Senior Day highlights Rams’ return to competition this week

FORT COLLINS, Colo.—The Colorado State Rams return to competition this week after the winter break, hosting Air Force for a Senior Day dual meet on Saturday at 11 a.m., and begin the weekend Friday at Colorado School of Mines, at 5 p.m.

Colorado State will recognize six senior student-athletes before the meet Saturday: Ida Donohue, Danielle Hippe, Haley Rowley, Nina Stitt, Tonicia Thomas and Flori Witenstein.

Head Coach Chris Woodard is eager to see his team compete again, but also has more specific goals for this week's meets.

"At this point, we are training really hard," Woodard said. "The times in the pool and scores matter a little bit less; what is more important is that they are showing the preparation and skills that we are going to need at conference. 'Are we getting off in the first 15 meters, are we controlling the board and topping really well on our dives?' Those are the things that will probably be a little bit more important than necessarily the time on the scoreboard or the score off the dives. I still expect to win after all that."

To that end, Woodard is pleased with not only the work the team has put in since its last competition, but also the bonds they've formed during their travels, which included a training trip to Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton just before Christmas.

"Getting outdoors and in the sunshine is always helpful, especially in the middle of winter," Woodard said. "To get out of Moby Pool and be in a different training situation is always a positive thing. As much as we travel, we don't always get to interact with different teams and places. That is part of it as well. Changing the location, and even though FAU wasn't a true competition, they got to see old friends that they probably haven't seen for a while because they were so many different teams there.

While Saturday's meet against Air Force is not the final home meet of 2018-19—there remains a dual against Northern Colorado Friday, Feb. 1—it is the final meet with both the Rams' swimmers and divers competing. Woodard will have significant time to continue to coach his six seniors, but acknowledges Senior Day will still be a time for reflection and appreciation for what this group has done for the CSU program, individually and as a team.

"I am happy to share this moment with them," Woodard said. "Those six girls have made such an impact on this team. It shows in terms of what we have done in the classroom with our team GPA, how we have been able to have two four-year cohorts in the 1,000 APR and our results; coming from 10th in the Mountain West to 5th and having the conference Swimmer of the Year (Rowley in 2018). These girls shoulder a lot of the responsibility for really changing the culture and changing the goals and motivation of the program. To share this moment with them in their last home meet here at Moby is a privilege."

Friday's meet at the Colorado School of Mines will include just swimmers, and begins at 5 p.m. Saturday's festivities at Moby Pool begin at 10:45 a.m. with the seniors' recognition, and events begin at 11 a.m

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MEET SCHEDULE

Senior Recognition -- 10:45 a.m.
Meet Starts -- 11:00 a.m.
200 Medley Relay
1000 Freestyle
200 Freestyle
100 Backstroke
100 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly
50 Freestyle
1 Meter Dive
100 Freestyle
200 Backstroke
Breastsroke200
500 Freestyle
100 Butterfly

3 Meter Dive
400 IM
400 Freestyle Relay

MORE FROM COACH WOODARD:

"I think we gained two things over the time we have had off. First, we gained resiliency. We started to get healthy again. That was the biggest thing. We had a lot of injuries and illnesses that I think negatively affected us. The kids showed resiliency though that and battled back and started to get healthy. I'm encouraged by what I see in training now and eager to see how it translates into races and performances. I think the second thing is we tend to be a better second half team. Our kids rebound and after the first three months start forming a really tight bond and what I'm seeing in training is encouraging from that standpoint as well. It's not only that they are healthier, but they are starting to challenge each other. I'm starting to see the smiles and the positivity that we'll need going down the stretch to make an impact."

GET TO KNOW YOUR SENIORS:

IDA DONOHUE

Ida Donohue has fashioned a stellar career at CSU that has seen her earn one school record as part of the 800 freestyle relay team that broke the previous mark last season, and she ranks in the top five of two individual events in school history. A two-time team captain, she owns the fifth-best time by a Ram in both the 500 freestyle and 1650 freestyle, and was part of the second-best all-time 800 freestyle relay team as well. Hailing from Corvallis, Ore., Donohue swam two new collegiate personal bests at last year's Mountain West Championships in the 200 Fly and the 400 IM, placing 10^th in the 400 IM. She is majoring in political science at CSU and is a member of CSU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

DANI HIPPE

Dani Hippe is closing out her collegiate career this year in her third year as a Ram after transferring from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She has competed mostly in freestyle events, and at last year's Mountain West Championships she posted four new collegiate personal best, coming in the 50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free and 500 Free. A native of Castle Rock, Colo., Hippe placed fifth in the 500 Freestyle at the 2017 Speedo Championship Series in Iowa City, Iowa. A sociology major at CSU, Hippe also is a leader among her student-athlete peer group, serving as the president of CSU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

HALEY ROWLEY

Haley Rowley this year is putting the finishing touches on one of the most decorated careers in Colorado State history, and continues to raise the bar with her performances. A multi-event All-Mountain West swimmer in each of the past two seasons, Rowley last year was named MW Swimmer of the Year and was the Swimmer of the Meet at the 2018 MW Championships. This native of Boulder, Colo., who began her career at Purdue, holds four individual CSU records—in the 500, 1000 and 1650 Freestyle and the 400 IM—and is part of the school-record-holding 800 Free Relay team. In her senior season Rowley has already claimed eight event wins, and holds the top time by a Ram this season in four individual events. She is majoring in human development and family studies at CSU.

NINA STITT

Nina Stitt has competed mostly in the IM and breaststrokes in her senior season. Last year, as a junior, she swam personal bests in four different individual events—the 100 Breast, 200 Breast, 100 Fly and 200 IM. Last year she placed in the top three season performers in both the 100 and 200 Breast. Stitt, from Portland, Ore., was last year's Swimming & Diving Most Improved Athlete of the Season and contributed over 20 points to the RAMS 2018 Mountain West Conference total. She is majoring in biological sciences.

TONI THOMAS

Toni Thomas continues to add to her accomplishments in her senior campaign, registering the best time on the team in three individual events—100 and 200 Back, and 100 Fly—and is part of four of the fastest relay teams, while ranking second on the team in the 50 Free. She has claimed three individual event wins this season and been part of two victorious relay teams. A native of Las Vegas, Nev., Thomas holds the CSU all-time record in the 100 Back, and has the school's second-fastest time in the 200 Back and 100 Butterfly, while also swimming on two school-record-holding relay teams, the 200 Medley and 400 Medley. She earned Mountain West Swimmer of the Week in January 2018, in a junior season in which she placed in the top three season performers for eight events—four relays and four individual events. Thomas is majoring in communication studies at CSU.

FLORI WITENSTEIN

Flori Witenstein is wrapping up her CSU career this season a two-time captain of the diving team. As a junior in 2017-18, she recorded career bests for the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events to rank third on the team in each event. A native of Phoenix, Ariz., Witenstein has made an impact in the CSU student community as co-founder of Achayut Jewish interest club, which formed the Jewish sorority SAEPi at CSU. She is majoring in human development and family studies.

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