Culture change driving higher expectations for CSU swimming & diving

Colorado State head swimming & diving coach Christopher "Woody" Woodard was challenged to pinpoint the moment he knew there had been a culture shift within his program.

Woodard admitted it was difficult to choose one moment that defined the shift, but he did reference a training session around the beginning of January in 2017.

The coaching staff took a hands-off approach that day, allowing the team to set the tone for the training session. The squad took it upon itself to treat the workout like it was a meet day, in every way from how they entered the pool (through the main tunnel like they would before a dual meet), to how they warmed up, all the way through how they competed with and against one another in the pool.

Woodard knew then that his group was uniquely self-driven and motivated.

The culture shift has produced results in the pool -- CSU posted its best dual meet record in nearly a decade last season, finishing the 2017-18 campaign with an 8-3 mark. The team also placed fifth at the 2018 Mountain West Championships, matching its result from the year before, which was the best for the program since 2009.

Woodard, who is entering his seventh season at the helm of the CSU swim & dive program, noted that the shift began by having the right personnel, both on his staff and on the roster. The staff had specific attributes they were seeking when out recruiting.

"It was recruiting the right type of kids," Woodard explained. "We really stopped looking just based on time standards and scores on the board. We looked more at what their home life looks like and how they're doing in school and engage in the community. Generally we were finding that we were getting kids that were happier and had a better work ethic. If you're happy and you're working hard, the results just tend to come."

Woodard, along with assistant coach Mackenzie Novell and diving coach Chelsea Popplewell, sought out well-rounded prospects that wanted to make an impact at a program that had not seen significant success in several years. While seeking athletes that would be a perfect fit for a program, they also wanted to ensure that CSU would be a perfect fit for them.

One example that proves this approach to recruiting has worked is the breakout rookie season of breaststroker Maddie Ward. Ward broke both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events in her freshman season last year after moving to Fort Collins from Walnut Creek, Calif.

"When I was choosing between all my different schools, this school stood out to me because the environment and the culture was so welcoming and along with the coaching staff... Woody and Mack are both incredible people and they care about you as a person before an athlete and they want to see you succeed in all aspects of your life," Ward said.

Woodard credits his athletes, especially the seniors, for helping push an attitude shift from within. One of those key leaders is senior Ida Donohue, who came to CSU from Beaverton, Ore. Donohue and her classmates want to make sure they leave a special legacy at CSU, which includes encouraging newcomers to buy into the spirit of the program.

"We have a really good group of senior girls and I think we all really want to be here," Donohue said. "Our freshmen coming in, even on recruiting trips, can see the kind of energy that we have on the team. I think we've got a group of (newcomers) here who have come in and have wanted to match that energy and add to it."

That positive energy that has been instilled by the team's veterans has helped propel the team from consecutive last-place finishes in the league to a position where it feels it can compete at the very top of the Mountain West.

"The seniors had talked a lot about how the team had come from the bottom being tenth in conference and then they kept improving year by year," Ward said. "I think that as the team grows and new people come in, especially the freshman class this year, we can see it now that we are just going to get better and better year by year."

While the Rams have a team-centric focus going into 2018-19, the squad still revels in the possibility of breaking more school records. Swimmers and divers are conditioned to take aim at records every time they're in the water, and this group is no different.

Last year, the Rams broke 12 different records across individual and relay events. The record board that is mounted outside the team's facility has been significantly altered over the past two seasons.

The coaches used to be the ones that would take time out of their offseason to replace the names on the board, letter by letter. But about five years ago, Woodard decided to turn it into a symbolic event for his athletes, with each record-breaker putting their own name up on the board. Woodard wanted his team to learn the history of the program and to know exactly what they were aiming for.

Record-breaking athletes, like Donohue and Ward, cherish the opportunity to put their own name up on the board. But what impresses Woodard the most is how the team uses the event as motivation to work even harder.

"Changing the record boards, it's a good way to rehash the season," Donohue said. "We're all in offseason, so our brains are scattered but that event definitely makes us want to get back to work. You want to see your name up there. It just resets the motivation."

After taking time to pause and celebrate, CSU has moved on from last season. The Rams enter the 2018-19 campaign with more talent and depth than they have had in many years. Donohue explained that in previous seasons that setting the lineup was like playing Tetris -- filling spots in each event the best you can with what you had. Now, the team is confident it has the talent, and the attitude, to reach the top of the conference.

"You can only pat yourself on the back for so long," Woodard said. "We look really good on paper. We have a lot of talent. We graduated some talent but overall in terms of bodies and numbers at events we can score in, we're a lot more talented and a lot more deep. There's higher expectations for sure. Just coming in and winning a couple dual meets and finishing middle of the pack, that's not going to be what we're looking for or what we'll be happy with."

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