Thursday, March 1, 2012

Four Bronco Swimmers Have a Chance to Do Themselves and Their School Proud

The ever-improving Boise State swimming team, which won the 2012 Mountain West Conference Championship in dramatic fashion Saturday, is sending four Broncos to the NCAA National Championships.

Seniors Amber Boucher and Stephanie North, junior Stevie Hughey and freshman Sydney Johansen will represent Boise State at the Championships, set for March 15-17 in Auburn, Alabama.  The quartet were timed in 1:29.73 in a time trial at the Mountain West Championships to rank 14th in the nation.  Boise State has provisional qualifying times in all five relay events, allowing them to assemble relay squads out of the four individuals.  The Broncos are ranked 17th in the 400-yard freestyle relay and 19th in the 400-yard medley relay.  Boise State is eligible to enter four relays, although with only four swimmers, they are somewhat limited in how many events they can enter.


Boucher is ranked 11th in the 100-yard butterfly, 15th in the 100-yard freestyle and 17th nationally in the 50-yard freestyle and was invited in all three events.  North is ranked 10th in the 100 freestyle and 19th in the 50 freestyle--she is also expected to swim the 200-yard freestyle.  Hughey is eligible to swim in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 butterfly while Johansen can swim in the 100 breaststroke, the 200 backstroke and 200-yard individual medley.


Coach Kristin Hill's Broncos finished #39 at last year's NCAA's and given the fact that four members will be at Nationals, they could significantly improve on that finish.  Boucher was 12th last year in the 100-yard butterfly to earn honorable mention All-America and score the first points ever for Boise State at the NCAA Nationals.


Divers Amanda Burnett and Ciera Cortney, who played a significant role in the Broncos' championship last weekend, can qualify for Nationals at the 2012 Zone E Diving Championships March 8-10 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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