Colorado State University Athletics
The Greatest Swim Class Ever
2/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | General
How do you tell when an athlete is great? Can you tell by the way they perform, the number of wins they have, or how hard they try? Or is it all of those things and many more. For example, are they leaders? Are they good sports? Are they role models?
Colorado State University is very proud of it?s many talented athletes, in all 16 of it?s Division I sports. This year, a group of very talented athletes will be finishing their athletic careers at CSU. I will venture to call them great and tell you why.
Once you see them swim and dive, you can tell they are great. They are fast and they are graceful. Their performances are outstanding. They lead their team and their school. They are gracious in winning. And yes, they are role models for anyone looking for one.
They make up the senior class of Colorado State?s Swimming and Diving Team. The seven noteworthy seniors are: swimmers Melissa Fischer, Corrine Hofstetter, Paula Langner, Katie Peck, Jamie Robinson, Kristen Schneider and diver Lori Vigil.
The senior class on the swimming and diving team is one of the best. Each season this well-rounded group displays their superior skills in distance events, breaststroke, diving and everything in between.
They have stood out since they started, so take a look at what makes this group so pivotal to the team. As freshmen or recent transfers, all of these athletes put points on the board for their team at the MWC Championships. Right away they showed that they would compete for and lead their team.
Meet by meet they have won weekly team awards for most valuable and most inspirational athletes, proving that their teammates recognize their importance to the team. This has not changed in four years. For example, Schneider and Vigil each have been named MWC athlete of the week four times in their careers.
Before these women ever reached their senior year, they were breaking school records. As a sophomore, Vigil set a new all-time school record in 3-meter diving with a points total of 324.10. As juniors, Peck, Hofstetter and Schneider were on the relay that set a new a CSU all-time record in the 800 freestyle relay (7:26.20). Schneider holds all-time records in the 200 free (1:49.55), 100 back (54.04), 200 back (1:58.65), and 200 IM (2:01.34). Hofstetter is in the top five at CSU for the 200 butterfly while Robinson holds the second place record for 200 breaststroke and Peck is in the top five for the 200 and 400 IM.
Each year the number of points these athletes have put on the scoreboard at the MWC Championships has increased. At the 2003 Conference Championships these seven seniors scored just under half of the total team points for the meet. Hofstetter finished as the 200 butterfly champion, while Robinson finished third in the 200 breaststroke. Peck and Langner helped the team break the MWC record in the 200 free relay and Peck and Schneider were on the MWC record breaking 400 free relay.
This season, their competitiveness has not let up. In dual meets, these seniors regularly finish 1-2 and even 1-2-3. In a recent dual against DU, Peck led the way for a 1-2-3 finish in the 400 IM, with Robinson and Fischer coming in second and third. Vigil swept both boards in a dual meet against BYU earlier this season, becoming the first Ram ever to do so.
Some other outstanding accomplishments of this class are:
Not only are these women talented athletes, but they are exceptional students. All seven athletes hold high grade point averages and have been named Academic All-Mountain West Conference. All the athletes have spent time doing community outreach for the children in Fort Collins that look up to Ram athletes.
The team recognizes these seniors as leaders. They selected Langner, Peck, Hofstetter and Fischer as captains for the 2003-04 season. Their determination and dedication has shown in the record books. Their leadership is seen on the pool deck. Their pride can be seen everywhere.
The seniors final home meet in Moby Pool was held January 31, 2004, against conference rival UNLV. All of the seniors made important contributions to the final outcome of the meet. There were a few lead changes throughout the meet and CSU was down two points going into the final event, the 400 freestyle relay. The race was very close; the winning moment was in the last 50 yards of the race when Langner, anchoring the relay, came from behind to beat UNLV and seal the win for CSU.
The Rams now share the title of regular season Mountain West Conference Champions (with Utah). These seniors? great efforts and accomplishments have paid off in their career. Now it is off to the conference championships, where these seniors plan to leave a bigger mark. In 2001 the Ram?s finished second in the MWC, third in 2002, second in 2003, and in 2004?we will have to wait and see.
Good Luck and Go Rams!
Nicolette Barton
Media Relations Student Assistant
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