Northern Colorado vs Idaho (W)
- Friday, October 28, 2022
- Moscow, Idaho
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
- Team Score: Northern Colorado 151, Idaho 149
Courtesy: Northern Colorado Athletics
MOSCOW, Idaho—Powered by a trio of double individual winners, the University of Northern Colorado swimming & diving team continued its undefeated season by edging Idaho, 151-149, in a Western Athletic Conference dual on Friday.
Trailing by three points heading into the final event, the foursome of Saana Liikonen, Anna Austin, Elizabeth Mayer, and Ali Jackson clinched the team victory for Northern Colorado (4-0) with a 3:30.62 to 3:31.80 win in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
The event capped busy days for Liikonen and Austin as Liikonen took home meet titles in the 50 free (24.31) and the 100 free (52.93) while Austin claimed titles in the 500 free (5:09.82) and 1,000 free (10:36.51).
It was the second relay Jackson anchored to a win as she was joined by teammates Claire Timson, Maria Erokhina, and Katelyn Bergin for the top spot in the 200-medley relay with a 1:45.81 to Idaho’s. 1:45.90.
In the dives, Nadine Coulie took first in the 3-meter dive with a season-best mark of 261.14 while adding a runner-up result in the 1-meter version with a score of 258.89.
Maria Erokhina took home titles in the 100 (1:04.22) and 200 breaststroke (2:20.80) while Irwin set the pace in the 100 fly (56.72) and 200 fly (2:05.89).
In total, a whopping 23 individual season best marks were set on Friday.
The Bears will turn around to face Washington State University on Saturday morning. Action from Pullman is set to begin at 11 a.m. (MT).
Courtesy: Idaho Athletics
MOSCOW, Idaho – The Idaho swimming and diving team fell just short against Northern Colorado in the 2022-23 home opener, falling to the Bears 149-151 on Friday night at the UI Swim Center.
“Obviously we would have loved to have come away with a victory but we sure didn’t lose today,” Idaho head coach Mark Sowa said. “We had some great performances and lost a couple of tight races. But we won our share of close races as well. This is what college athletics is supposed to be about, two teams competing with joy and making each other better through the journey of competition. We got a lot better today.”
A dual that went down to the wire was highlighted by five individual wins, including three events in that Idaho earned the top three times.
Bethany Rahn and Kaling Phung got things going for the Vandals, picking up back-to-back victories in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke, respectively. The Vandals went 1, 2, 3 in the 200 free with Rahn posting a first-place finish at 1:54.79, followed by Rylie Jones (1:55.43) and Sarah Shaffer (1:55.70). Phung outlasted her teammate Ani Husaby for first place, finishing .19 seconds ahead with a time of 57.56.
Diver Emily Mack edged out Northern Colorado’s Nadine Coulie in the 1-meter dive to win with a score of 261.60.
The Vandals posted 16 team points after a dominant sweep in the 200-yard backstroke. Senior Morgan Votava clocked in at 2:08.66 to earn first place while Phung followed right behind at 2:08.67. Haylee Buyers rounded out the scorers for Idaho in third with a time of 2:08.87.
Freshman Grace Ruble continued to impress in her first conference home meet. The Indianapolis, Ind. native earned first in the 200-yard individual medley while Zoe Froh came in second in 2:10.63.
The Vandals return to the UI Swim Center in two weeks for a conference matchup against Seattle University on Nov. 11.