Colorado State University Athletics
CSU has unfinished business
10/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Oct. 6, 2009
It was about this time last year that John Mattos, CSU swimming and diving head coach, was contemplating just exactly what was in store for the 2008-09 version of the Ram's swimming and diving team. He had a good group of experienced as well as new athletes returning, but there were still a lot of question marks. Well, those questions were answered with a resounding exclamation point. By the time the waves had calmed at the Mountain West Conference championships in the Oklahoma City Community College pool, the Rams had garnered one NCAA automatic qualifier, one MWC individual event conference champion, one new MWC record, 11 All-Conference swimmers, nine new CSU school records, 19 top five all-time CSU swimming performances, five top five All-Time CSU relay performances, 68 lifetime-best swimming performances and only missed having a finalist in three of the 13 individual events that were contested at the championships. Not too shabby. On top of all that, the team finished last spring semester with an outstanding 3.148 GPA.
Yes, it was a good year. Some would say a great year. BUT, Mattos can't help but think that they still have some unfinished business. First of all, they didn't break back into the top three conference teams at the championship. Yes, they finished alone in second place over the dual meet season but three of the teams they handled in duals finished slightly above them at MWC's. Secondly, they need to put a finalist in every individual event at MWC's (including diving) or the team championship will elude them for another year. And finally, they've got to dream a little bigger because this conference isn't getting any slower. Fast swimming and outstanding diving will be the norm this coming season and the Rams have the potential athletes in place to set the pace.
One thing that Mattos knows for certain is that with nine seniors (five all-conference), nine juniors (five all-conference), 11 sophomores (one all-conference and one potential all-conference) and 13 freshmen (three potential all-conference) they're about to achieve a balance of youth and experience that hasn't been evident for quite some time around CSU swimming and diving. They've got girls who know how to train, who know how to race and who know how to win. They're so loaded with potential that every training session in Moby Pool is going to be like swimming in the championship final at MWC's. How can CSU not get better working in that environment?
Carmen Gisella Cianci sent Mattos an e-mail over the summer that should epitomize every Rams desire to flourish as a member of this year's team. "Over the summer I set some goals for myself like going to the Olympics in 2012 for Columbia. And I'm being serious. I want to go. I hate being left behind while I watch all my friends go to World's or World University Games. This is what I want to do and I'm excited and scared and everything but I have a chance that most people don't have and I'm going to take advantage of it." Now that's the attitude Mattos is talking about. Set your goals high and then find the courage in yourself and have the confidence in your coaches and teammates to help you achieve those lofty ideals. They all know what it's going to take, and they are actively acquiring the patience, the preparedness, the perseverance and the passion to become a TEAM of young women who want badly to flourish in the sport they love.