WSU Opens Season at Chick-fil-A Invite in Fresno

CHICK-FIL-A INVITATIONAL
11 a.m. / 6 p.m. | Friday | October 7, 2022
10 a.m. | Saturday | October 8, 2022
Fresno, Calif. | Aquatics Center
WATCH & LIVE STATS | wsucougars.com

COUGARS OPEN SEASON AT CHICK-FIL-A INVITATIONAL IN FRESNO
Washington State heads to Fresno, Calif. for the Chick-Fil-A Invitational hosted by Fresno State University Friday and Saturday. The Cougars will compete against Fresno State, California, UCLA, San Diego State and San Jose State. Three teams are coming off appearances in the 2022 NCAA Championships (Cal, UCLA, SDSU).

ON DECK
WSU opens its home slate with three straight home meets beginning next Saturday against California, 10 a.m. at Gibb Pool

HOW TO FOLLOW
All home meets will be webstreamed through wsucougars.com during the 2022-23 season and fans can visit the swimming schedule page on wsucougars.com for the link. This weekend's Chick-Fil-A Invitational will be webstreamed.

COUGARS COMPETE AT CHICK-FIL-A INVITE
Last season in Fresnon, Washington State saw a pair of relay teams post Top-10 finishes at the Chick-Fil-A Invitational. The Cougars' 800 free relay team of Taylor McCoy, Hailey Grotte, Emily Barrier and Angela Di Palo placed fifth while the 200 free relay team of Chloe Larson, Paige Gardner, Grotte and Di Palo finished sixth. The Cougars saw their 400 free relay team lead the way on the second and final day of the Invitational as the team of Angela Di Palo, Chloe Larson, Hailey Grotte and Paige Gardner placed seventh. 

KATE MOORE PROMOTED TO ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH
Washington State Swimming Assistant Coach Kate Moore was promoted to Associate Head Coach, Head Coach Matt Leach announced this past Summer. "I am honored and humbled to be able to work alongside such an amazing person, coach and team player in Coach Kate Moore. Kate brings excitement, knowledge and a focused recruiting expertise to help grow this family and improve every day, the right way," Leach said. "It is our honor to promote Kate Moore to Associate Head Coach and continue to build this family together. Go Cougs!"
 
WSU KNOCKED OFF ARIZONA FOR FIRST TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY
WSU made history last Oct. 15, posting its first win over Arizona in program history with a 131.5-129.5 victory at Gibb Pool. The Cougars entered the meet having dropped all five of the previous meetings with Wildcats before collecting seven individual victories in the conference opener. Senior Taylor McCoy led the way with a meet-best 21 points after winning the 200 back and 200 IM while five different Cougars collected wins (Chloe Larson, Lauren Burckel, Mackenzie Duarte) including a pair of freshmen, Noelle Harvey and Angela Di Palo. WSU's top 400 medley relay team finished second to clinch the win. 

CHLOE LARSON CAPPED CAREER AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Graduated senior Chloe Larson capped her career competing in the 50 free and 100 free at the 2022 NCAA Swimming Championships in Atlanta. Larson was competing in her second straight NCAA Championships, becoming the first Cougar to earn back-to-back trips to the NCAA's since Michaela Ahlin in 2009-10 and the fourth to do so in program history, joining Erin Eldridge (1998-2000), Erin McCleave (2006-07) and Ahlin. Last season, Larson recorded nine individual wins including seven in the 50 free with victories over conference opponents Arizona, Arizona State, at No. 17 USC and at UCLA. Larson, who won the 2021 Pac-12 Conference Championship in the 50 free, qualified for the NCAA's in both the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. The Rapid City, S.D. native posted an NCAA "B" time of 22.13 in the 50 free that also set a school-record while leading off the 200 free relay at the Phil Hansel Invitational. Larson finished her career with four school records (50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay), one Gibb Pool record (50 Free), as a two-time Academic All-American selection, a two-time team captain, was an U.S. Olympic Trial Semifinalist and with 20 career individual wins. Larson's 2021 Pac-12 Conference Championship in the 50 free was the first individual title in program history.

COUGS IMPRESS IN THE CLASSROOM
Five Cougars earned CSCAA Scholar All-America honors last season. Senior Chloe Larson received first-team honors while senior Lauren Burckel, freshman Noelle Harvey, senior Taylor McCoy and freshman Sophie Macy each received second-team accolades. The five CSCAA Scholar All-America selections were the most in program history. To qualify for First-Team Scholar All-America, student-athletes earned a minimum GPA of 3.5 and participated in their national championship.  Second-Team selections also earned a 3.50 GPA or higher and achieved a "B" time standard for the national championship or participated at a diving zone qualification meet. The Cougars posted a 3.58 team semester GPA in the spring to earned the team honor the twelfth straight semester including all eight under head coach Matt Leach and for the 22nd time in program history. WSU's 3.58 team GPA featured eight 4.0 and 19 student-athletes with a 3.0 or better during the semester. The 3.58 team GPA was the third-highest among all Pac-12 Conference teams. Founded in 1922, the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), is the nation's first organization of college coaches. The mission of the CSCAA is to advance the sport of swimming and diving with coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development

MCCOY, HAVEY LEAD WSU AT CSCAA NIC
Eleven Washington State swimmers competed in the 2022 CSCAA National Invitational Championships in Indiana. Senior Taylor McCoy capped her career with a school record and a CSCAA NIC title in the 200 back on the final day of the CSCAA NIC while freshman Noelle Havey produced an enormous week, posting five WSU Top-10 times throughout the week. Washington State tallied 202 points to finish No. 12 out of 43 competing teams.

WSU POSTS RECORD-SETTING 2022 PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Washington State had quite the showing at the 2022 Pac-12 Conference Championships in Federal Way, Wash. the final weekend of February. The Cougars tallied two school relay records (200 free, 400 free), six NCAA "B" times, 12 WSU Top-10 times and 20 season bests. WSU finished eighth with 372 points.