Cougs grab second win against Palouse rivals

WSU swim beats Idaho Vandals in Moscow, improves to 2-2 this year

Freshman+relay+swimmer+Olivia+Tungate+finishes+second+in+the+womens+medly+heat+against+Boise+State+Sunday+at+Gibbs+Pool.+

PAIGE CAMPBELL | DAILY EVERGREEN FILE

Freshman relay swimmer Olivia Tungate finishes second in the women’s medly heat against Boise State Sunday at Gibbs Pool.

SIGMUND SEROKA, Evergreen reporter

WSU traveled across the border to Moscow on Saturday to compete against University of Idaho at the UI Swim Center. The final result was a 159-139 Cougar victory over UI.

En route to the win over the Vandals, the Cougs (2-2, 0-1) won 11 events and posted some of the best times the team has seen all season.

Head Coach Matt Leach said they started off winning and kept it up.

“From start to finish we had great energy and a lot of enthusiasm,” Leach said. “We came out for the first event and won, then followed that up with a ton of wins.”

Senior Jasmine Margetts stepped up in the meet as a veteran and earned three individual wins. Margetts placed first in the 200-yard fly, 200-yard backstroke and 200-yard medley.

The teams responsible for the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay swam impressive times for the season. Margetts, senior Linnea Lindberg, freshman Sophia Balmaceda and sophomore Chloe Larson posted the second-fastest time this season for the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:45.12.

The 400-yard freestyle relay was comprised of team members Larson, junior Ryan Falk, freshman Payton Bokowy and freshman Keiana Fountaine, and together they posted the new fastest time for the season at 3:32.54. This was one of three victories for Falk.

Falk continued the day posting a season-best time in the 1,000-yard freestyle with 10:23.54 and taking home a win in the 500-yard freestyle.

While the veterans impressed, so did Fountaine. She won both the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle, posting a 51.75 in the 100-yard freestyle and a 1:52.10 in the 200 yard freestyle. Even though it only resulted in a fourth-place finish, Fountaine posted a season-best time of 58.89 in the 100-yard fly.

Fountaine wasn’t the only underclassman to perform well against the Vandals during this meet. Balmaceda collected two season-best times in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke. She placed third in the 100-yard fly, beating fellow teammate Fountaine.

“You can go across the board and see everyone stepping up,” Leach said. “We’re continuing to develop as a program and develop positive racing habits. It’s that positive atmosphere and environment that we’re trying to create.”

The Cougars are back home at 2 p.m. Nov. 2 to take on Northern Arizona University in Gibb Pool.