Swimming travels to Utah for final regular season meet

WSU will compete in last meet before taking part in Pac-12 Championships

WSU+freshman+Emily+Cook%2C+right%2C+competes+in+the+100+meter+backstroke+against+Oregon+State+on+Jan.+26.

GEORGE RODRIGUEZ | DAILY EVERGREEN FILE

WSU freshman Emily Cook, right, competes in the 100 meter backstroke against Oregon State on Jan. 26.

RYAN MOSHER, Evergreen reporter

WSU swimming will end their regular season with a meet against University of Utah on Saturday.

The Pac-12 rivals will meet again only two weeks later in the Pac-12 Swimming and Diving Championships which begin Feb. 21 in Federal Way.

WSU Head Coach Tom Jager said it will be a difficult task to win in Salt Lake City, but the Cougars are up for the challenge.

“We are good rivals,” Jager said. “We are close. It will be a difficult task going down there on the road. To go down and beat someone on the road in the Pac-12 is tough … we’re going to put everything we can in to beating them.”

Utah is 4-4 this season, while WSU is 3-4. The two teams have faced some of the same opponents with similar results. Both teams lost to University of Arizona and Arizona State University and both recently beat Oregon State University.

Jager said the backstroke and breaststroke will be the events to watch in the meet.

“We’re looking for some close races, some great races and some fast races,” Jager said.

WSU beat Oregon State in Gibb Pool 163-74 at the last home meet of the season. It was also Senior Night, where the team, along with friends and family, said goodbye to the graduating seniors. For those seniors, this will be the last time they compete in a regular season competition.

Jager said there’s a bittersweet feeling with his departing seniors, who are still highly motivated to win. He is also excited for current underclassmen and juniors to step up next year.

“When you’re on a team and you travel there is a bond that is created,” Jager said. “They wouldn’t’ miss this for the world. A college team is a living organism — you have great power moments and other moments that are weaker.”

Jager said he is ready for his swimmers to get in the pool this weekend and prove themselves.

“I’m imagining that this is going to be a good one,” Jager said. “We’ve grown up really fast this year as a team.”

The Cougars take on Utah 10 a.m. Saturday in Salt Lake City at UTE Natatorium.