Colorado Mesa Women Top 2025-26 RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll

Courtesy: RMAC Sports

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Mesa University women’s swimming and diving team is the unanimous favorite to win the 2025-26 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women’s swimming and diving championship as selected in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll, which was released Thursday in conjunction with the 2025-26 All-RMAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Preseason Team.

The Mavericks dominate the 16-event preseason team, which recognizes the top returning athlete in each championship event from last season’s RMAC Swimming & Diving Championships. Colorado Mesa has the top returning finisher in 14 events, including five returning event champions.

Colorado Mesa, the defending and seven-time RMAC champion, received all eight possible first-place votes and 64 points in the poll. Simon Fraser University, which received the remaining first-place vote and six second-place votes, was picked second with 56 points. Colorado School of Mines received three second-place votes and three third-place votes to finish with 49 points and a third-place spot in the poll.

Oklahoma Christian was picked fourth, followed by Western Colorado and Colorado State University Pueblo in the middle of the nine-team poll. Nebraska-Kearney, Texas-Permian Basin, and Adams State round out the preseason poll.

The 2025-26 swimming and diving season is already underway with the RMAC’s nine teams beginning their build-up to the 2025-26 RMAC Swimming & Diving Championships set for Feb. 10-14 at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction.

All RMAC swimming & diving competitions broadcast by its full and associate members will only be available via pay-per-view on the RMAC Network. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league’s membership to enhance their programs.

In conjunction with the launch of the new pay-per-view plans, the winter RMAC Network “Peak Pricing” sale is October 13-26. During the sale, fans can purchase an annual subscription for $120 by using the code RMACELEVATE25 during the purchasing process.

Additionally, a discounted annual subscription price is available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year by using the code Y26-RMACEDU and using their campus email address when purchasing an annual subscription.

Courtesy: CMU Athletics

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University Maverick women’s swimming & diving team have been unanimously picked to win an eighth straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title, according to the leagues’ annual preseason coaches’ poll, which was released on Thursday.

The Mavericks also had nine different student-athletes combine to claim 14 of the 16 possible spots on the Preseason All-RMAC team, which was announced in conjunction with the poll.

The Mavericks received all eight possible first place votes in the polling of the league’s head coaches, who were asked to rank their opposition 1-8 without voting for their own squad.  The Mavs received eight points for each of those votes and topped the conference poll with 64 points.

They won their seventh straight conference crown in 2024-25, taking the title by a 745-point margin and went on to finish third at the NCAA Division II National Championships.

Associate RMAC member Simon Fraser, which finished seventh at the national meet after taking second at the conference meet, received Maverick head coach Mickey Wender‘s first place vote and finished second in the poll with 56 points after receiving six other second place votes.

The Colorado School of Mines finished third in the poll with 49 points after finishing third at last year’s conference meet while Oklahoma Christian scored 44 points to take the No. 4 spot in the poll, despite finishing fifth at last year’s conference meet.  The Eagles also received five third place votes.

Western Colorado (34), CSU Pueblo (27), Nebraska-Kearney (21), UT Permian Basin (18) and Adams State (11) rounded out the poll.

The Preseason All-RMAC team was made up of the highest returning placer from last year’s RMAC Championships in each of the 16 individual events.

The Maverick women will return the RMAC Champion in five different events, a group led by reigning RMAC Diver of the Year Kenya Meyer, who swept the diving events at last year’s conference meet.  Antonia Leese (100 Breast), Kiara Borchardt (100 Fly) and Tori Bartusiak (200 Fly) are also returning conference champions.

Bartusiak was one of three Maverick swimmers to earn multiple spots on the Preseason All-RMAC team.  She also finished second in the 200-yard individual medley at last year’s conference meet behind now volunteer assistant coach Sophia Bains.

Senior Olivia Hansson, the RMAC runner-up in the 500, 1000 and 1650 Freestyle events last year earned a conference-high three nods on the preseason recognition list.

Meanwhile, Kendyll Wilkinson, last year’s RMAC Freshman of the Year, was given the nod in both the 100 and 200 Free.

Elli Williams (50 Free), Taylar Hooton (100 Back) and Haven Hinkle (400 IM) were also selected to the preseason team after strong campaigns a year ago.

The CMU men were also unanimous selections to win an eighth straight title.

The Mavs will begin the season next week hosting two days of meets during the annual Intermountain Shootout on Oct. 3 and 4. NCAA Division I BYU and Adams State are slated to compete against the Mavs.

CMU will again host the RMAC Championships from Feb. 10-14, 2026.