Colorado, Air Force and Boise State. Freshman Maria Spies took first place and set the school record in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:17.44. The Aggies have a few weeks off as they prepare for dual meets against Rice and Houston in Houston, Texas on Nov. 6.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
NAU finished the WAC Shoot-Out with a 3-2 record in dual meets with wins against non-conference opponents Air Force and Northern Colorado, and a win against WAC foe Boise State. The Lumberjacks return home to swim in their Blue and Gold meet on Oct. 17 in preparation for a dual meet against Kansas the following Saturday, Oct. 18 in Flagstaff.
San Diego Toreros
USD competed in its intrasquad meet in preparation for the Toreros’ first meet of the season against UCLA on Oct. 25.
San Jose State Spartans
The Spartans ran the table at the WAC Shoot-Out in Las Cruces last weekend, finishing with a perfect 5-0 record, including an upset victory over league favorite Nevada. Heather Denman continue to show her dominance in the backstroke as she reeled in two first place performances in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke. SJSU hits the road again to compete at UC Santa Cruz to compete against the hosts and WAC newcomer Fresno State.
WAC CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO SAN ANTONIO ? The 2009 edition of the WAC Championship returns to Palo Alto Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas. Nevada will look to defend its 2007 and 2008 titles in hopes of capturing its third straight WAC championship. The championship will be held Feb. 25-28, 2009.
WAC Championship Tickets:
All-Session Passes (includes all 10 sessions) are $30 for adults and $20 for children ages 18 and under.
Single-Session tickets will be available for purchase at the event (the pool will be cleared at the conclusion of each session). Prices are as follows:
Relays Wednesday evening $5
Prelims Adults $6, Children $4
Diving Adults $6, Children $4
Finals Adults $7, Children $4
WAC Championship Apparel:
Swimming & Diving Championship Apparel will be available online or for purchase at the event. Items available include t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP:
Regionals: March 12-14 or 13-15, 2009
Finals: March 19-21, 2009
College Station, Texas
Student Recreation Center Natatorium
Host: Texas A&M