Courtesy: Wyoming Athletics
LARAMIE, Wyo. (9/24/21) – On Saturday morning, half of the University of Wyoming swimming & diving team will cook breakfast for a relaxing recovery day. The other half of the team will consume that breakfast and dive into the pool for a practice.
Why’s that the case? Well, because the Gold Team defeated the Brown Team 296.5-259.5 in the annual Brown and Gold meet Friday at Laramie High School.
“It’s a fun tradition that we’ll carry on, but overall, just the way everyone stepped up and race today, that’s why we do this sport,” head coach Dave Denniston said. “Everyone did a nice job of racing and focusing on the things we’ve been working on.”
The meet Friday officially kicks off the season, which continues at the DU Relays next weekend. Going into that competition, the Cowboys and Cowgirls will have plenty to feel good about.
“There are really too many (good performances) to go through,” Denniston said. “I could list off everyone on the team today, and that doesn’t always happen. I think everybody on the team had some really good swims.”
Three Cowgirls enjoyed a particularly strong day in the pool. Seniors Lainee Jones and Katelyn Blattner along with sophomore Kali Franckowiak all won three races apiece.
Jones started her day, taking the crown in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:54.40. She won the 100-yard butterfly, clocking in at 58.30, and was a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay that touched in 3:33.62.
Blattner also participated in the 400-yard freestyle relay. She won the 200-yard backstroke, boasting a time of 2:08.76, and topped the field in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:11.03.
Franckowiak was a member of that victorious 400-yard freestyle relay, as well. She also swam a leg of the 200-yard mixed freestyle relay that logged a time of 1:31.16, while she also touched first in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 53.54.
Senior Thomas Diaz joined the three-win party on the men’s side. He claimed first in the 200-yard butterfly, clocking in at 1:54.20, while also winning the 200-yard breaststroke and the 100-yard butterfly with times of 2:11.10 and 51.09, respectively.
Seniors Grant Sloan and Ryan Netzel, junior Daniel Cumnock-Francois and freshman Sam Stuckey all won two races each. Junior Roxanna Ramirez also tallied two wins on the women’s side.
The 1-meter diving competition was a joint-scoring format that the Brown Team won, led by juniors Melissa Mirafuentes and Payton Lee. The 3-meter event was individually-based, and Mirafuentes won with a score of 240.10, while sophomore Juan Gonzalez won with a final tally of 286.85.
“We are excited for our divers,” Denniston said. “As always, they tend to score reliable points at every meet, and they look to be doing the same things this year.”
