Colorado State University Athletics
CSU garners six all-conference selections in swimming & diving
3/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
March 5, 2008
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - For their performances at last weekend's Mountain West Conference championships, six student-athletes from Colorado State's swimming and diving team earned all-conference honors. To earn all-conference placement, athletes must place in the top eight of an event. The Rams who received all-conference recognition:
Freshman Maddie Gamble (200 Backstroke, 1650 Freestyle)
Senior Elyse Hall (1-Meter Diving, 3-Meter Diving)
Sophomore Nora Kennedy (100 Butterfly)
Senior Karin Knudson (1-Meter Diving, 3-Meter Diving)
Sophomore Kathleen McCleary (1,650 Freestyle)
Freshman Michelle Price (100 Backstroke, 200 Backstroke)
Hall and Knudson placed fifth and seventh, respectively, on the 3-meter board, then finished back-to-back in the 1-meter event, coming in at fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Freshmen swimmers and former Poudre High School teammates, Gamble and Price proved that the team's youthful talent bodes well for a bright future. Gamble scrambled out from her preliminary 1,650 Freestyle race, qualifying for the finals by finishing the 66-lap race in sixth, and had only 15 minutes before swimming in the finals of 200 Back. Gamble's seventh-place effort in the 200 Back put Colorado State on the map as a team to watch in the future. Endurance was key this season with team training, and Price was no exception to the rule. Her fifth-place finish in the 100 Back and third-place posting in the 200 Back earned her a nod toward outstanding performance.
Rounding out the last of the six is a pair of sophomore powerhouses. McCleary and Kennedy served as the mid-championship motivators for the team with stellar performances that boosted team confidence. McCleary finished second in the 1,650 Free and within 3 seconds of a first-place finish. Kennedy finished seventh in the 100 Fly in a lifetime-best 54.43 seconds.
The six recognitions are a tribute to the months of training and competition that the Rams' swimmers and divers have completed. Their top performances arrived at an estimated time of peak performance in the swimming season and their hard work has paid off.
