Boise State crushes Mountain West Record in 800 free relay
By Emma Foster, Swimming World College Intern
Boise State looks to be on the hunt for a Mountain West Conference title, posting incredible results on the first day of the 2016 Mountain West Conference championship that ensure that this will be an exciting meet.
Boise got the excitement rocking in the first event of the evening, missing their A-cut in the 200-medley relay by less than 2-tenths of a second. The team of Samantha Wicks, Laura Williams, Brittany Aoyama, and Katelyn Martin came together for a time of 1:37.63. They were followed by UNLV, who claimed second in 1:38.36, while San Diego State was third in 1:39.25.
In the 1-mtr finals, Nevada freshman Sharae Zheng won the event, posting a point total of 334.25. Her teammate Krysta Palmer was a close second in 331.50, while Alexandra Caplan of San Diego State was third in 330.15.
After being razor close to the A-cut in the 200-medley, Boise State left no doubt and posted a phenomenal time in the 800 free relay, crushing the previous Mountain West record set by San Diego State in 2014, and claiming an NCAA A-cut by over two seconds. The team of Emma Chard, Aoyama, Blake Balogh, and Felicity Cann swam an impressive 7:04.60 to win the event. Nevada claimed second, also getting their A-cut with a time of 7:05.98. San Diego State was third in 7:13.74.
The Mountain West Conference Championship will continue tomorrow, with prelims beginning at 11 am.