FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – After a week off from competition, the Northern Arizona swimming & diving team heads out on an early season test to the Northwest this weekend with back-to-back dual meets against Idaho and Washington State Friday and Saturday. The Lumberjacks will look to bounce back from their season-opening loss to New Mexico following a productive two weeks of training.

"The most important thing we want to see is that we've gotten better and that our times have gotten faster," said head coach Andy Johns. "We want to see them bounce back with some fight. Idaho was second in the WAC last year and they beat us the last time we were in Moscow and Washington State is a much improved team over the last few years. There's a lot of pride on the line and I want to see us compete tough. I feel good about our last two weeks of training and I'm looking forward to great meets."

Although the Lumberjacks fell to Lobos, 170-130, on Oct. 25 in Albuquerque, NAU did win half of the 14 individual events. Leading the way for NAU in the pool was freshman Alina Staffeldt who captured both butterfly events in her first collegiate dual meet. Staffeldt's time of 56.76 in the 100 butterfly is the fastest time in the WAC this season so far, while she owns the third-fastest 200 butterfly time at 2:04.57.

Junior Kendall Brown (1,000 free), freshman Claire Hammond (200 free) and sophomore Urte Kazakeviciute (200 breast) also won their respective events against New Mexico. Brown and freshman Kimmy Richter are one-two in the conference in the 1,000 free and Brown also holds the second-fastest time in the 500 free. Kazakeviciute and freshman Melanie Harris are second and third respectively in the 200 breast.

The NAU divers were dominant in their first dual meet led by junior Chelsea Jackson, who earned WAC Diver of the Week honors after sweeping both 1-meter and 3-meter boards versus UNM. Sophomore Alexa Geiger and junior Carlye Townsend completed a Lumberjack sweep of the top three spots in the 1-meter event and overall along with Jackson claimed three of the top four spots on 3-meter. Following the meet, the trio was atop the conference's 1-meter leaderboard with their respective scores, while Jackson's 3-meter score of 285.75 was second-best.

Idaho, last season's WAC runner-up to NAU, competed in three dual meets last weekend defeating fellow WAC opponent Northern Colorado and falling to San Diego State and Colorado State. Senior Rachel Millet, the reigning WAC Swimmer of the Week, is the owner of the conference's fastest times in four events this season – the 200 free, 100 back, 200 back and 200 IM – and was also last season's WAC Swimmer of the Year. The 'Jacks not only defeated the Vandals at the WAC Championships, but also claimed a 175-125 dual win in Flagstaff last season. However, Idaho handed NAU a 177.5-122.5 loss two years ago in Moscow.

Washington State is 1-3 in dual meets this season, picking up a win over Arizona State on Oct. 24, and like the Lumberjacks will be competing in a dual meet on Friday against Seattle. NAU fell to WSU, 146-116, two years ago in Pullman, Wash. but did manage a 161-133 victory over the Cougars in 2011 at home.

Despite the hype surrounding Friday's meet between the top two teams in the Western Athletic Conference from a year ago, the weekend will be an important experience for the Lumberjacks this early in the season. Not only will they face one of their biggest obstacles in defending their conference championship in addition to a quality Pac-12 foe, but the Lumberjacks will compete on consecutive days for the first time this season which they will need to do at the WAC Championships in late February.

"You learn about the team and the team learns a lot about themselves in a dual meet," Johns said. "They have to learn about race strategy and the little things that will help us at the conference championship, which is always our focus. When we go to Washington State on Saturday, we might be feeling the effects of Friday, but we need to practice that. We may also see people swimming different events, which will be important because we need to see some different things."

NAU will take on Idaho in Moscow, Idaho at 5 p.m. Flagstaff time on Friday, followed by its dual meet at Washington State in Pullman, Wash. at 12 p.m. Flagstaff time on Saturday.

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