Washington State University Athletics - Official Athletics Site
Coug swimmers hit the pool for a Halloween meet that moved
Pumpkins and pullouts. Coug swimmers traded the familiar walls of the Palouse for a Halloween meet that actually moved. Not the kind of move that shakes the bleachers. The kind where you pack the bus and head for the coast.
We already told you about the matchup with SDSU in "Cougs trade the Palouse for the coast for a Halloween showdown with SDSU." That was the destination. This is the story of how the Cougs got there, and why it mattered that they did.
Halloween in Pullman usually means bad costumes and good bonfires. For the swim team, it meant waking up early, loading gear, and hitting the road. A traveling meet is a different kind of grind. You lose your home-pool advantage. You gain a chance to prove you can focus anywhere.
And honestly? Good for them. Getting out of town, facing a new crowd, doing it in costume if they wanted to, that's the kind of weekend that builds a team. Not every practice shows up on the scoreboard. But the bus rides, the shared hotel lobby, the weird Halloween candy somebody brought from home? That stuff matters.
The Cougs went to San Diego. They raced. They probably ate too much sugar. And they came back a little tighter as a squad. That's a win that doesn't always show up in the results.
Go Cougs.