Colorado State University Athletics
Highlights from 2015 Mountain West Swimming & Diving Championships
2/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Complete Results | Mountain West Championships Central
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Colorado State swimming & diving program completed the team portion of its season on Saturday, finishing in 10th place at the 2015 Mountain West Swimming & Diving Championships.
The finish was disappointing for the Rams, who were in fifth when competition ended after the first day. While the team finish wasn’t the statement the Rams were hoping to make, several individuals had strong, and even record-breaking performances, throughout the Championships. Additionally, CSU posted a winning dual-meet season in 2014-15, its second in a row.
Highlights:
- Junior Ariana Milone continued her reign as one of the top divers in the league. Milone set a school record on the 3-Meter boards in January before smashing that mark at the Championships. During the preliminary round, she scored 356.00, a nearly 27-point improvement from her previous best. The score led all divers entering the finals, where Milone recorded a 338.10 – second-best in CSU history – and a second-place finish. A day earlier, she set a school record on the 1-Meter boards, posting a score of 304.05. The score earned her a third-place medal and 16 points. CSU’s previous record (298.73) had been held by Erica Torgrude since 1996.
- In addition to Milone, senior Mary Kate Hardy scored six points with an 11th-place finish on 1-Meter and five points with a 12th-place finish on Platform. Her Platform score of 212.30 was the third-best in school history. Milone placed 15th in the event with a lifetime-best score of 193.70.
- After being 12-hundredths of a second away from qualifying for the NCAA Championships earlier this season, freshman Katie Kicklighter met the B-cut requirement, touching the wall at 22.95. The time made her the fifth-best performer in school history. She earned 11 points after placing eighth later that night in the event’s finals.
- Senior Tess Simpson has had an illustrious career at CSU, scoring at each season’s Championships, and even being part of two school records. In her last meet, however, she accomplished something she had never done before. On Friday in the 100 Breaststroke, Simpson touched the wall in 1:02.37, earning her first-ever A-Final. That evening, she shaved six-hundredths of a second off of her preliminary time (1:02.31), to finish in sixth place and earn All-Mountain West honors. The time was the second-fastest in school history, and was an NCAA B-cut-qualifying time.
- Sophomore Jenna Beaury placed 11th in the 200 Breaststroke. Her preliminary time of 2:16.24 was a personal best by nearly eight seconds, and was the fourth-best performance in school history.
- Made up of Karin Roh, Colleen Olson, Teagan Griffith and Elizabeth Prasse – a freshman and three sophomores – CSU’s 800 Freestyle Relay time of 7:25.89 was the third-fastest in school history. During the final event of the weekend, the Rams' 400 Freestyle Relay team recorded the fifth-fastest time (3:24.03). The team was made up of Roh, Kicklighter, Griffith and Simpson. CSU’s 200 Medley Relay team originally set a school record, but after competition was complete for the night, it was ruled that the team was disqualified for leaving the block one-hundredths of a second early, eliminating 24 points from the Rams’ score.
- Eight different athletes scored in individual events for the Rams, with all but two having eligibility remaining after this season: Beaury (200 Breaststroke, 11th), Hardy (1-Meter, 11th; Platform, 12th), Alexandra Jacobs (400 IM, 15th), Kicklighter (50 Freestyle, eighth; 100 Freestyle, 12th; 100 Backstroke, 16th), Megan Lloyd (200 Butterfly, 13th), Milone (3-Meter, second; 1-Meter, third; Platform, 15th), Jessica Shepard (100 Backstroke, 14th), Simpson (100 Breaststroke; sixth; 100 Butterfly; 11th). Additionally, four others scored in relay events.
San Diego State won the Championships for the third time in the past five seasons, edging Boise State with a score of 704.50. The Broncos finished second (679.50), followed by Nevada (554), Wyoming (420), UNLV (312.50), Air Force (281), San José State (222), Fresno State (187), New Mexico (180) and CSU (172.50).
While the Championships mark the end of the season, six student-athletes have the potential of continuing their season. All four divers – Hardy, Milone, Erin Taylor and Emily Williams – qualified for NCAA Diving Zones throughout the season, and will compete March 9-11 at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Additionally, Kicklighter (50 Freestyle) and Simpson (100 Breaststroke) earned NCAA Championships B-cut-qualifying times, and could potentially compete at next month’s premier national event in Greensboro, N.C.
Preview | Day 1 Recap | Day 2 Recap | Day 3 Recap | Day 4 Recap