The University of Idaho Women’s Swim and Dive team is heading to San Antonio, Texas, this week where they will compete in the Western Athletic Conference Championships. The event starts on Wednesday and goes through Saturday.  

The Vandals are 4-5 this year is dual meets but with talent across the board, head coach Mark Sowa believes his team can make a statement again this year.

“Everyone should find a way to score and every kid on this team has the ability to do that,” Sowa said. “Last year we scored points in all events except for two. Diving is going to be very big for us and the relays are going to be very competitive. A lot can happen in a four day meet.”

This won’t be the first four day meet of the year for the Vandals. From Nov. 16-18, the Vandals were at Houston competing in the Houston Invitational.

“That’s the reason why we do the Houston stuff,” Sowa said, “to focus on a four day format and to focus on one race at a time. They got a lot out of it.”

Sowa, in his second year, has 18 returning athletes from last year’s team and he believes that experience will help them.

“The freshmen bring a lot of young enthusiasm but I think the upper classmen will lead them in the right direction and I think they are much more prepared for the flow of the meet,” Sowa said.

One upperclassman who will help the Vandals to victory this year is sophomore Rachel Millet. Millet has five Idaho individual records and two relay records in her career, three of them from this year alone. Millet also has a top three time in the 200 free, 100 free, and the 100 fly going into the conference meet. Sowa said, “She has put together a tremendous sophomore campaign and she is one who has really learned a lot.”

Junior diver Paige Hunt is another Vandal to keep your eye on in this year’s championships. Hunt has broken three Idaho Diving records this year in the 1-meter, 3-meter, and platform. Hunt has the third spot in the conference for platform and the fourth spot for the 3-meter.