Cougars Host Utah in Friday Dual Meet
Matt Leach Press Conference | WSU Swimming Preview - Utah
Utah vs. Washington State
Gibb Pool | Pullman, Wash. | Friday, Jan. 15, 2021
WATCH | wsucougars.com
COUGARS HOST UTAH FOR FRIDAY DUAL MEET
Washington State women's swimming resumes its 2020-21 schedule with a home Pac-12 Conference contest against Utah set for Friday night at Gibb Pool.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday's meet will be webstreamed through wsucougars.com, visit the swimming schedule page for the link. Washington State Athletics is committed to providing a safe environment for its staff, coaches and student-athletes, as well as the Pullman community, during the 2020-21 swimming season. No spectators will be allowed at any Pac-12 swimming meets.
SERIES HISTORY
WSU owns a 3-7 all-time record against Utah who have claimed the last three meetings against the Cougars. WSU's last win in the series came in February of 2017 and the two schools have split the four meetings Pullman.
FOUR COUGS NOTCH OLYMPIC TRIAL TIMES
Mackenzie Duarte ended last winter's 2019 U.S. Open earning an Olympic Trial Cut time in the 200 breast to send her to Omaha. Duarte joined Cougar teammates Taylor McCoy (200 back) and Lauren Burckel (200 breast, 100 breast) who also recorded Olympic Trial cut times during the 2019 summer. The 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trails have been rescheduled for the 2021 summer in Omaha, Neb. Mia Zahab recorded Olympic Trial times for Team Canada in seven events.
COUGARS CAPPED SEASON AT CSCAA NATIONAL INVITATIONALS
Washington State closed the season traveling to Cleveland for the CSCAA National Invitational. Emily Barrier, Payton Bokowy, Lauren Burckel, Mackenzie Duarte, Keiana Fountaine, Kate Laderoute, Chloe Larson, Taylor McCoy Sierra Ortiz, and Mia Zahab. The meet was limited to just one day due to COVID-19, the final two days were canceled. The Cougars ended the opening day with five swims in the A Finals, with three of the five finishing in the top five of their individual events.
COUGARS SET FOUR SCHOOL RECORDS AT 2020 PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
At last season's 2020 Pac-12 Championships, WSU scored a total of 396 points topping their total from last season by 111.5 points. They ended the week with 17 WSU Top 10 times and broke four records, two by Keiana Fountaine, one by Lauren Burckel and one by the relay team of Keiana Fountaine, Chloe Larson, Payton Bokowy, and Chloe Larson.
WSU EARNED CSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Four Cougars received CSCAA Scholar All-American accolades, the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) last season. Seniors Mackenzie Duarte, Chloe Larson and Taylor McCoy along with junior Lauren Burckel each received CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention. The award recognizes student-athletes who achieved a grade-point-average of 3.5 of higher and were invited to compete at a postseason National Championship event. All four qualified and competed at the CSCAA National Invitational. In his two seasons at Washington State, head coach Matt Leach has seen seven swimmers earn CSCAA Scholar All-American honors after three did so last year. As a team, WSU earned CSCAA Scholar All-America Team Honors after posting a 3.54 GPA in the Spring 2020 semester. The Cougars earned the honor for the eighth straight semester including all four under head coach Matt Leach.
KATE MOORE NAMED ASSISTANT COACH
Kate Moore was announced as the Cougars' assistant coach Aug. 21. Moore joins WSU as spending the previous 10 seasons as a member of the East Carolina University Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving coach staff following a decorated four-year career as a student-athlete at ECU. Moore worked the past three seasons as ECU's associate head coach, the previous two seasons as the head assistant coach and prior five seasons as an assistant coach. During Moore's time on the staff, the Pirates won four American Athletic Conference titles, sent nine athletes to the NCAA Championships and helped ECU claim 41 individual conference titles and 21 relay championships. A native of Pottstown, Pa., Moore was a four-time all-conference performer, championship finalist and U.S. Open qualifier.