DENVER- After the opening weekend of competition, five Western Athletic Conference teams are in action as all of them travel to Las Cruces ,New Mexico to compete in the WAC Shoot-Out, hosted by New Mexico State. Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona and San Jose State will make their first conference appearances this weekend. Also, Air Force and Northern Colorado will be the non-conference teams at the meet. Teams will go head-to-head over the two days.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Boise State freshman Stephanie North has been named the Western Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Week for the first week of competition, Sept. 29-Oct. 5.
North, a native of Klamath Falls, Ore. (Henley HS), made an immediate impact in her debut for Boise State as she was on two relay teams that set new school records while recording three records of her own last weekend against Utah and No. 24 Washington. North set schools records in the 50 free (24.06) as well as the 100 free (52.11), and defeated Washington with her 100 free time. She was also a member of the 200 free relay which set a school record with a time of 1:38.49 to finish second to both opponents. The freshman capped off her Bronco debut with yet another school record in the 400 free relay with a time of 3:36.12.
The other nominee included: San Jose State’s Heather Denman competed in her first collegiate meet at Stanford and finished second in the 100 backstroke with a time of 57.77, good enough for fourth on the San Jose State all-time list. She also came in third place in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:04.99, which was sixth all-time in school history.
SPARTANS SHOW WELL AT STANFORD - Caitlin Macky, a sophomore, swam 1:06.52 to finish third in the 100 breaststroke, her only event of the afternoon. Lauren Mar, a fourth-year senior, sprinted 24.34 to place third in the 50 freesyle ahead of the meet’s first break, and came out of the interval with another third-place finish in the 100 free (53.19). She also anchored both ?A’ relays on the day for the Spartans.
Heather Denman, out of Brookeville, Md., had the top individual finish by time of any Spartan on the day, with a second-place showing in the 100 backstroke in 57.77. She also was third in the 200 back in 2:04.99, and swam the lead backstroke leg of the ?A’ medley relay (26.73)
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.
BOISE STATE SHATTERS SCHOOL RECORDS IN FIRST WEEK - The Broncos got off to a stellar start of their third season as they set a school record with a second place finish in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:47.46 (Denise Green, Tara Hahto, Chelsea Lopus, Amber Boucher). Just three lanes over was the Boise State relay team that took third which clocked the second-best time in the record books with a 1:48.91 (Morgan McLain, Sammy Sanchez-O’Dell, Emily Irivin, Stephanie North).
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.
TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos
The Broncos enter the WAC Shootout after weekend losses to Utah and No. 24 Washington. BSU shattered numerous school records in the pool and off the board and looks to continue its strong performance as it heads to Las Cruces. The Broncos will face New Mexico State and Northern Arizona on Friday, Oct. 10 and then compete against non-conference foe, Northern Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 11.
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.
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine
The Rainbow Wahine will swim in their Senior meet in preparation for their first meet at 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 freshman to the 2008-09 season who will see their first action at the Washington State Invitational on Oct. 24-25.
Nevada Wolf Pack
The Wolf Pack return to the 2008-09 season as the two-time conference champions and will head to the WAC Shootout this weekend to try their luck against other WAC teams in Las Cruces. Among the Pack returners are 2007-08 WAC Freshman of the Year, sophomore Jeanette Tour, WAC Swimmer of the Year, junior Margaret Doolittle and WAC Coach of the Year Mike Richmond.
New Mexico State Aggies
The New Mexico State swimming and diving team opens the 2008-09 season when the Aggies host the first-ever WAC Shoot-Out, Friday, Oct. 10 at 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 11 at 10:00 a.m., at the NMSU pool. The Aggies meet Nevada, Boise State and Northern Colorado on day one and then take on San Jose State and Air Force on day two.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks NAU will begin competition this weekend in Las Cruces, N.M., at the WAC Shootout along with a number of other WAC teams. The Lumberjacks will take on WAC foes Nevada and Boise State on Friday, Oct. 10, and will race against San Jose State, Northern Colorado and Air Force on Saturday. NAU will open its home schedule the following weekend with an intrasquad meet on Friday, Oct. 17, followed by a dual meet against Kansas on Saturday, Oct. 18.
San Diego Toreros
USD prepares for its intrasquad meet as a warm-up practice meet. The intrasquad meet will be a good gauge of where the returns match up against the newcomers. Their first meet of the season will be against UCLA on Oct. 25.
San Jose State Spartans
San Jose State dropped a season-opening dual meet at powerhouse Stanford on Friday, October 3, 170-102. The Spartans (0-1) now head into the inaugural WAC Shootout in Las Cruces, N.M., where they will contest a total of five duals over two days, with three against league foes At Stanford, true freshman Heather Denman entered the top six in the all-time Spartan record book in all three backstroke distances in just her first collegiate meet. Returners Caitlin Macky and Lauren Mar were among other individual highlights, the meet marked the fourth straight year under current head coach Sage Hopkins that the Spartans have opened their season at Stanford.
CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES
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
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