Live stream of this meet can be seen here.
BOISE, Idaho – Boise State women’s swimming and diving opens the 2014-15 season Oct. 8 (Wednesday) against Utah at the West Family YMCA and Boise Aquatic Center. Wednesday’s meet, which can be watched live on the player above, is the first of two in the campaign’s opening week, as the Broncos travel to Moscow this weekend to face off against in-state rival Idaho Saturday at 1 p.m. MT.
“We are excited to welcome the University of Utah to Boise this week,” said Boise State head coach Kristin Hill, who enters her ninth season at the helm in 2014-15. “I have a lot of respect for how Joe Dykstra has turned around their program. They are a Pac-12 team that swims fast both midseason and in a championship setting, and it’s fun to race teams like that.”
LAST TIME AGAINST THE UTES: Boise State and Utah went head-to-head last season, with the Utes coming away with a 188-112 victory on Oct. 25, 2013 in Salt Lake City. Brittany Aoyama and Felicity Cann continued hot starts in what would be outstanding freshman campaigns by picking up wins in the 50-yard and 200-yard freestyles, respectively. The Broncos also finished 1-2 in the 3-meter diving competition as Ciera Cortney (306.45) and Erin Kohlbeck (306.15) each topped the Ute divers.
Aoyama also turned in a runner-up finish in the 100 fly, while Blake Balogh (200 free), Emri Moore (1,000 free) and the 200 medley relay team of Aoyama, Jessica Bottelberghe, Sydney Johansen and Katelyn Martin each turned in second-place efforts as well.
NCAA PARTICIPANTS RETURN: Anchoring this season’s squad is a group of Broncos that participated at last year’s NCAA Championships. Sophomores Brittany Aoyama (50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 200 FR, 400 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR) and Katelyn Martin (200 FR, 400 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR), junior Sam Wicks (50 free, 100 free, 100 back, 200 FR, 400 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR) and seniors Jessica Bottelberghe (200 FR, 400 FR),Heather Harper (400 MR) and Sydney Johansen (200 MR) all gained valuable experience at the national meet and aim to put it to use as the Broncos go for a second straight Mountain West crown.
DEFENDING THE CROWN: Boise State has won four conference crowns (two WAC, two MW) since its inaugural season of 2006-07. The Broncos became two-time MW champs (2012, 2014) by capturing last year’s crown and will attempt this season to become the conference’s first repeat winners since BYU won four straight titles from 2007-10.
ABOUT THE UTES: Head coach Joe Dykstra begins his second season at the helm of the Utah swimming program, while Richard Marschner enters his fifth in charge of the diving team. The women’s team took sixth at last year’s Pac-12 Championships, with returning sophomore Stina Colleou earning the school’s first podium finish with a runner-up effort in the 200 breast. Colleou went on to earn All-America honors in the event at the NCAA Championships with a victory in the B Final for an overall ninth-place finish. Madsen won two individual events in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. She also helped the Broncos claim a victory in the 200-yard medley relay. Jessica Bottelberghe notched an individual victory and swam on two winning relays. Bottelberghe earned the win in the 100-yard freestyle and swam the third leg on each winning relay.
NEXT UP FOR THE BRONCOS: The Broncos travel to Moscow this weekend to take on Idaho Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. MT. In last year’s season opener, Boise State defeated Idaho, 217.5-82.5, at the Boise West YMCA. Against the Vandals, Bronco freshmen Brittany Aoyama andFelicity Cann set Boise State season-opening meet records as Aoyama established new benchmarks in the 50 free (23.36) and 100 fly (54.95) while Cann set the season-opener and pool-record time in the 200 free (1:50.25).
GO BRONCOS!