Colorado State University Athletics
Thursday, November 21
Houston, Texas / CRWC Natatorium
All Day
Colorado State
vs
Phill Hansel Invite Day 1
Rams Set for Hansel Invitational
11/19/2019 2:00:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Meet is first for team at sea level this season
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The big meet of the season is still a few months away, but the midpoint of the schedule provides the perfect chance for a preview.
Colorado State's women's swimming and diving team heads to Houston this week for the Phill Hansel Invitational, competing Thursday through Saturday in the preliminaries-finals set up at the CRWC Natatorium.
The Rams placed sixth in the 12-team event a season ago. The event – the team's first this season at sea level -- serves many purposes for CSU head coach Christopher Woodard, the primary one a warmup for the Mountain West Conference meet, which stretches over four days in February.
"We want to get a little bit of rest and have those isolated times for conference, so it gives them a preview of what conference is," Woodard said. "Granted, conference is three and a half days, but what conference is going to look like, how they're going to have their race on and strategy for each session. Secondly, it gives us an opportunity to go swim against some really top-level teams. Houston is now ranked in the top 25, so it gives them some exposure to some pretty nasty swimmers and divers out there."
The host Cougars entered the CSCAA Top 25 dual rankings last week after being unranked prior, sliding in at No. 21.
The team will compete in five preliminaries on Thursday, seven Friday, six Saturday; finals in each of the events (except the 1,650-yard freestyle) will be held in the evening. Prelims begin at 10 a.m. CT each day, finals at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday and Friday, 3 p.m. CT on Saturday.
There are 11 teams scheduled to participate, with Mountain West foes Air Force and Nevada in the field.
For the newest Rams, Woodard is most curious to see how they engage with the team and build excitement throughout the competition.
"Maybe most important is to give them an idea of the team dynamic in this meet, especially with our freshmen who are coming from larger club teams, or maybe they swam a little bit of high school," Woodard said. "But they haven't been in this environment where it tends to get a little tense over the three days, and how do we sustain that energy, what does our team look like on deck, what is our focus? I think it's education as well as trying to throw down some crazy times."
The Rams will not go in fully rested for the meet. The training hasn't let up with the exception of cutting back on weight training. Exiting altitude and competing at sea level is expected to trigger some season-best times.
The invitational will be the final competition of the calendar year for the Rams. They return to action with a double dual with Pepperdine and New Mexico on Jan. 8 in Malibu, Calif.
4. Julia Box, 200 butterfly, 2:04.61 (a)
5. Abbey Owenby, 1,650 freestyle, 17:30.95 (a)
7. Amanda Hoffman, 200 butterfly, 2:05.17 (a)
9. Marie Goodwyn, 200 individual medley, 2:06.64 (a)
Colorado State's women's swimming and diving team heads to Houston this week for the Phill Hansel Invitational, competing Thursday through Saturday in the preliminaries-finals set up at the CRWC Natatorium.
The Rams placed sixth in the 12-team event a season ago. The event – the team's first this season at sea level -- serves many purposes for CSU head coach Christopher Woodard, the primary one a warmup for the Mountain West Conference meet, which stretches over four days in February.
"We want to get a little bit of rest and have those isolated times for conference, so it gives them a preview of what conference is," Woodard said. "Granted, conference is three and a half days, but what conference is going to look like, how they're going to have their race on and strategy for each session. Secondly, it gives us an opportunity to go swim against some really top-level teams. Houston is now ranked in the top 25, so it gives them some exposure to some pretty nasty swimmers and divers out there."
The host Cougars entered the CSCAA Top 25 dual rankings last week after being unranked prior, sliding in at No. 21.
The team will compete in five preliminaries on Thursday, seven Friday, six Saturday; finals in each of the events (except the 1,650-yard freestyle) will be held in the evening. Prelims begin at 10 a.m. CT each day, finals at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday and Friday, 3 p.m. CT on Saturday.
There are 11 teams scheduled to participate, with Mountain West foes Air Force and Nevada in the field.
For the newest Rams, Woodard is most curious to see how they engage with the team and build excitement throughout the competition.
"Maybe most important is to give them an idea of the team dynamic in this meet, especially with our freshmen who are coming from larger club teams, or maybe they swam a little bit of high school," Woodard said. "But they haven't been in this environment where it tends to get a little tense over the three days, and how do we sustain that energy, what does our team look like on deck, what is our focus? I think it's education as well as trying to throw down some crazy times."
The Rams will not go in fully rested for the meet. The training hasn't let up with the exception of cutting back on weight training. Exiting altitude and competing at sea level is expected to trigger some season-best times.
The invitational will be the final competition of the calendar year for the Rams. They return to action with a double dual with Pepperdine and New Mexico on Jan. 8 in Malibu, Calif.
Rams in the Mountain West Top 10
(a – altitude adjusted)
(a – altitude adjusted)
4. Julia Box, 200 butterfly, 2:04.61 (a)
5. Abbey Owenby, 1,650 freestyle, 17:30.95 (a)
7. Amanda Hoffman, 200 butterfly, 2:05.17 (a)
9. Marie Goodwyn, 200 individual medley, 2:06.64 (a)
Players Mentioned
FREE, FLY
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
FLY, IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
FREE
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
FREE
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