Rams Split Results in Conference Clash

AIR FORCE – There were aspects of Saturday which were expected.

The team being tired, for one, with a second competition in five days, covering two states. All of the swimming Colorado State did was at altitude, growing at each stop. Coach Christopher Woodard knew his Colorado State women's swimming and diving team was worn down physically, because honestly, at this point of the season, all teams are to some degree thanks to the training being done and the cumulative effect.

What his team was able to do really well in a win over Northern Arizona on Monday didn't follow in lockstep on Saturday, leading to a split decision against Mountain West foes Air Force and New Mexico at the Cadet Natatorium. The Falcons posted a 179-121 victory, while the Rams topped the Lobos 244-51.

"Physically we're tired, but most teams are in January if they're putting the work in, so that's not generally a viable excuse," Woodard said. "I look at it more like we had some mental lapses. Exchanges on relays that were slow, people just flat-out missing turns, or not having that turnover on a back half where they can actually compete against someone.

"So, a lot of that stuff is stuff that we work on all the time, so that's where I'm more disappointed."

Those misfires take a toll in a race, and they become amplified when the result is being touched out. CSU finished second to Air Force in both relays by a combined .75 seconds, time made up easily with better reaction time off the blocks or hitting the wall right.

Which is what made him scratch his head a bit. Monday, his Rams targeted the little details and made them work to their advantage. Just not at the end of the week.

Not that his team didn't have highlights. Senior Lexie Trietley became the second member of the team this season to reach 50 career wins, doing so when she touched first in the 50-yard freestyle. Credited with a win against New Mexico in the 100 free, she exited the day with 51 wins in individual races on her resume.

"It feels good. The race wasn't great, so that kind of took away from it a little bit, I think," the freestyle sprint specialist said. "I think I was picturing my 50th win as the perfect win, and it definitely wasn't, but a win is a win.

"It says a lot about my career, I think, and how far I've come. Four years went by super-fast. I never thought that I would get to this point, so, I'm just super happy and grateful and thankful for my teammates for helping me through these last four years, and I'm ready to get some more before I graduate."

Part of Trietley being subdued about a career milestone fell in line with what Woodard witnessed. She was touched out by .04 in the 100 by Air Force's Lily Larson in part by mishitting a wall. In a short race, there is virtually no chance to make that up.

If she could change one thing for the team it would be their approach and bring a bit more heat to the situation.

"I think we could have a little bit more positive attitude … That hungriness. We're here to win," she said. "Who cares that they have 33 swimmers and four divers, we're here to do our job and show them who we are. I think today our best was just not good enough and not where it needed to be, and I think we're going to come back stronger. We have two weeks until the senior meet."

It didn't take long for Treitley – who hammers home four relays as the anchor – to build a reputation as a gamer and a closer. As her career has progressed, her reliability factor has climbed among teammates and the staff.

Woodard does his best to appreciate it fully and not take it for granted.

"You can't measure a kid solely by wins and losses: It would be inaccurate. The totality of what she's able to do far exceeds the 50 wins," he said. "That being said, it is such a comforting thought and such a linchpin for a coach to be able to just consistently count on somebody, and that's what Lexi brings to the table. You just know that you can count on her, and that's so helpful when you're doing a lineup."

Erin Dawson won both the 500 freestyle and 200 individual medley on the day, while junior Tess Whineray came away a double winner by taking both backstroke events. Colorado State also picked up a win from Azalea Shepherd in the 100 butterfly with a late surge from Lane 2.

That was in the pool, but over in the diving well Colorado State freshman Sydney Ovesen continued to build on some recent results, scoring a season-best 272.70 on the 1-meter, the second consecutive meet she's hit the NCAA Zones standard on the board.

"I love it. I feel like I'm in a really good place and I can't wait to keep going up from here," Ovesen said. "I've learned that I need to treat every meet like it's practice, no matter what. If you go into it thinking it's a meet, you're automatically going to freak yourself out. And the more you think of it as just a practice, take off that pressure, the better it's going to end up going.

"The more that I learned that the better I started doing. And the newer dives I started getting as well, just from there."

She is one of a dozen freshman on the CSU roster, three found in Seth O'Dea's diving crew. She said they're all tight, regardless of event, and lean on each other as they navigate their debut college season. They've all found it can be taxing, mentally and physically, Ovesen noted, sharing their individual lessons learned on how to break through at times.

To her, learning is the key to progression, and her lists were a prime example. Of the 12 dives she did on the two boards Saturday, six were different from her initial sets.

"We talk about it a lot. It's really challenging," Ovesen said. "It's definitely something that's different. It's really long and it's hard. It's something none of us have ever experienced before and we're all exhausted. So, just kind of getting through to this point, it's really rewarding.

"And knowing that we are here and we get to be here, it's just such an honor. I love it. It's so many friends that are just built in immediately. And it's so fun to hang out and talk to all of them."

Colorado State, now 5-3 in duals, hosts the final one of the season Jan. 24 (11 a.m.) when Northern Colorado visits Moby Pool for Senior Day and the program takes part in honoring Olympic champion Amy Van Dyken's addition to the Ring of Honor with a banner unveiling at the pool during the first intermission.

Follow us at -- Twitter: @CSUSwimDive | Instagram: @csuswimdive | Facebook: @CSUSwimDive

- RELENTLESS -

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Erin Dawson

Sydney Ovesen

Azalea Shepherd

Lexie Trietley

Tess Whineray