Colorado State University Athletics
Saturday, January 16
Denver, CO
10 AM
Colorado State
158
at
142
Denver
Rams top Pioneers to snap long dry spell
1/16/2021 4:12:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Holland sweeps diving events as CSU beats DU for first time since 2008-09
DENVER, Colo. – No pressure, but head coach Christopher Woodard let his diving coach Chris Bergere know it would be great if his crew could bring Saturday's meet home.
With senior diver Rachel Holland sweeping both diving events after the 14 swim events were finished, Colorado State broke a long dry spell against Denver with a 158-142 dual victory. The Rams had dropped 10 consecutive dual meets to the Pioneers, the last win coming in the 2008-09 season. CSU is now 8-11 in the series.
The Rams won eight of 16 events, two for Holland as she captured the 1- and 3-meter springboards. Freshman Anika Johnson, sophomore Liza Lunina and senior Olivia Chatman all posted their first collegiate race victories, adding the highlights of the day.
"I told the staff, it's coronavirus, and it almost feels like everything should come with an asterisk, but we went down there without 10 in our lineup," Woodard said. "The fact that two-thirds of our team showed up and did the job to win, I'll take that. I won't minimize that one iota."
Senior Jennae Frederick won the 100 butterfly, while Katelyn Bartley (200 individual medley) rounded out the individual wins.
The Rams have competed in two meets, and Frederick has won a race in each of them, an encouraging sign Woodard is seeing from the senior who is a seven-time Mountain West placer.
"She's somewhat calm and breezy, but she's always put pressure on herself," Woodard said. "This year, I think she's coming in with the idea there's not expectation, so why not race to the best of my ability. That's exactly what we're preaching, and she's fulfilling that. I' happy for her. She seems to be happy racing."
Overall, so was Woodard when it came to the entire team. He expected rust after the team had a week of practice after being at home for nearly three weeks, but he didn't really see any. He noticed the team needs some turn work, but when it came to splits, stroke count, breathing and tempo, he was extremely encouraged about where the Rams sit as a squad.
After a pep talk from Kristina Friedrichs, she was joined by Chatman, Sarah Mundy and Megan Hager on the 200 freestyle relay which capped the swimming portion of the dual with a win. That put the score 132-130 in Denver's favor heading to the board, where Holland led a strong CSU performance, as the team posted 3-4-5 finishes behind her on each board.
"It was super good for Rachel. Rachel is in the position where she has to be a leader, and she really did well," Bergere said. "I think she handled it well. She was very mature for her dives. I thought she kept it realistic; she knows it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be good. She showed a lot of maturity and kept it together. It was good for our freshmen to see that. She helps tame the herd."
Holland scored 250.35 to win the 1-meter, 276.53 to top the 3-meter field, and without a slight hiccup, Bergere was confident she would have hit her Zones qualifying mark on the 3-meter.
Three times in the meet the Rams finished 1-2 in a race, with – Johnson beating teammate Sarah Mundy to the wall in the 200 free; Lunina leading Rachel Saxon in the 200 back and Bartley and Perry pacing the 200 IM field. Mundy, Friedrichs, Perry, Frederick Hager, Kendra Preski, Abbey Owenby, Rachel Saxon, Grace Siebmann, Olivia LeBlanc and Hannah Sykes all posted top-three finishes in races, as did divers Katie Leonard and Jozie Meitz.
"Obviously anyone who won an event, that's huge for us, that's a 10-point swing," Woodard said. "I can't neglect them at all, but watching our 200 freestylers come out, our 200 flyers with the 1-2 with Katelyn and Caroline in the 200 IM ... You can't print what Kristina said right before that last relay, but she was telling them we are going to win this. To have them go out and get a 1-3 in the last relay, that swung the momentum and put us where we need to be."
Colorado State will travel to Air Force on Saturday for a dual meet, the second time this year the Rams face the Falcons. New Mexico was scheduled to appear, but has shut down its swimming program for the season. The Lobos have not been able to practice at all this year with the state's current health order.
With senior diver Rachel Holland sweeping both diving events after the 14 swim events were finished, Colorado State broke a long dry spell against Denver with a 158-142 dual victory. The Rams had dropped 10 consecutive dual meets to the Pioneers, the last win coming in the 2008-09 season. CSU is now 8-11 in the series.
The Rams won eight of 16 events, two for Holland as she captured the 1- and 3-meter springboards. Freshman Anika Johnson, sophomore Liza Lunina and senior Olivia Chatman all posted their first collegiate race victories, adding the highlights of the day.
"I told the staff, it's coronavirus, and it almost feels like everything should come with an asterisk, but we went down there without 10 in our lineup," Woodard said. "The fact that two-thirds of our team showed up and did the job to win, I'll take that. I won't minimize that one iota."
Senior Jennae Frederick won the 100 butterfly, while Katelyn Bartley (200 individual medley) rounded out the individual wins.
The Rams have competed in two meets, and Frederick has won a race in each of them, an encouraging sign Woodard is seeing from the senior who is a seven-time Mountain West placer.
"She's somewhat calm and breezy, but she's always put pressure on herself," Woodard said. "This year, I think she's coming in with the idea there's not expectation, so why not race to the best of my ability. That's exactly what we're preaching, and she's fulfilling that. I' happy for her. She seems to be happy racing."
Overall, so was Woodard when it came to the entire team. He expected rust after the team had a week of practice after being at home for nearly three weeks, but he didn't really see any. He noticed the team needs some turn work, but when it came to splits, stroke count, breathing and tempo, he was extremely encouraged about where the Rams sit as a squad.
After a pep talk from Kristina Friedrichs, she was joined by Chatman, Sarah Mundy and Megan Hager on the 200 freestyle relay which capped the swimming portion of the dual with a win. That put the score 132-130 in Denver's favor heading to the board, where Holland led a strong CSU performance, as the team posted 3-4-5 finishes behind her on each board.
"It was super good for Rachel. Rachel is in the position where she has to be a leader, and she really did well," Bergere said. "I think she handled it well. She was very mature for her dives. I thought she kept it realistic; she knows it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be good. She showed a lot of maturity and kept it together. It was good for our freshmen to see that. She helps tame the herd."
Holland scored 250.35 to win the 1-meter, 276.53 to top the 3-meter field, and without a slight hiccup, Bergere was confident she would have hit her Zones qualifying mark on the 3-meter.
Three times in the meet the Rams finished 1-2 in a race, with – Johnson beating teammate Sarah Mundy to the wall in the 200 free; Lunina leading Rachel Saxon in the 200 back and Bartley and Perry pacing the 200 IM field. Mundy, Friedrichs, Perry, Frederick Hager, Kendra Preski, Abbey Owenby, Rachel Saxon, Grace Siebmann, Olivia LeBlanc and Hannah Sykes all posted top-three finishes in races, as did divers Katie Leonard and Jozie Meitz.
"Obviously anyone who won an event, that's huge for us, that's a 10-point swing," Woodard said. "I can't neglect them at all, but watching our 200 freestylers come out, our 200 flyers with the 1-2 with Katelyn and Caroline in the 200 IM ... You can't print what Kristina said right before that last relay, but she was telling them we are going to win this. To have them go out and get a 1-3 in the last relay, that swung the momentum and put us where we need to be."
Colorado State will travel to Air Force on Saturday for a dual meet, the second time this year the Rams face the Falcons. New Mexico was scheduled to appear, but has shut down its swimming program for the season. The Lobos have not been able to practice at all this year with the state's current health order.
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