MOSCOW, Idaho - After a dominant season that included multiple record-setting performances, Idaho's own Ginger Kiefer has taken home one of the highest honors in the Western Athletic Conference.
On Tuesday, the WAC released its yearly awards after the conclusion of the conference tournament at the end of February, a meet in which the Vandals had one of their most outstanding performances in recent memory. They were led by Kiefer, who has been announced as the 2025 WAC Swimmer of the Year.
GINGER'S RESUME
To say that the award is deserved would be an understatement. Kiefer was one of the top swimmers for the Vandals all season long, rewriting the school record books on multiple occasions. Head coach Dr. Mark Sowa had an inkling early in the season that the sophomore was going to accomplish great things.
"It would be tough to pinpoint one moment during the season where I felt like Ginger could take off," said Sowa. "I really try, as her coach, not to put too much pressure on her to perform but to put her in challenging situations where she can discover for herself how good she can be. Honestly, I knew pretty early this year that, if she stayed healthy, she could do something special."
It was special indeed, as Kiefer captured a total of five school records in the 2024-25 season, one of them twice. In the conference championship, she set the all-time mark in the 200 yard individual medley prelims, clocked at 1:58.84. That record didn't stand for long as she topped it with a 1:58.35 in the finals.
In the same championship, she claimed school records in the 400 yard IM (4:13.43) and the 200 yard backstroke (1:55.07), establishing herself as a conference champion in all three of these events.
Additionally, she took home the 100 yard IM school record earlier this season with a time of 57.27 seconds. Her impressive stat sheet rounds out with school records in the 500 yard freestyle (4:53.41) and the 1000 yard freestyle (10:09.17).
Her noteworthy jump from her freshman year is a combination of many factors but, according to her head coach, one of the biggest things that led to this impressive season was the fact that she's done it before.
"I think the biggest difference in Ginger this year is simply her level of experience. There is no meet like a college championship meet and sometimes you need to experience it first to understand how to be successful at that level. Ginger used last year as information as to how to improve this season."
LAST ONE, BEST ONE
There have been four Vandals to win yearly awards since 2013, but Kiefer will hold a unique distinction among them. With Idaho announcing plans to join the MPSF for the 2025-26 season, Kiefer will, barring something unprecedented, be the last ever Idaho Vandal to win a yearly award in the WAC, cementing a legacy that will stand the test of time.
Just a sophomore, the sky is the limit for Ginger. As the top finisher in the MPSF Open Water Swimming Championships 5K, she automatically qualified for the Open Water National Championships in April.
When asked about next steps after winning a prestigious yearly award, Coach Sowa stated "It's not what I am looking for but what Ginger is looking to do throughout the rest of her career. These are not my goals. They are hers, and her coaches and teammates are there for her to help her figure it out."
Open Water Nationals will take place from April 4-6, 2025. Kiefer's event, the 5K, will be held on the second day of competition.
