PULLMAN, Wash. (March 11, 2024)
Washington State Swimming produced one of the most impressive performances in the program history at the 2024 Pac-12 Conference Championships.
The Cougars recorded 21 WSU Top-10 times including six school records and a pair of medals while as a team, WSU totaled 498.5 points for the second-most points since 1987 (Pac-10/12 era).
"This really shows how well our team performed at the Pac-12 Championships, not only hitting multiple Top-10 times but hitting six school records," head coach Matt Leach said. "A few Top-10 times were bounced off as other people were moving up and onto our Top-10 list but I think that week showed the strength of our season. It showed that we are performing well and that we continue to perform when it matters at the elite level that is the Pac-12 Championships. As we grow, we continue to send athletes to NCAA's!"
Sophomore Emily Lundgren broke three school records including the 200 IM (1:58.94), 100 breast (59.45) and 200 breast (2:07.44) while the Chula Vista, Calif. native claimed second in the Pac-12 in the 100 breast and third in the 200 breast.
Sophomore Anna Rauchholz posted a 53.39 in the 100 back to break the school record, record an NCAA "B" cut and win the Pac-12 "B" final. Freshman Mira Szimcsak broke the school record in the 500 free, posting a 4.43.35 to break Erin McCleave's previous mark of 4:43.46 set in 2007.
Sophomore Dori Hathazi broke her own 200 fly record in the Pac-12 Championships morning prelims with a 1:55.55, besting her previous record she set back in November, and followed up with an even better swim in the evening final, posting a 1:54.87 to finish eighth in the Pac-12.
Hathazi and Lundgren are headed back to the NCAA Championships in Georgia next week. The sophomore duo are the first set of Cougar teammates to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the back-to-back seasons in program history and give WSU an NCAA Championship qualifier in the last five seasons (2020 NCAA's were canceled) with seven swimmers qualifying over that stretch.
WASHINGTON STATE TOP-10 TIMES
100-yard freestyle
5. Emma Wright (3/2/24) 49.51
500-yard freestyle
1. Mira Szimcsak (2/29/24) 4:43.35
1000-yard freestyle
3. Mira Szimcsak (3/2/24) 9:57.65
4. Lauren Wille (3/2/24) 9:59.86
9. Hannah Huarte (3/2/24) 10:12.06
1650-yard freestyle
2. Mira Szimcsak (3/2/24) 16:25.68
3. Lauren Wille (3/2/24) 16:27.80
100-yard BACKSTROKE
1. Anna Rauchholz (3/1/24) 53.39
4. Kiana Swain (3/1/24) 54.22
5. Selena Duran Ortiz (3/1/24) 54.27
200-yard BACKSTROKE
3. Kiana Swain (3/2/24) 1:56.52
9. Anna Rauchholz (3/2/24) 1:58.40
10. Ariel Wang (3/2/24) 1:58.75
100-yard BREASTSTROKE
1. Emily Lundgren (3/1/24) 59.45
200-yard BREASTSTROKE
1. Emily Lundgren (3/2/24) 2:07.44
5. Alexandra Vartiainen (3/2/24) 2:12.35
200-yard BUTTERFLY
1. Dori Hathazi (3/2/24) 1:54.87
9. Sam Krew (3/3/24) 2:01.99
200-yard INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
1. Emily Lundgren (2/29/24) 1:58.94
6. Ariel Wang (2/29/24) 2:01.47
400-yard INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
6. Ariel Wang (3/1/24) 4:16.88