COUGARS FINISH EIGHTH AT 2019 NIC Championship
The Cougars placed eighth at the NIC Championship after impressive performances across the board. Senior Linnea Lindberg touched the wall in 28.01 in the 50 breast, claiming the National Invitational title. Sophomore Taylor McCoy and freshman Lauren Burckel had impressive performances at the invitational, claiming top-10 finishes in their events. McCoy took fourth in the 200 back and eighth in the 400 IM. Burckel finished fourth in the 200 breast. Each of the relay teams for the Cougars finished in the top-15 - most impressively fourth in the 400 free relay.

COUGARS SEND FIRST INDIVIDUAL TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN NINE YEARS
In just his first season with the Cougars, head coach Matt Leach sent sophomore Mackenzie Duarte to the NCAA National Championship. Duarte proved to be a force in the pool in the 200 breast – breaking the school record in just her second season. The Walnut Creek, Calif. native garnered 11 wins this season, including two wins over then-No. 14 Arizona and then-No. 25 Arizona State. Duarte was also a member of the 400 medley relay team that took home first against Arizona. The sophomore breaststroker's performance at the Pac-12 Championship not only earned her a spot as the second-seeded swimmer in the 200 breast A-final, but she also was the highest-placing Cougar in Pac-12 history. Duarte's time of 2:09.47 in the 200 breast went into the NCAA tournament ranked 32nd in the country and was the ninth-fastest time in the country by a sophomore.

COUGARS FINISH EIGHTH AT 2019 PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Cougars had a stellar performance for the program at the Pac-12 Championship, garnering 10 WSU Top-10 times including a school record in the 200 breast. Sophomore Mackenzie Duarte dominated in the preliminary round of the 200 breast with a 2:09.47 – a new school record and earning her a spot as the second seed in the finals. Also performing well for the Cougars was junior Ryan Falk who etched her name in the WSU Top-10 in the 500 (fourth), 1000 (fourth), and 1650 free (third). Sophomores Chloe Larson and Samantha Howell each etched their names in the Top-10 in two individual events. Larson clocked a 23.01 in the 50 free for fifth-fastest in program history and a 49.95 in the 100 free for sixth-fastest. Howell, an Austin, Texas native, earned the seventh and tenth-fastest times in the 1000 and 1650 free, respectively. Freshman Lauren Burckel had an outstanding performance at the Pac-12 Championships, grabbing third all-time in the 200 breast and eighth all-time in the 100 breast.

MCCOY NAMED PAC-12 SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
For the first time in program history, a member of the Washington State swim team was named Pac-12 Swimmer of the Week. Sophomore Taylor McCoy nabbed the conference honor after posting three individual wins against then-No. 14 Arizona. McCoy led the team this season with 14 individual wins and four individual WSU Top-10 times. The Pullman, Wash. native was also a member of two relay wins, including the 400 medley relay win over Arizona.

LINNEA LINDBERG HONORED AS LONE SENIOR FOR THE COUGARS
Senior Linnea Lindberg has had an outstanding performance for the Cougars this year – etching her name as the second-fastest Cougar in the 100 breast. Lindberg clocked a 1:06.06 in the event at the mid-season invite, less than a second off the school record. The Stockholm, Sweden native also earned the National Invitational title in the 50 breast, touching the wall in 28.01 at the NIC Championships.

COUGARS IMPROVE THROUGHOUT SEASON
The Cougars finished the season ranked second in the Pac-12 based on improvement according to an article released by SwimSwam. Washington State improved 52%, sitting just behind Utah who were at 53% improvement rate. Sophomore Mackenzie Duarte had a stellar season for the Cougars, earning a chance to compete at the NCAA Championships in the 100 and 200 breast. Duarte placed seventh at the Pac-12 Championship in the 200 breast, the highest individual placing for a Cougar in program history. Sophomore Taylor McCoy proved to be an asset for the team, earning 14 individual wins and etching her name in the Top-10 four times. Freshman Keiana Fountaine earned 12 wins this season and was a member of nine winning relays. The Tracy, Calif. native broke the school record in the 100 free at the Phill Hansel Invite mid-November, touching the wall in 49.67. Fountaine sits less than off the school record in the 200 free, clocking a career-best 1:47.30. Breaststrokers Linnea Lindberg and Lauren Burckel earned some recognition for the Cougars this season - each etching their names in the WSU Top-10 list. Lindberg clocked a 1:01.06 in the 100 breast to sit second all-time; while Burckel sits third in the 200 breast, eighth in the 100 breast, and tenth in the 200 IM. Junior Ryan Falk put her name in the WSU Top-10 in three individual events after impressive swims in the 500, 1000, and 1650 free events. Sophomore Samantha Howell is in the Top-10 in the 1000 and 1650 free; while Chloe Larson is in the Top-10 in the 50 and 100 free.

COUGARS LEAD PAC-12 IN IMPROVEMENT RATE AFTER MID-SEASON INVITE
Nationally, the Cougars ranked 22nd based on improvement rates from the mid-point last year after their performance at the Phill Hansel Invitational, according to an article released by SwimSwam. The Cougars rewrote the WSU top-10 performance list at the invitational, including a school record in the 100 free. Washington State improved 82%, ranking them first in the Pac-12 for improvement. WSU sits just ahead Utah who is ranked 27th in the nation with a 62% improvement rate. Freshman Keiana Fountaine proved to be a driving force at the mid-season invite, setting the school record in the 100 free after touching the wall in 49.67. Fountaine also clocked the second-fastest in program history in the 200 free, touching the wall in 1:47.30. The breaststrokers had impressive showings, each etching their names in the WSU Top-10. Senior Linnea Lindberg clocked an impressive 1:01.06 in the 100 breast, placing her second in the WSU top-10 list; while sophomore Mackenzie Duarte touched the wall in 1:01.66 - third-fastest time in program history. Freshman Lauren Burckel clocked a 1:03.21 in the 100 breast, sitting ninth in the WSU Top-10. Sophomore Taylor McCoy etched her name in the WSU Top-10 in the 200 back, clocking a 1:56.86 for the second-fastest time in program history in the event. Freshman Emily Barrier impressed in the freestyle sprints, etching her name in both the 50 and 100 free. The Fort Collins, Colo. native clocked a 23.07 in the 50 free and 1:49.78 in the 100 free to find herself fifth and tenth, respectively. 

COUGARS CONTINUE WIN STREAK OVER OREGON STATE
The team pushed its winning streak over Oregon State to seven after a 148-114 victory in Corvallis, Ore. early February. The Cougars now hold a 36-19 advantage over the Beavers after winning 10 events this season. Sophomore Mackenzie Duarte took home three individual wins in the victory. Junior Ryan Falk and freshman Keiana Fountaine completed the meet with two individual wins each. In the 50 free, the Cougars took the top four spots, with Chloe Larson leading the way. The Rapid City, S.D. native clocked a 24.04 in the event, marking her first individual win of the season. Fountaine, Paige Gardner, and Emily Barrier took second through fourth, respectively. Taylor McCoy won her 14th individual event of the season, clocking a 2:03.01 in the 200 back. The Pullman, Wash. native also placed fourth in the 100 back.

COUGARS IN THE RECORD BOOKS
The Cougars won a total of 49 individual events and 11 relays throughout the season. Taylor McCoy led the team with 14 individual wins, the most in a season since Emma Johansson took away 14 in the 2012-13 season. Keiana Fountaine won 12 individual events and was a member of nine winning relays. The last Cougar to be a member of nine winning relays was Johansson during the 2012-13 season. Three Cougars earned double digit wins in their individual events - McCoy (14), Fountaine (12), and Mackenzie Duarte (11); the last time three Cougars earned double-digit wins was in the 2009-10 season. The Cougars recorded 63 life-time best times throughout the season including 35 WSU Top-10 times. Keiana Fountaine (100 free) and Mackenzie Duarte (200 breast) each recorded a school record in their respective events. 

COUGARS EARN CSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICA ACCOLADES
The Cougars earned College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team honors after posting their highest team grade-point average in the past 10 years, obtaining a 3.48 GPA in the Fall 2018 semester. Eight student athletes earned a 3.50 or higher, two earned a perfect 4.00. The Cougars have a history of academic achievement, as this was their sixth-straight Scholar All-America Team honor. In the 18 semester that Scholar All-America Team honors have been awarded, WSU has earned the accolade 16 times. Individually, freshmen Payton Bokowy and Paige Gardner earned a 4.00; while senior Linnea Lindberg, juniors Luciana Brock and Ryan Falk, sophomores Chloe Larson and Taylor McCoy, and freshman Lauren Burckel earned over a 3.50 GPA.

NEW FACES SHINE BRIGHT FOR THE COUGARS
The Cougars welcomed eight new faces to the roster, including head coach Matt Leach and assistant coach Bex Freebairn. Leach joined WSU after spending the previous three years at Indiana State where he started the swimming and diving programs in 2015 and began competing in the 2016-17 season. In the program's second season, Leach was named the 2017-19 Missouri Valley Coach of the Year after guiding the sycamores to a 13-win campaign that featured 10-dual match win streak and a record-setting team performance at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships where ISU set school records in every event, highlighted by the program's first individual conference champion. Freebairn worked the past two season with Leach at Indiana State, helping lead the team to a 13-win campaign and record-setting team performance at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships. Freebairn previously coached and swam in New Zealand where she competed nationally until her sophomore year of college where injuries forced her to stop competing. Six freshmen began their rookie campaigns with the Cougars. The class is comprised of Sophia Balmaceda (Fremont, Calif.), Emily Barrier (Fort Collins, Colo.), Payton Bokowy (Sandpoint, Idaho), Lauren Burckel (Albuquerque, N.M.), Keiana Fountaine (Tracy, Calif.), and Paige Gardner (Walla Walla, Wash.).

FOUR STUDENTS SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT
Four incoming student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent to the Washington State swim team. The 2019 signing class is comprised of Erin Harnum (Denver, Colo.), Kate Laderoute (West Linn, Ore.), Michee van Rooyen (South Africa), and Mia Zahab (Ottawa, Canada). Harnum is out of Columbine High School in Denver, Colo. and swims for the Foothills Swim Team. Harnum holds the Columbine High School record in the 100 back and two relays; and is a four-time All-State Qualifier and First-Team All-American. Laderoute is a backstroker from Oregon City Swim Club in West Linn, Ore. Laderoute competed in the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Winter Junior Nationals, and placed first in the 200 IM at the 2017 OSAA 6A State Championships. Van Rooyen is a freestyler out of South Africa. As a senior, van Rooyen placed first in the 200, 400, and 800 free at the SVB Meisrerscchaft and sixth in the 400 free at the 2018 SA Short Course. Zahab is out of Nepean Kanata in Ottawa, Canada. As a Barracuda, Zahab was a finalist at the Senior Nationals and Junior Championships.