DENVER ? The WAC closes out its regular season with just one team in action this week, while the other seven teams have several weeks off to prepare for the WAC Championships in late February. Idaho welcomes the Cougars of Washington State on Feb. 9, marking their fourth meeting of the season. Boise State, Hawai?i, Nevada, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, San Diego and San Jose State will not return to the water until the WAC Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 20-23.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK ? New Mexico State sophomore Liz Thomson has been named the Western Athletic Conference Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week, for the week of Jan. 28 ? Feb. 3. This is the first career WAC Athlete of the Week honor for Thomson.
Thomson, a native of Mesilla Park, N.M., captured four first-place finishes, leading the Aggies to two big wins over WAC foe Northern Arizona and instate rival New Mexico. Thomson swept the distance freestyle events at New Mexico, taking top honors in both the 500-yard freestyle (5:12.69) and the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:38.29), guiding the Aggies to their first victory over the Lobos in more than 25 years. She also won both the 500-yard freestyle (5:16.28) and the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:47.69) events against conference foe Northern Arizona and was a member of the winning 800-yard freestyle relay.
Other nominees included: Natalie Hughes of Northern Arizona led the Lumberjacks against New Mexico State, recording one first-place and two-second place performances in three diving events, winning the one-meter (283.65), and placing second in both the three-meter (272.30) and the platform (197.45) ... Erin Voyles of San Diego captured two first-place finishes for the Toreros against San Diego State, touching the wall first in the 100-yard freestyle (54.47) and the 200-yard freestyle (1:56.29).
NEVADA’S MINETTE SHATTERS WAC THREE-METER DIVING RECORD ? Nevada’s Candice Minette captured two first-place finishes in diving events in a dual meet against Boise State on Jan. 12. Minette won the one-meter event with a score of 310.40 and claimed the victory in the three-meter event with a career-high and school record-setting mark of 396.95. Her three-meter score also shattered the WAC record of 386.60, set by QiongJie Huang of Hawai?i in 2006.
FRESNO STATE TO ADD SWIMMING & DIVING IN 2008-09 ? 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.
Boeh said he expects coaches to be hired and student athletes recruited in time for the teams to compete in the 2008-09 academic year. The intention for the new swimming and diving team will be to practice and compete at a Clovis Unified high school in the near term. The university master plan includes phased construction of a competitive aquatics center.
Boise State Broncos
Boise State won six events and set several school records in its dual meet against league rival Idaho, but fell 162.5-131.5 ... senior diver Jennifer Dorling notched a one-meter season-best and zone qualifying score of 309.85 to finish first in the event ... Dorling also dominated the three-meter event, tallying another zone qualifying mark of 281.20 for first place ... freshman Tara Hahto was a member of the record-setting 200-yard medley relay, and also tallied two first-place finishes in both the 100-yard breaststroke (1:07.12) and the 400-yard Individual Medley (4:38.63) ... up next, the Broncos will prepare for the WAC Championships, Feb. 20-23, in San Antonio.
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine
Hawai?i played host to the Rainbow Wahine Diving Invitational Jan. 18-19 in Honolulu ... Hawai?i was led by sophomore diver Raquel Bartlow, who captured the three-meter event with her best showing as a Rainbow Wahine diver, recording a score of 292.00 ... teammates Emma Friesen and Stephanie De Lima placed second and fifth with scores of 286.60 and 242.05, respectively ... the Rainbow Wahine will have an entire month off to prepare for the WAC Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 20-23.
Idaho Vandals
Idaho returns home from Pullman, Wash., after competing against the Washington State Cougars, falling 113-53, in the third meeting of the season between the two squads ... the Vandals were led by the freshmen duo of Anna Humphrey and Alyson O’Brien and senior Kacie Hogan, who all earned second-place finishes ... Humphrey’s time of 25.02 in the 50-yard freestyle earned her second-place honors to go along with her third-place finish in the 200-yard IM at 2:13.69 ... O’Brien’s time of 53.82 in the 100-yard freestyle came within half a second of topping her personal and Vandal season best in the event ... up next, the Vandals welcome the Washington State Cougars to Moscow on Feb. 9.
Nevada Wolf Pack
Nevada comes off a pair of victories, the first on Jan. 17 at home against WAC foe New Mexico State,186-111, before capturing the regular season finale over UC Davis, 175-125, on Jan. 20 ... the Wolf Pack won 13 of 16 events over New Mexico State and 11 of 16 in its win at UC Davis ... junior diver Candice Minette pulled off the sweep of the one and three-meter diving events for the third consecutive dual at UC Davis ... up next, the Wolf Pack will travel to Stanford, Calif., to take part in the Stanford Invitational Feb. 15-16, as their final preparation for the WAC Championships in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 20-23.
New Mexico State Aggies
New Mexico State comes off a pair of dual meet wins, first beating instate rival New Mexico, 159-140, for the first time in over 25 years, and then defeating WAC foe Northern Arizona, 153-109 ... the Aggies were led by sophomore Liz Thomson, who tallied four wins in the two dual meets, earning first place honors in the 500-yard freestyle (5:12.70), the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:38.29) and the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:47.69) ... freshman Kelly Conrad also took top honors in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle events against Northern Arizona ... up next, the Aggies will have an entire month off to prepare for the WAC Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 20-23.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
Northern Arizona completed its dual meets season as the New Mexico State Aggies defeated the Lumberjacks, 153-109 ... Northern Arizona was led by freshman Kim Kopra and sophomores Renee Rother and Rachael Foe, who each earned wins for the Lumberjacks ... the divers competed at the Air Force Invitational in Colorado Springs, where senior Natalie Hughes took top honors in the one-meter (283.65) and finished second in both the three-meter (272.30) and the platform (197.45) ... the Lumberjacks will prepare for the WAC Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 20-23.
San Diego Toreros
San Diego closed out its regular season with a loss to crosstown rival San Diego State, 156-136 on Feb. 2 ... the Toreros were led by junior Erin Voyles, sophomore Kristen Yoon and senior Joy Miller, who each registered two first-place finishes ... Voyles touched the wall first in the 100-yard freestyle (54.47) and the 200-yard freestyle (1:56.29) ... Yoon took top honors in the 100-yard backstroke (59.66) and the 200-yard backstroke (2:07.84), while Miller added first-place finishes in the 200-yard butterfly (2:09.61) and the 200-yard Individual Medley (2:16.41) ... the Toreros will take the month off to prepare for the WAC Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 20-23.
San Jose State Spartans
San Jose State seniors made their final home appearances as Spartans, earning their fourth-straight dual meet victory, 119-98, over Cal State East Bay ... the Spartans were led by senior Jillene Golez, who touched the wall first in both the 100-yard butterfly (59.91) and the 200-yard butterfly (2:09.90), and was also a member of the winning 200-yard medley relay team ... senior Brie Marhenke finished the regular season a perfect 9-0 in the 50-yard freestyle and 8-0 in the 100-yard freestyle events in dual competition ... up next, the Spartans will have an entire month off to prepare for the WAC Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 20-23.
WAC CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO SAN ANTONIO ? The 2008 edition of the WAC Championship returns to Palo Alto Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas. Nevada will look to defend its 2007 title in hopes of capturing its second WAC championship in a row. The championship will be held Feb. 20-23, 2008.
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
An All-Session ticket order form is available online at www.wacsports.com, and is also attached to the end of the weekly Swimming & Diving release.
WAC Championship Apparel:
Swimming & Diving Championship Apparel is now available online or for purchase at the event. Items available include t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts.
A Swimming & Diving Championship Apparel brochure is available online at www.wacstore.com, and is also attached to the end of the weekly Swimming & Diving release.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP ? The 2008 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship will be held in Columbus, Ohio, March 20-22. Hawai?i tied for 27th in 2007.
Zone Diving (5): March 13-15 or 14-16, 2008
Zone A: University of Buffalo (March 14-16)
Buffalo, New York
Zone B: Auburn University (March 14-16)
Auburn, Alabama
Zone C: Ohio State University (March 14-16)
Columbus, Ohio
Zone D: University of Houston (March 14-16)
Houston, Texas
Zone E: U.S. Air Force Academy (March 13-15)
Oklahoma City Community College
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Finals: March 20-22, 2008
Columbus, Ohio
McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion
Host: Ohio State University
For Ticket Information: 1-800-GOBUCKS
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