Sixteen Broncos Reach Finals on Third Day of Mountain West Championships

Sixteen Broncos Reach Finals on Third Day of Mountain West Championships

2/22/2019 9:43:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving

Boise State swimmers combined for 19 personal-best marks.

By: Courtesy: Boise State Athletics

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Boise State had another solid day at the Mountain West Championships in Minneapolis, Minn., with 16 Broncos advancing to finals in the evening and seven placing in the top-10 of their races. In addition, 14 swimmers combined to set 19 personal best marks on the day led by senior Abbey Sorensen who recorded three. Joining Sorensen with multiple career-best times set were Molly Hogg with two, freshman Madesyn Ronquillio with two and Robin Pinger who had two.

"Overall it was a big day for us with a really high percentage of lifetime bests recorded," said Boise State head coach Christine Mabile. "It's really important as we get into the meat of the championships that the team gets behind and supports and encourages each other. I think they have done a good job of that throughout the meet and we have really fed off that energy, especially today with 14 Broncos setting personal bests."

Top finishers for the Broncos were Sorensen who placed second in the 100-yard backstroke followed by Ally Kleinsorgen in third. Meanwhile, Cody Evans took third in the 200-yard freestyle and Pinger placed fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Heading into the final day of competition Boise State currently sits in third place with 740 points behind San Diego State in first with 924 and Nevada in second with 862.5.

The MW Championships will wrap-up tomorrow with the running of the 1,650-yard freestyle, 200-yard backstroke, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard butterfly, platform diving and the 400-yard freestyle relay.

400-Yard Individual Medley Recap

The first event of the day was the 400 IM where Boise State's Cassie Barkhorn tallied a career-best 4:23.28 to win the C final and place 17th overall. Just behind Barkhorn was Brittany Wen who also turned in a career-best time with a 4:24.51 to place third in the heat and 19th overall.

During the morning preliminaries Barkhorn led the Boise State contingent with a 4:29.46 followed by Wen with a 4:29.50 as both advanced into the C final. Meanwhile, Anne Boodt swam a season-best 4:31.93 and Lauren Sale turned in a 4:31.27.

100-Yard Butterfly Recap

Emmie Jennings led the Broncos in the 100 fly clocking a 55.47 to place 14th overall. Joining Jennings in the finals was Ronquillio who swam a 56.62 to finish 23rd.

In the prelims Jennings led the four Broncos participating — three which recorded career-bests — with a time of 54.64 to place 11th overall. The other three had the personal bests starting with Mandy Barnes who clocked a 54.98, Emma Segneri had a 56.16 and Ronquillio with a 56.22. Both Barnes and Segneri swam in exhibition.

200-Yard Freestyle Recap

The Broncos senior Cody Evans took third overall with a time of 1:47.81, followed by freshman Lauren Vitort with a 1:48.86 — just missing her career best of 1:48.86 — to take seventh. Hayley Hill swam in the B final where she placed sixth and 14th overall with a 1:50.28. Rounding out the 200 free were Jamie Nats in 18th with a career-best 1:50.35 and Alyssa Schultz who clocked a 1:52.41.

Evans led the five Broncos during the prelims recording a persona-best and top-prelim time of 1:47.61. Vitort followed with a 1:49.01, then Hill at 1:49.65, Nats 1:51.97 and Schultz 1:52.44, the last three were season-bests for each.

100-Yard Breaststroke Recap

Robin Pinger was one of two Broncos to reach the A final of the 100 breaststroke where she turned in a personal-best 1:00.97 to take fifth. Senior Laura Williams joined Pinger in the final swimming a 1:02.31 for eighth place.

Pinger recorded the top Boise State time in the prelims with a 1:01.45, followed by Williams at 1:01.89 and Kai Nabeta at 1:04.96, all three were career-bests at the time.

100-Yard Backstroke Recap

The 100 back finals were loaded with Broncos as five advanced out of the prelims and finished in the top 12. Sorensen took second overall with a career-best 52.74, followed by Kleinsorgen in third with a 53.24, Katie McCoy (54.58) in ninth, Hogg (54.65) — a career-best — in 10th and Ronquillio (55.13) in 12th.

Six Broncos raced in the prelims — one as exhibition — with five advancing to the finals. Sorensen recorded the top time of the prelims overall with a 52.87, followed by Kleinsorgen at 53.29 who placed third, McCoy was ninth at 54.43, Ronquillio 10th at 54.60 and Hogg in 15th at 55.07. In exhibition was Lauren Sale who had a 56.10. The times for Sorensen, McCoy, Ronquillio, Hogg and Sale were all career-bests entering the finals.