HOUSTON Texas – Washington State did not hold back on their first day in Houston. There were many WSU All Time Top 10 times posted and ten Cougars advanced to the final rounds. WSU finished third overall out of 12 teams looking to continue with the strong swims tomorrow morning. 

The Cougars started the day with an early start time for the prelims. In the first event of the day the 500 free, Sierra Ortiz, Kieana Fountaine, Same Howell, and Maia Petride came out firing on all cylinders each posting new in season best times. Michee van Rooyen, a freshman, recorded a WSU All Time Top 10, 4:51.56, landing her in seventh in the record books. In the finals Ryan Falk took second overall in the B Finals with a time of 4:51.35.

Following the 500 free in the morning, Mia Zahab, Jewel Springer, Kate Laderoute, Mackenzie Duarte, and Lauren Burckel all got new in season personal best times. Taylor McCoy shined as well moving up in the WSU All Time Top 10 ranks from ninth to fourth. Later on in the day in the 200 IM B Finals Lauren Burckel won it all and is now placed third overall in the WSU All Time Top 10, Mia Zahab time landed her in the sixth place overall spot in the WSU All Time Top 10.

In the last event of the prelims the 50 free, Chloe Larson matched her in season best and career time, while Paige Gardner shaved ten seconds off her in season best time to finish with a 24.14. Fountaine and Corinne Pelzer could not let Larson and Gardner have all the fun and were able to take a couple seconds off of their personal best times as well. Coming later in the day Larson beat her top 10 time from the relay race earlier in the finals to stay in the fourth place position but getting closer to that third place slot.

WSU stayed consistent in their relays during the finals placing second overall in the 200 free relay beating all of their previous times from the 2018-2019 season. Chloe Larson started the team off swimming a 22.86 split placing her in the fourth overall spot in the WSU All Time Top 10 records. In the last race of the day the 400 medley relay Kate Laderoute started off strong as well with the backstroke, swimming a 55.11 split giving her the seventh spot overall in the Top 10 times.

"We came into this meet having swam well at Wyoming, and we have set some high goals and the girls have step up to meet them. Today in prelims and finals we had a total of seven All Time Top 10 swims," Said Coach Matt Leach "I am excited for tomorrow morning, we have strong swimmers in all the events tomorrow and hopefully we can get some more top ten times. Go Cougs!"