The school’s Olympic sports programs will chase four conference championships and face three Top 10 opponents in the next four days. Here’s a sport-by-sport look at what could be a dramatic weekend:
SWIMMING AND DIVING
The Broncos won the past two Western Athletic Conference titles but face stiffer competition in their first Mountain West championship, which began Wednesday in Oklahoma City. The event concludes Saturday.
San Diego State is the favorite, with Boise State considered a contender.
“We did really well in the WAC as we built our team,” Boise State coach Kristin Hill said. “Now in our sixth season, it was perfect timing for us to move to the Mountain West as far as the level that we moved up to.”
Hill said her team enjoys the idea of being an underdog. Most of the team returned from last season, so the Broncos are accustomed to performing under pressure.
“They know what it’s like to stand up on that awards stand on the last night, but they also know the process of what it takes to win,” Hill said.
Swimmers Amber Boucher (100-yard freestyle) and Stephanie North (200-yard freestyle) and diver Amanda Burnett (platform) have the top performances in the Mountain West in their events this season.
INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
The Mountain West indoor track and field championships for the men and women are Thursday through Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Mountain West features six men’s teams and eight women’s teams. Boise State is a contender for the title on the men’s side after sharing the WAC title last year.
“We feel like there’s a great opportunity ahead to battle and contend for the title,” coach J.W. Hardy said.
Hardy considers Air Force and New Mexico the top men’s teams. The Broncos have little room for error, he said, because they’re outnumbered in a few key events.
“This championship will be won with balance,” Hardy said. “… That’s one of the things that’s pretty exciting about this team — there’s not an event that we can’t score in.”
Æ Boise State volunteer assistant coach Janae Gennette will compete in the 60 meters and long jump at the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday and Sunday, also in Albuquerque.
GYMNASTICS
The No. 16 Broncos face No. 8 Oregon State on Friday in Corvallis, Ore. The Broncos are 3-1 against the Top 25 this season — beating No. 17 Missouri, No. 18 Illinois and No. 25 Washington and losing to No. 6 UCLA.
“When we’ve gone up against the big dogs, we’ve had our best meets,” coach Neil Resnick said. “We chased UCLA pretty hard. … We seem to perform better in those environments.”
SOFTBALL
The Broncos will face No. 1 Florida on Saturday and No. 6 Oklahoma on Friday as part of the Cathedral City (Calif.) Classic. The Broncos play five games in the event, beginning Thursday against Cal State Northridge and Cal State Fullerton.
The Broncos faced two top-15 teams in a tournament last week, too.
“We need to increase the level of teams that we’re playing in order to get seen on that national stage, especially with it being the first time that we’re trying to get there,” said coach Erin Thorpe, whose program is in its fourth season. “… We’re still trying to come out and believe that we can compete against these top teams in the nation. I still think sometimes we go out and compete like we’re not supposed to be there. We’re working on that.”
The team features six seniors who were on the original roster in 2009, including pitcher Aubray Zell. Zell has won the Mountain West pitcher of the week award twice, with a 5-1 record, 0.54 ERA and three shutouts in six starts.
WRESTLING
The Pac-12 championships are Sunday at Taco Bell Arena. The sessions begin at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., with finals at 5:50 p.m. Boise State is the defending champion, but the Broncos went 1-5 in conference duals this year.
Chadd Cripe: 377-6398
