Colorado State University Athletics
Friday, October 3
Denver (Swim)/AFA (Dive)
5:00 PM
Colorado State
at
Front Range Invitational
Fresh-Look Rams Open Season with Invite
10/1/2025 11:16:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Woodard’s roster reloads with 12 freshmen
FORT COLLINS  – A new season for the Rams. A dozen new Rams for the season.
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Colorado State's women's swimming and diving team opens the 2025-26 campaign with the Front Range Invitational this weekend with coach Christopher Woodard introducing the largest freshman class of his 15-year tenure -- 12 strong -- as the team competes against Air Force, Northern Colorado, Wyoming and Denver this weekend at two venues. The meet takes place Friday and Saturday, with swimming events at DU, diving at the Academy. Competition begins at 5 p.m., on Friday, 11 a.m. on Saturday.
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The roster features four competitors with All-Mountain West pedigree (Erin Dawson, Maggie Di Scipio, Lexie Trietley and Tess Whineray), and Woodard is hoping the infusion of new blood will alter the course of the season.
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"I'm hopeful, and I think also recognizing we're trying to build on something. (Dawson and Trietley) have been a large part of building a foundation for the program and the expectations to basically not be viewed as an underdog but be viewed as a legitimate contender to any opponent," Woodard said. "But we recognize culture changes, and it constantly evolves so we recognize that the foundation is great, but we need to bring in a lot of new blood and so we're really eager to see what these 12 can do. That's not typical for us but we felt that the personnel is out there and can help us in a lot of different ways."
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The freshman class makes it the largest roster for Woodard in five seasons. Three of the freshmen are divers, bringing the number in the well up to six and a large group for new diving coach Seth O'Dea to work with.
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Dawson, a three-time Mountain West champion and the two-time defending title holder in the 400-yard individual medley, understands the turnover is great while understanding the payoffs could be greater.-
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"I think it's really exciting because it's quite literally half of our team and it reminds me a lot of my freshman year when I had a bigger team," Dawson said. "I think we're going to have a lot of depth which I'm really excited about, especially coming off a season where we didn't have a lot of people. I just think it's really exciting."
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A sprint freestyle specialist, Trietley enters her final season with five All-Mountain West honors in her career. Being a senior, she feels part of her duties are to help teach the freshman class how the Rams go about their business in practice, at meets and during conditioning.
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As for her notions of closing her career strong, her only focus is on making her last season memorable after the Rams finished seventh at the Mountain West Championships in 2024 following a 6-3 dual slate.
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"I don't think I have any pressure or added pressure or expectations since my last year. I just want to have fun and leave it all out in the pool and just see what I can do," she said. "It'll be the last time I ever compete again with swimming, so I'm just excited to see what we can do this year."
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After using the first competition to set a marker, the Rams will host their first home meet of the season Oct. 24 at Edora Pool Ice Center, facing Denver and Colorado Mesa.
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Colorado State's women's swimming and diving team opens the 2025-26 campaign with the Front Range Invitational this weekend with coach Christopher Woodard introducing the largest freshman class of his 15-year tenure -- 12 strong -- as the team competes against Air Force, Northern Colorado, Wyoming and Denver this weekend at two venues. The meet takes place Friday and Saturday, with swimming events at DU, diving at the Academy. Competition begins at 5 p.m., on Friday, 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Â
The roster features four competitors with All-Mountain West pedigree (Erin Dawson, Maggie Di Scipio, Lexie Trietley and Tess Whineray), and Woodard is hoping the infusion of new blood will alter the course of the season.
Â
"I'm hopeful, and I think also recognizing we're trying to build on something. (Dawson and Trietley) have been a large part of building a foundation for the program and the expectations to basically not be viewed as an underdog but be viewed as a legitimate contender to any opponent," Woodard said. "But we recognize culture changes, and it constantly evolves so we recognize that the foundation is great, but we need to bring in a lot of new blood and so we're really eager to see what these 12 can do. That's not typical for us but we felt that the personnel is out there and can help us in a lot of different ways."
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The freshman class makes it the largest roster for Woodard in five seasons. Three of the freshmen are divers, bringing the number in the well up to six and a large group for new diving coach Seth O'Dea to work with.
Â
Dawson, a three-time Mountain West champion and the two-time defending title holder in the 400-yard individual medley, understands the turnover is great while understanding the payoffs could be greater.-
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"I think it's really exciting because it's quite literally half of our team and it reminds me a lot of my freshman year when I had a bigger team," Dawson said. "I think we're going to have a lot of depth which I'm really excited about, especially coming off a season where we didn't have a lot of people. I just think it's really exciting."
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A sprint freestyle specialist, Trietley enters her final season with five All-Mountain West honors in her career. Being a senior, she feels part of her duties are to help teach the freshman class how the Rams go about their business in practice, at meets and during conditioning.
Â
As for her notions of closing her career strong, her only focus is on making her last season memorable after the Rams finished seventh at the Mountain West Championships in 2024 following a 6-3 dual slate.
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"I don't think I have any pressure or added pressure or expectations since my last year. I just want to have fun and leave it all out in the pool and just see what I can do," she said. "It'll be the last time I ever compete again with swimming, so I'm just excited to see what we can do this year."
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After using the first competition to set a marker, the Rams will host their first home meet of the season Oct. 24 at Edora Pool Ice Center, facing Denver and Colorado Mesa.
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Players Mentioned
FR, FLY, IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
DIVE
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
FR
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
BK
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