Jasmin Espinosa EDINBURG – This past weekend, UTRGV Swimming and Diving hosted and competed in the 2026 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships at the Pharr PSJA UTRGV Natatorium.
Betsy Graham, UTRGV Women’s Swimming and Diving head coach, spoke on the team’s improvements ahead of the competition this season.
“This has been the combination of what we’ve done all year long,” Graham said. “So, the practices, the meet, everything that we’ve done culminates to this part and so right now, we’re just kind of in the easy, relaxed phase of getting them more rest and sprinting and whatever their bodies need right now to swim fast.”
Graham said she is excited to see sophomore swimmer Annaleagh Stahl break more records this year.
Stahl earned third place in the 100-backstroke and fifth place in the 200-backstroke at the 2025 Western Athletic Conference Championships. She said she has worked to improve her techniques in the pool since last year.
“My butterfly and my [individual medley] has definitely improved a lot,” Stahl said. “Like I have like I’ve gotten more strength for it. So, it might be a little bit easier this conference than it was last year. So, I’m hoping that’s something that it will show in the pool that, it has improved a lot.”
She said competing in familiar waters has been a more comfortable experience for her and the team.
The swimming and diving team placed tenth in the standing while Northern Arizona finished first.
From the Outback to the Valley, student swims for home
About 8,400 miles away is how far one athlete is from home, and her parents flew in to support her all the way from Australia.
“Time zones to start with, being away from my parents, not being able to speak to them all the time was definitely hard, but all of the girls made it super easy for me and the coaches have been incredibly supportive,” Bull said. “So, it’s been really good.”
Sarah Bull, a freshman swimmer on the swimming and diving team, attended Saint Francis Xavier college in Newcastle, Australia where she earned third place in the 200-meter backstroke at the Australian Short Course Championships.
This being her first season with the program, Bull said the back-to-back races are challenging but exciting.
“It’s not something I’m used to that it’s been so tough getting out of one race and getting right back on the blocks has been really hard,” Bull said. “[it’s] super fun though.”
Bull’s parents flew across continents to the Rio Grande Valley for the first time. Bull’s mother Karen Bull said this is not just a competition but rather a privilege and moment she has long awaited.
“It’s such a privilege to have them here,” Mrs. Bull said. “I’ve been so excited, I’ve been counting down the days for months now to see them here and to have them on the pool deck like I’ve had my entire childhood and for my collegiate conference debut has been awesome.”
