Colorado State University Athletics
Friday, December 1
Iowa City, IA
All Day
Colorado State
at
Iowa Invitational
Team Attacks Top 10 on Second Day
12/1/2023 7:38:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Dawson hits NCAA ‘B’ cut in 400 IM; Di Scipio hits Zones mark
IOWA CITY, IOWA – The goal was to attack the meet and come back with some season-best times. Friday, the Rams decided to take aim at the record book. By the end of the second day of the Iowa Invitational, three Rams had posted five top-10 program marks, grabbing an NCAA 'B' cut and a diving zones qualification for good measure.
Diver Maggie Di Scipio had an even stronger day, Erin Dawson is quickly turning into a beast in the pool for the Rams and grad transfer Sydney VanOvermeiren has provided top-end depth for the roster, making for a rather strong midseason performance.
Dawson's day was just as phenomenal as it was challenging. Her two individual events – the 400-yard individual medley and the 200 freestyle – were contested back-to-back at the CRCW Natatorium. She started strong in the preliminaries, her time in the 400 IM the best in the Mountain West this season, then posted the ninth-best time in school history in the 200 free five heats later. Not done, she lowered both times in the finals, placing second in the 400 IM with a 4:15.35, the second-fastest time in school history and an NCAA 'B' cut.
In the 200 free finals, she placed sixth in 1:49.54, climbing the CSU ladder in the event to sixth in a race where she was just .5 behind first place.
Her performance is forcing the hand of CSU coach Christopher Woodard, as this meet's format is the same at the Mountain West Championships.
"Oh man. And it's something we're going to have to recon with," Woodard said. "She may not have the same amount of time in terms of rest for the conference meet. The timeline is a little different here. If she's able to get in the top heat in both of those events, it might allow us to get her just enough time to double her up in conference. She's making it hard on us to decide where to put her."
After a breakout year following an injury-riddled freshman campaign, Dawson has raised her game even more. Her versatility gives the staff options, with Woodard calling her a Swiss Army Knife.
She has a tool for everything, and the 200 free is just the latest. She didn't compete it as an open event at all last season, but her split in the 800 free relay at conference made it a go-to event.
"As long as it's over 100 yards, she's pretty much got it nailed down," Woodard said.
As for Di Scipio, the walk-on sophomore has really come into her own this meet. After placing sixth the day before in the 1-meter and barely missing Zones, she came back to take third in the 3-meter with a 298.20, the seventh-best tally in school history.
That score came after she struggled in the preliminary rounds.
"It's such a breakout meet for her. She now knows she can put her list together, all six dives and do them well," CSU diving coach Chris Bergere said. "In the past she's always done four dives well but missed one or two badly. This weekend, she's put together three really good lists. The biggest thing walking away from here is she's going to feel like, hey, I can do this. That's going to make all the difference.
"She did so well, and not only that, I went over her dives and I felt she could have broken 300. I didn't get into that with her, I just wanted her to float on that cloud. I'm so elated. She stayed within herself, concentrated on her dives and put it together."
The Rams remain fourth in the standings, but their 345 points trail Iowa State by just seven.
The 400 IM proved to be a boost for the Rams' total, as three reached the 'A' final, five placing in all. A day after posting the seventh best time in school history in the 200 IM, VanOvermeiren notched the ninth best in the 400 IM in the preliminaries, then lowered it to eighth with a 4:31.28 to place fifth. Maisy Barbosa was a slot behind in sixth at 4:23.30, with Maya White 10th (4:23.79) and Delaney Engel 15th (4:27.86)
Lucy Matheson was fourth in the 100 butterfly with a 54.43, the third-best time in the conference this season. Mavi Nehir Isman placed 14th (56.15), while in the 200 free, Anika Johnson came in 13th (1:51.55) and Megan Hager 15th (1:52.87).
The Rams placed three in each of the final two individual events of the day, the 100 breast and 100 backstroke. In the latter, freshman Tess Whineray took fourth in 55.56 (she swam the same time in prelims), with Matheson eighth (56.47) and Sophia Hemingway (57.08) 12th. Emma Breslin paced the breaststroke crew, finishing 11th in 1:04.53, followed by Claire Wright in 15th (1:05.38) and Maddi Geyer 16th (1:06.11)
The session started and ended with relays, with CSU's 200 medley crew placing fourth (1:41.77) and the 800 free team seventh (7:36.57).
Saturday's finale will follow the same timeline with prelims beginning at 9 a.m., finals at 4 p.m.
Diver Maggie Di Scipio had an even stronger day, Erin Dawson is quickly turning into a beast in the pool for the Rams and grad transfer Sydney VanOvermeiren has provided top-end depth for the roster, making for a rather strong midseason performance.
Dawson's day was just as phenomenal as it was challenging. Her two individual events – the 400-yard individual medley and the 200 freestyle – were contested back-to-back at the CRCW Natatorium. She started strong in the preliminaries, her time in the 400 IM the best in the Mountain West this season, then posted the ninth-best time in school history in the 200 free five heats later. Not done, she lowered both times in the finals, placing second in the 400 IM with a 4:15.35, the second-fastest time in school history and an NCAA 'B' cut.
In the 200 free finals, she placed sixth in 1:49.54, climbing the CSU ladder in the event to sixth in a race where she was just .5 behind first place.
Her performance is forcing the hand of CSU coach Christopher Woodard, as this meet's format is the same at the Mountain West Championships.
"Oh man. And it's something we're going to have to recon with," Woodard said. "She may not have the same amount of time in terms of rest for the conference meet. The timeline is a little different here. If she's able to get in the top heat in both of those events, it might allow us to get her just enough time to double her up in conference. She's making it hard on us to decide where to put her."
After a breakout year following an injury-riddled freshman campaign, Dawson has raised her game even more. Her versatility gives the staff options, with Woodard calling her a Swiss Army Knife.
She has a tool for everything, and the 200 free is just the latest. She didn't compete it as an open event at all last season, but her split in the 800 free relay at conference made it a go-to event.
"As long as it's over 100 yards, she's pretty much got it nailed down," Woodard said.
As for Di Scipio, the walk-on sophomore has really come into her own this meet. After placing sixth the day before in the 1-meter and barely missing Zones, she came back to take third in the 3-meter with a 298.20, the seventh-best tally in school history.
That score came after she struggled in the preliminary rounds.
"It's such a breakout meet for her. She now knows she can put her list together, all six dives and do them well," CSU diving coach Chris Bergere said. "In the past she's always done four dives well but missed one or two badly. This weekend, she's put together three really good lists. The biggest thing walking away from here is she's going to feel like, hey, I can do this. That's going to make all the difference.
"She did so well, and not only that, I went over her dives and I felt she could have broken 300. I didn't get into that with her, I just wanted her to float on that cloud. I'm so elated. She stayed within herself, concentrated on her dives and put it together."
The Rams remain fourth in the standings, but their 345 points trail Iowa State by just seven.
The 400 IM proved to be a boost for the Rams' total, as three reached the 'A' final, five placing in all. A day after posting the seventh best time in school history in the 200 IM, VanOvermeiren notched the ninth best in the 400 IM in the preliminaries, then lowered it to eighth with a 4:31.28 to place fifth. Maisy Barbosa was a slot behind in sixth at 4:23.30, with Maya White 10th (4:23.79) and Delaney Engel 15th (4:27.86)
Lucy Matheson was fourth in the 100 butterfly with a 54.43, the third-best time in the conference this season. Mavi Nehir Isman placed 14th (56.15), while in the 200 free, Anika Johnson came in 13th (1:51.55) and Megan Hager 15th (1:52.87).
The Rams placed three in each of the final two individual events of the day, the 100 breast and 100 backstroke. In the latter, freshman Tess Whineray took fourth in 55.56 (she swam the same time in prelims), with Matheson eighth (56.47) and Sophia Hemingway (57.08) 12th. Emma Breslin paced the breaststroke crew, finishing 11th in 1:04.53, followed by Claire Wright in 15th (1:05.38) and Maddi Geyer 16th (1:06.11)
The session started and ended with relays, with CSU's 200 medley crew placing fourth (1:41.77) and the 800 free team seventh (7:36.57).
Saturday's finale will follow the same timeline with prelims beginning at 9 a.m., finals at 4 p.m.
Follow us at -- Twitter: @CSUSwimDive | Instagram: @csuswimdive | Facebook: @CSUSwimDive
- STALWART –
- STALWART –
Players Mentioned
BK, IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
FR, BR
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
FR, FLY, IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
DIVE
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
BK, IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
BR, IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
FR, FLY
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
BK, FR
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
FLY/BK/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
BK, FL
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
BR, IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
BK
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
FR, BR IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
BR, IM
/ Women's Swimming & DivingCSU Swim & Dive: 2025-26 Preseason Press Conference
Monday, September 29
21-22 Swimming Schedule Video
Monday, August 16
Colorado State Swim & Dive: Erin Popovich Speaks To Team About Confidence
Monday, November 18
Colorado State Swimming: Erin Popovich Visit
Monday, November 18