PULLMAN, Wash. – In WSU's final home meet of the the season, the Washington State swim team recorded its sixth-straight dual meet victory, Friday, defeating the University of Utah, 156.5-105.5. The Cougars beat the Utes for the first time in program history, and have won three conference dual meets for the first time since the 2001-02 season.
The Cougars started off strong, securing the top spot and 11 points in the 200 medley relay. The quartet of senior Alison Mand, junior Frederikke Hall, freshman Anna Brolin, and senior Nicole Proulx clocked a time of 1:43.90 for the victory. Washington State built upon its lead in the 100 free taking first and second place. Sophomore Kendra Griffin touched the wall in 10:25.69, nine seconds ahead of fellow sophomore Emma Elhoff in second place.
Freshman Rachel Thompson added a first-place finish in the 200 free (1:52.59), while teammates Elise Locke and Haley Anderson secured five points with the third and fourth fastest times, respectively. The Utes fought back with first-place finishes in the next four events and headed into the first break trailing, 71-60. However, Washington State would get its redemption after the break.
In the 100 free, Proulx clocked a first-place time of 51.95 seconds, followed by freshman Hannah Bruggman in 52.26. Junior Loree Olson notched the top finish in the 200 back, with fellow junior Shaya Schaedler following to tie for second place with Utah's Megan Kawaguchi. In total, Olson added 22 points to the WSU total, and was the meet's top contributor.
Junior Presley Wetterstrom built upon the Cougar lead in the next event, as she finished the 200 breast in 2:16.31 for a first-place finish. Frederikke Hall finished five seconds back to secure a third-place finish. Wetterstrom was the meet's second-highest contributor, adding 16 points to the Cougars' total.
The Washington State team secured its victory over the Utes in the 100 fly, as Brolin touched the wall in 55.50 seconds. The Gilroy, Calif., native was followed closely by sophomore Haley Rose Love in third (56.66).
The Cougars finished the dual with victories in the 200 IM and 400 free relay. Loree Olson grabbed first-place in the 200 IM, ahead of Wetterstrom in third and Hall in fourth. In the relay, the WSU team of Proulx, Bruggman, Love, and Brolin out-touched Utah by eight hundredths of a second to notch the win (3:27.34).
With Friday's victory, the Cougars finish its season 6-3 in dual meets. Head coach Tom Jager and the swimming program honored their three seniors, Haley Anderson, Alison Mand, and Nicole Proulx, before the meet.
The Cougars will now have a one-week respite before traveling to Federal Way, Wash., for the Pac-12 Championships, Feb. 25-28.
