Courtesy: Colorado State Athletics
FORT COLLINS – The final home event of the season for some. A final home event in a career for a select few.
Colorado State’s women’s swimming and diving team will celebrate the career of nine seniors on Saturday, then get geared up for a clash with an area rival as Northern Colorado comes to Moby Pool on Saturday at 11 a.m. Prior to the action, the team will honor the contributions and sacrifices made by Emma Breslin, Megan Hager, Anika Johnson, Olivia LeBlanc, Lucy Matheson, Jozie Meitz, Rachel Saxon, Braeden Shaffer and Sydney VanOvermeiren, always an emotional start to a meet for the entire team.
“I try not to get wrapped up too much into that, because we still have conference and things we’ll do together in the spring, so I try to hold some of that emotion back,” CSU coach Christopher Woodard said. “What does come to the surface is their last moment to walk out those doors and onto the deck for competition. That’s never lost on me, the opportunity to compete in front of your fans and at your pool, that’s special.”
The rivalry has not only been fueled by the proximity of the programs, but also the tight decisions between the two squads. While the Rams hold a dominant 39-3 edge in the series having won the past two, the recent the past five years have been have come down to narrow scores leading down the stretch.
The Bears are 3-3 on the season, including a win two weeks ago against Air Force. The Rams are 7-2 on the season, 2-1 in duals since the holiday break.
Woodard cautioned his team must shake off the emotional aspect of the pre-meet ceremony and get ready to compete in short order. Part of it is the moment, part of it is building up for championships.
And no one wants to leave home for the final time with a loss.
“With what coach Lisa Ebeling has done over at UNC, it’s become a rivalry meet in every sense of the word,” Woodard said. “It’s not a meet where we’re looking to what’s next. We’re not looking beyond UNC, so the emotions have to stay below the surface. We have a job to do. For the kids who perform really well, which their set-up to do, we’re going to herald that. For the kids who are struggling and maybe a bit sore, look for the tough wins, look to get ahead, what can we do right in a race and then repeat.
CSU in the MW Top 10
- Erin Dawson, 400 IM, 4:15.35
- Maya White, 1,650 free, 16:30.35
- Lexie Trietley, 50 free, 22.81
- Erin Dawson, 200 free, 1:48.47
- Lucy Matheson, 100 fly, 54.43
- Lexie Trietley, 100 free, 49.75
- Maya White, 1,000 free, 10:01.98
- Erin Dawson, 500 free, 4:52.07
- Tess Whineray, 100 back, 54.87
- Tess Whineray, 200 back, 1:57.51
- Sydney VanOvermeiren, 400 IM, 4:21.28
- Lucy Matheson, 200 fly, 2:01.30
- Maya White, 500 free, 4:54.45
- Emily Chorpening, 1,000 free, 10:19.06
- Erin Dawson, 200 IM, 2:02.46
- Maisy Barbosa, 400 IM, 4:23.30
