The WSU Crimson swim team defeated the Idaho Vandals’ Gold team 230-154 on Friday and Saturday in the third annual Debbie Pipher Memorial Invitational. The WSU Gray team finished in third place with 152 points, and the Idaho Black team finished with 131 points for fourth place.

The Saturday portion of the meet included many close races. Junior Talor Whitaker of the Crimson team finished just seven-10ths of a second ahead of Idaho’s Nicole Schuh. The closest race of the day was the first heat of the 200 butterfly when sophomore Rachael Krager finished just seven-100ths of a second ahead of Idaho’s Meaghan McCloskey.

Senior Michaela Ahlin was named the MVP of the meet after winning three events. Ahlin won the 500 freestyle on Saturday and set meet records in both the 100 and 200 butterfly races.

Ahlin, from Tyreso, Sweden, broke the record she set in 2008 in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:03.41. Her time in the 100 butterfly, 55.71, broke the record set by Whitaker in 2009. Ahlin was tied for second in scoring in the match with 27 points.

“It’s good to be swimming fast again,” Ahlin said.

Ahlin also said she is swimming faster than last year at this point, and each year she comes back quicker than the last.

“The team is coming together,” she said.

A new addition to the team, freshman Shelbi Luchini, was the leading scorer with 30 points.

“Luchini is a very talented swimmer,” Head Coach Erica Quam said. “We think she has great potential to help us out at dual meets and definitely as a Pac-10 level swimmer.” The other top scorers from the Cougar Crimson team were junior Rugile Mileisyte (27), Whitaker (26) and Shawna Keller (22).

Mileisyte set the meet record in the 100-backstroke with a time of 56.61.

Quam said the team has improved since last year, and they are racing better than she has seen them.

The team has a big week of practice, as usual, Quam said. They will be going up on mileage this week and then will have the weekend off to rest.

Next up, the Cougars will head to Flagstaff, Ariz., to face off against Northern Arizona University on Nov. 6.