Colorado State will remain at home for the third-consecutive week, hosting a dual meet against New Mexico State. CSU holds a dominant record of 13-2 all-time against the Aggies.
“The girls have been making great tremendous strides in both the weight room and in the pool,” Head Coach Christopher Woodard said. “They’re pushing themselves further than they have before. After this week, we are coming up for a break in our dual-meet season. It is always nice to give the girls a break, but this meet is a crucial pacesetter for us for the rest of the season.”
Action will begin with the 3-Meter springboard, followed by 14 swimming events and the 1-Meter boards at 11 a.m. New Mexico State entered the week 1-1 on the season. The Aggies compete at Wyoming Thursday and Northern Colorado Friday before facing the Rams.
COMING OFF A HOME SPLIT
CSU took a meet split last Saturday beating Idaho (165-135) and falling short to San Diego State (187.5-112.5).
The pace started slow for the Rams, earning just 12 points through the first four events. That changed when junior Cristina Bassani<http://www.csurams.com/sports/w-swim/mtt/cristina_bassani_826696.html> won the 100 Breaststroke (1:05.35). Followed just behind her was senior teammate Tess Simpson<http://www.csurams.com/sports/w-swim/mtt/tess_simpson_770144.html> (1:05.72). The top swims helped change the momentum for the Rams.
“We showed a lot more fight this week,” Woodard said. “They never got deterred and just kept battling, which I’m happy about.”
The diving continued to be bring home some top performances for CSU, totaling 23 points. Junior Ariana Milone won the 3-Meter boards with a season-best score of 306.65, while senior Mary Kate Hardy (272.40) and freshman Erin Taylor (271.40) scored third and fourth. On the 1-Meter boards, the trio was again dominant, with Hardy finishing second (260.40), followed by Taylor (255.90; third) and Milone (250.45; fourth).
Strong performances were seen all across the pool, including freshman Katie Kicklighter in the 50 and 100 Freestyle, Jessica Shepard in the 100 and 200 Backstroke, and Megan Lloyd in the 200 Butterfly.
KICKLIGHTER MAKING A SPLASH
Just a true freshman, Katie Kicklighter is making an immediate impact for the Rams. In her collegiate debut, she won both of her individual events (50 Freestyle, 23.41; 100 Freestyle, 51.60). She currently holds the fifth- and fourth-fastest times, respectively, in the Mountain West.
“She is going to be a key contributor throughout her career here, maybe even moreso than we thought,” Woodard said. “She is highly motivated in her events and she is definitely a force to be reckoned with.”
SHEPARD PACES RAMS VS. WYOMING
Jessica Shepard was one of the bright spots in the Rams’ home opener vs. Wyoming on Oct. 24. The junior had the team’s lone first-place finish, winning the 100 Backstroke (57.05). Additionally, Shepard finished second in the 200 Backstroke (2:06.86) and 200 IM (2:10.49), earning 17 points in her three individual events.
“Jess trains very well, and you would not expect her to have this killer instinct that she has,” Woodard said. “She swam very smart in her races today.”
SEASON OUTLOOK
The Colorado State swimming & diving team has nothing but good vibes coming into the 2014-15 season. For the first time in four years, the Rams are coming off a winning dual-meet season. Add that to a lineup which returns more than 80 percent of its letterwinners, and CSU has placed expectations upon itself to be a driving force in the Mountain West.
“I am very optimistic about this year.” Woodard said. “We have the sophomore class that knows what to expect and how to compete at this level, and they are a great compliment to our upperclassmen. We also have very capable freshmen.”
ON THE BOARDS
The Rams also return a tremendous group of divers. Led by junior Ariana Milone and senior Melissa Bollig – who both scored at last season’s conference championship meet – the talented group of divers is expected to carry the program to another successful season.
“Once again, our diving team will be among the best in the conference,” Woodard said. “Ari is our strongest diver, and she’ll steal a lot of first places, which helps our team win dual meets and puts points on the board for us. Our diving team is very experienced and strong.”
Milone finished fifth in the 1-meter diving event at the Mountain West Championships last February, the Rams’ highest finish. She also earned ninth place on the 3-meter springboard, while Bollig placed eighth in the 1-meter event.
Those two, in addition to Paige Greely and Mary Kate Hardy, qualified for NCAA Zones in 2013-14, the most represented by CSU in more than a decade and tied for the most in the Mountain West.
VETERAN AND SKILLED LINEUP
In addition the strong diving group and veteran presence, the Rams are also optimistic because of their balance.
“We have a much more-rounded team this year,” Woodard said. “Megan Lloyd is a force in the Mountain West and Karin Roh, our freestyler, has really come into her own and is extremely motivated this year. Jessica Shepard and Tess Simpson are also lynch pins to what we do. They have a lot of diversity, and they know how to swim tough.”
Shepard earned All-Mountain West honors last year, finishing fifth in the 100 Backstroke, while Simpson placed 10th in the 100 Breaststroke.
Woodard and his staff added seven freshmen to its roster this year, highlighted by four Colorado athletes and High School All-American Katie Kicklighter<http://www.csurams.com/sports/w-swim/mtt/katie_kicklighter_878123.html>.
“I’ve been impressed by what I’ve seen from our freshmen,” Woodard said. “They’re clicking well, and I expect them to make an immediate impact for us. They understand what it means to be Ram tough.”
RENOVATIONS TO MOBY POOL
With a new year comes new renovations to Moby Pool. There has been a joint effort between campus and athletics to update the swimming facilities, which has the Rams excited. The renovations include updated bleachers and painted walls, and most importantly, new starting blocks and a rebrand to the pool deck.
SEASON GOALS
Building off last year’s success, it is clear that the Rams’ swimming & diving program is headed in the right direction.
“Our goal is to beat as many people as we can along the way and build confidence to be ready for the Mountain West Championships.”
UP NEXT
After four-straight weekends of competition, CSU will have a week off before closing the first half of its season with the Georgia Tech Invite Nov. 20-22.
College Swimming News courtesy of CSU Swimming and Diving.