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Broncos Win 2012 MW Swimming & Diving Title

Feb. 25, 2012
Mountain West Conference

2012 MW Swimming & Diving Championship Central

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Boise State captured the program's first-ever Mountain West championship on Saturday night at the 2012 Swimming and Diving Championships at the Oklahoma City Community College Aquatic Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Broncos trailed 2011 champion San Diego State by one point (708-707) entering the 400-yard freestyle relay, but BSU won the race with a time of 3:17.55, 3.09 seconds faster than the Aztecs. Overall, Boise State finished the meet with 747 total points, followed by SDSU at 724.

UNLV took third place with 551.5 points and Wyoming placed fourth with 470 points. TCU scored 374.5 points for fifth, followed by New Mexico (285), Colorado State (276) and Air Force (192).

Boise State's Amber Boucher was named the 2012 Mountain West Swimmer of the Year, becoming just the second Bronco in any sport to be named a conference athlete of the year in three consecutive seasons, joining football student-athlete Kellen Moore. Boucher won two individual events and four relays during the meet, setting all-time Mountain West records in five of the events (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay). The senior from Keizer, Ore., also led off for BSU's 800-yard free relay, establishing the MW 200-yard free record with her split of 1:45.85. Boucher also received a silver medal in the 100-yard free.

Ashlee (Gabby) Erickson of New Mexico was honored as the 2012 Mountain West Diver of the Year. The senior from Plainwell, Mich., swept the springboard events at the 2012 Championships, posting a mark of 311.85 on the 1-meter board before earning 326.35 points in the 3-meter event.

Kristin Hill of Boise State received her first MW Swimming Coach of the Year award, while New Mexico's Abel Sanchez was named the Mountain West Diving Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year.

NOTES:

Boise State senior Stephanie North set a Mountain West all-time record in the 100-yard freestyle on Saturday night with a 48.34, breaking her previous league best time of 48.54, which she set during the preliminaries session.

UNLV sophomore Jessica Heim completed her sweep of the distance freestyle events, pacing the field in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:27.16. Heim had previous captured the 500-yard freestyle title on Thursday night, touching the wall in 4:46.67.

Wyoming freshman Jordan Denny picked up the first championship gold medal of her career after winning the 200-yard backstroke in 1:56.20.

UNLV's Marley Prothero won the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:11.47. Her time ranks as the top in the Mountain West this season.

Colorado State freshman Tove Tornstrom earned her first Mountain West win with a time of 1:58.08 in the 200-yard butterfly.

San Diego State senior Kristen Meier won the last Conference championship event of her collegiate career with a score of 268.95 in the platform dive on Saturday night. The win, along with Aztec second-, fourth- and fifth-place finishes, gave SDSU the one-point lead going into the final event of the meet.

The Mtn. - MountainWest Sports Network will air the Swimming & Diving Championship Review Show on Thursday, March 1st at 9pm MT.