Four Cougars Clock Lifetime-Bests on Day Three of the Pac-12 Championships

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Pac-12 Championships

Four Cougars Clock Lifetime-Bests on Day Three of the Pac-12 Championships

March 01, 2019 | Swimming

By: Athletic Communications

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – The Washington State women's swim team completed day three of the Pac-12 Championships with four lifetime-bests and two season-bests.

Sophomore Mackenzie Duarte and senior Linnea Lindberg made it back to finals in the 100 breast after stellar performances in the preliminary rounds. After posting a 1:02.28 in the preliminary round, Lindberg came back later in the evening to post a 1:01.85 to garner 18th place. Duarte, a Walnut Creek, Calif. native, dropped a hundredth of a second during the finals to finish with a 1:02.21 for 22nd.

The 400 medley relay team of sophomore Taylor McCoy, Lindberg, and freshmen Emily Barrier and Keiana Fountaine clocked the third-fastest time this season for the Cougars, touching the wall in 3:46.42.

Freshmen Sophia Balmaceda and Payton Bokowy and sophomores Chloe Larson and Maia Petrides hit lifetime-bests in their respective events. Balmaceda touched the wall in 55.33 in the 100 fly – just two-tenths of a second outside of the WSU Top-10 list. Larson clocked a 56.52 in the event, nearly two and a half seconds faster than her previous best. Bokowy and Petrides both clocked lifetime-bests in the 200 free, touching in 1:54.70 and 1:54.93, respectively.

Junior Ryan Falk and sophomore Kelly Morgan each clocked season-best times in their respective events. Falk touched the wall in 1:50.07 in the 200 free, while Morgan went 57.22 in the 100 fly.

Freshman Lauren Burckel had an impressive showing in the 100 breast, clocking a 1:03.26. Burckel, an Albuquerque, N.M. native, clocked a 1:03.21 earlier in the year, and remains ranked eighth in program history.

The Cougars will dive back into the pool Saturday for the fourth and final day of the 2019 Pac-12 Championships. Preliminary rounds of the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly begin at 10:30 a.m.; finals for those events, the 400 free relay, and the 1650 free begins at 4 p.m.