Colorado State University Athletics
Friday, February 19
Las Vegas, Nev.
All Day
Colorado State
vs
Mountain West Swimming Championships
Rams Post Two Championship Swims on Day Three
2/19/2021 10:29:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Owenby seventh in 400 IM; Johnson eighth in 200 free
LAS VEGAS/COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In some ways, Abbey Owenby has been waiting for her part of the season to get going.
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Two of the junior's favorite events are the 400-yard individual medley and the 1,650 freestyle, the latter of which she has yet to swim in a pandemic-shortened season. As for the 400 IM, her first crack came in the last dual of the season, making Friday's races just the second time for her this year.
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She made the most of it, too.
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Owenby qualified for her first Mountain West Championships A final in the event, then she proceeded to put down a personal-best time of 4:24.84 in the finals, moving up a spot from her prelims spot to place seventh overall. It was the best showing for the Rams in what was another strong day overall, with the team sitting fifth with 562 points three days into the event at the Buchanan Natatorium on the UNLV campus.
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"It was so exciting. Honestly, I couldn't have done it without my teammates tonight," Owenby said. "We came in, and having it be the second event after an awesome relay, it was positive vibes everywhere. Our energy was so high that I was just wanting to get as many points as I could get for the team."
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Owenby had one of four personal records for the Rams on Friday, and she was one of two championship finalists for the team, the third overall in the meet.
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The second on Friday was freshman Anika Johnson, who placed eighth in the finals with a 1:50.74 after swimming the program's third-best time in the event in the preliminaries, a 1:49.60.
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She came into the season with no expectations, but now she has to start creating some after her performance the first three days.
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"It was definitely not making the A final in the 200 free, so that was really exciting," Johnson said. "I didn't really have any expectations going into the season, just because of COVID and everything. I wanted to keep everything low so I didn't end up disappointing myself.
Â
"I didn't have any expectations going in, but I definitely exceeded anything I thought I was going to do."
Â
Woodard likes the fact Johnson seems so laid back on the surface, but he can tell from her performance there's some serious drive hidden beneath the surface. He has already started to show some trust in Johnson – which she appreciates -- as she has also anchored a pair of relays at the championships, including the 200 free team along with Kristina Friedrichs, Megan Hager and Sarah Mundy which placed fourth in 1:33.29.
Â
"She knows what she needs to do," he said. "I think she's just built for that race. She is a pure mid-distance freestyler, but she's also shown that, hey, give me times, I'll be there in the sprints, as well. I definitely trust her, when it's clutch, she's going to show up. I'm also trying to prepare that crew to be able to handle those things in the future."
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The Rams won the final three C finals in the meet, starting with Mundy in the 200 free with a personal best of 1:49.59, taking the third spot in program history from Johnson. In the 100 breaststroke, it was Kate Meunier with a PR of 1:04.39, then closed off when freshman Rachel Saxon had a great back half of the 100 butterfly to hit the wall at 57.52.
Â
For Woodard, the message to the team has been if they get a chance, seize it. The epitome of that was Emma Breslin. It was a tough call for him to leave the freshman off the scoring team, but she was offered the chance to fill out the C heat of the 100 breast finals, and she actually touched out Meunier to win the race.
Â
"That's what we try to preach: Every contribution, no matter how small, is a contribution," he said. "Sometimes when you get into that bonus final, there are plenty of kids who are disappointed they're in it. As we say, then go out and wreck it, and when they win it, it's such a huge shot in the arm for the girls behind the block in the B and A finals.
Â
"It feels good. I'm very happy with the way we're performing and happy with our attitude."
Â
It started at the top, and Johnson said the relay team felt an obligation to get the energy building to start Friday's session. They did, and it spread, and she's really proud of the rest of her recruiting class for aiding the cause.
Â
As a freshman, you have a chance to reinvent yourself, and Johnson has taken a step in that direction, too.
Â
"I tend to not do the best at end-of-season meets, so I think I was just very proud of myself for doing well and dropping time despite everything with COVID and how I usually perform," Johnson said.
Â
Behind Owenby in the 400 IM, Katelyn Bartley had a big drop in time from the prelims to post a 4:24.64 to place 11th, with teammates Caroline Perry (4:27.69) and Olivia LeBlanc (4:28.80) right behind her; Madison Hunter was 21sth at 4:32.40.
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Jennae Frederick led four placers in the 100 butterfly by placing 12th in 56.17, with Elsa Litteken 15th (57.15), Hannah Sykes 19th (57.21) and Olivia Chatman 23rd (1:01.14). Friedrichs (12th, 1:51.09), Megan Hager (19th, 1:52.09) also placed in the 200 free; and in the 100 back, Liza Lunina had a PR of 56.52 to place 10th, with Chatman (13th, 57.34) and Litteken (16th, 58.09) adding to the point total.
Â
Katie Leonard and Rachel Holland both placed on the 3-meter springboard for the Rams at the Air Force Natatorium, with Leonard taking 14th with a personal-best score of 256.40 on the event; Holland placed 21st with a 210.80. Leonard qualified 16th for the consolation finals, but with the third-best dive of the final round (47.60), she moved up two spots in the standings.
Â
Like the first few days, the schedule remains the same at both venues: Swimming preliminaries begin at 12 p.m., with the finals slated to start at 7:30 p.m. The diving portion of the competition features the platform, with the preliminary round starting at 12 p.m., with the consolations finals coming right after. The finals for the event take place at 3 p.m.
Â
Saturday is the final day of competition, and Owenby's first crack at her favorite event. Not having attacked it during the season seems a bit out of touch, but most of the past calendar year has been. Like everybody else, she's looking for a sense of normality in the blocks.
Â
"I'm just going to go with what I know how to do from the past and stick to feeling confident in the training I've had this year," she said. "I'm feeling blessed that I'm even able to swim it tomorrow. It's going to be a big deal. I'm just gonna do what I can to again bring as many points as I can for the team. I'm going to try my very hardest for the team."
Â
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Two of the junior's favorite events are the 400-yard individual medley and the 1,650 freestyle, the latter of which she has yet to swim in a pandemic-shortened season. As for the 400 IM, her first crack came in the last dual of the season, making Friday's races just the second time for her this year.
Â
She made the most of it, too.
Â
Owenby qualified for her first Mountain West Championships A final in the event, then she proceeded to put down a personal-best time of 4:24.84 in the finals, moving up a spot from her prelims spot to place seventh overall. It was the best showing for the Rams in what was another strong day overall, with the team sitting fifth with 562 points three days into the event at the Buchanan Natatorium on the UNLV campus.
Â
"It was so exciting. Honestly, I couldn't have done it without my teammates tonight," Owenby said. "We came in, and having it be the second event after an awesome relay, it was positive vibes everywhere. Our energy was so high that I was just wanting to get as many points as I could get for the team."
Â
Owenby had one of four personal records for the Rams on Friday, and she was one of two championship finalists for the team, the third overall in the meet.
Â
The second on Friday was freshman Anika Johnson, who placed eighth in the finals with a 1:50.74 after swimming the program's third-best time in the event in the preliminaries, a 1:49.60.
Â
She came into the season with no expectations, but now she has to start creating some after her performance the first three days.
Â
"It was definitely not making the A final in the 200 free, so that was really exciting," Johnson said. "I didn't really have any expectations going into the season, just because of COVID and everything. I wanted to keep everything low so I didn't end up disappointing myself.
Â
"I didn't have any expectations going in, but I definitely exceeded anything I thought I was going to do."
Â
Woodard likes the fact Johnson seems so laid back on the surface, but he can tell from her performance there's some serious drive hidden beneath the surface. He has already started to show some trust in Johnson – which she appreciates -- as she has also anchored a pair of relays at the championships, including the 200 free team along with Kristina Friedrichs, Megan Hager and Sarah Mundy which placed fourth in 1:33.29.
Â
"She knows what she needs to do," he said. "I think she's just built for that race. She is a pure mid-distance freestyler, but she's also shown that, hey, give me times, I'll be there in the sprints, as well. I definitely trust her, when it's clutch, she's going to show up. I'm also trying to prepare that crew to be able to handle those things in the future."
Â
The Rams won the final three C finals in the meet, starting with Mundy in the 200 free with a personal best of 1:49.59, taking the third spot in program history from Johnson. In the 100 breaststroke, it was Kate Meunier with a PR of 1:04.39, then closed off when freshman Rachel Saxon had a great back half of the 100 butterfly to hit the wall at 57.52.
Â
For Woodard, the message to the team has been if they get a chance, seize it. The epitome of that was Emma Breslin. It was a tough call for him to leave the freshman off the scoring team, but she was offered the chance to fill out the C heat of the 100 breast finals, and she actually touched out Meunier to win the race.
Â
"That's what we try to preach: Every contribution, no matter how small, is a contribution," he said. "Sometimes when you get into that bonus final, there are plenty of kids who are disappointed they're in it. As we say, then go out and wreck it, and when they win it, it's such a huge shot in the arm for the girls behind the block in the B and A finals.
Â
"It feels good. I'm very happy with the way we're performing and happy with our attitude."
Â
It started at the top, and Johnson said the relay team felt an obligation to get the energy building to start Friday's session. They did, and it spread, and she's really proud of the rest of her recruiting class for aiding the cause.
Â
As a freshman, you have a chance to reinvent yourself, and Johnson has taken a step in that direction, too.
Â
"I tend to not do the best at end-of-season meets, so I think I was just very proud of myself for doing well and dropping time despite everything with COVID and how I usually perform," Johnson said.
Â
Behind Owenby in the 400 IM, Katelyn Bartley had a big drop in time from the prelims to post a 4:24.64 to place 11th, with teammates Caroline Perry (4:27.69) and Olivia LeBlanc (4:28.80) right behind her; Madison Hunter was 21sth at 4:32.40.
Â
Jennae Frederick led four placers in the 100 butterfly by placing 12th in 56.17, with Elsa Litteken 15th (57.15), Hannah Sykes 19th (57.21) and Olivia Chatman 23rd (1:01.14). Friedrichs (12th, 1:51.09), Megan Hager (19th, 1:52.09) also placed in the 200 free; and in the 100 back, Liza Lunina had a PR of 56.52 to place 10th, with Chatman (13th, 57.34) and Litteken (16th, 58.09) adding to the point total.
Â
Katie Leonard and Rachel Holland both placed on the 3-meter springboard for the Rams at the Air Force Natatorium, with Leonard taking 14th with a personal-best score of 256.40 on the event; Holland placed 21st with a 210.80. Leonard qualified 16th for the consolation finals, but with the third-best dive of the final round (47.60), she moved up two spots in the standings.
Â
Like the first few days, the schedule remains the same at both venues: Swimming preliminaries begin at 12 p.m., with the finals slated to start at 7:30 p.m. The diving portion of the competition features the platform, with the preliminary round starting at 12 p.m., with the consolations finals coming right after. The finals for the event take place at 3 p.m.
Â
Saturday is the final day of competition, and Owenby's first crack at her favorite event. Not having attacked it during the season seems a bit out of touch, but most of the past calendar year has been. Like everybody else, she's looking for a sense of normality in the blocks.
Â
"I'm just going to go with what I know how to do from the past and stick to feeling confident in the training I've had this year," she said. "I'm feeling blessed that I'm even able to swim it tomorrow. It's going to be a big deal. I'm just gonna do what I can to again bring as many points as I can for the team. I'm going to try my very hardest for the team."
Â
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