Spring Break
Swimming nabs fifth, Mattos honored at conference finals
Keith Robertson
Issue date: 3/2/09 Section: Sports
The CSU swimming and diving team finished second in the Mountain West at the end of the regular season. When the team left for Oklahoma last week they expected similar results in the all-important conference finals. However, the team had to settle for fifth place, numerous school records and a coaching title.
The first day of the tournament the Rams hit the pool swimming. Two relay teams scratched out school records, one held in part by six-time gold medalist Amy Van Dyken.
The first team competing in the 200-meter medley was made up of Breann Fuller, Nicole Lynch, Nora Kennedy and Sam Dole, placed third overall but set the impressive new mark at 1:41.85, beating a record held at CSU since 1994. The second record-breaking relay team, Jennifer Muniz, Charlie Swearingen, Michelle Price and Carmen Gisella Cianci, squeaked out a new record in the 800-meter freestyle by three-hundredths of a second.
"We had a great day," said Head Coach John Mattos. "We couldn't have done a whole heck of a lot better than we did. We had a great start."
The Rams also got some help from their high flyers, as freshman Shayna Solomon finished in the top 10 of the three-meter competition. The Rams ultimately ended the day in seventh place.
The second day of the championships was just as exciting, as the sophomores led the way to bring CSU up to fifth place. Fort Collins native Maddie Gamble started Thursday morning by beating the school record in the 500-meter freestyle event, and ended it by beating her own record.
"Our swims were awesome," Mattos said. "Maddie going 4:53.23, setting our school record, and re-breaking the record she set in the morning, was phenomenal."
Also on Thursday, sophomore Samantha Dole landed in third place in the 50-meter freestyle before joining Fuller, Emily Molzahn, and Charlie Swearingen to beat another school record in 200-meter freestyle relay, once again breaking a Van Dyken record.
The Rams, who were using the new Laser suits, found that the upgrade in gear may have hindered their time in and out of the pool.
The first day of the tournament the Rams hit the pool swimming. Two relay teams scratched out school records, one held in part by six-time gold medalist Amy Van Dyken.
The first team competing in the 200-meter medley was made up of Breann Fuller, Nicole Lynch, Nora Kennedy and Sam Dole, placed third overall but set the impressive new mark at 1:41.85, beating a record held at CSU since 1994. The second record-breaking relay team, Jennifer Muniz, Charlie Swearingen, Michelle Price and Carmen Gisella Cianci, squeaked out a new record in the 800-meter freestyle by three-hundredths of a second.
"We had a great day," said Head Coach John Mattos. "We couldn't have done a whole heck of a lot better than we did. We had a great start."
The Rams also got some help from their high flyers, as freshman Shayna Solomon finished in the top 10 of the three-meter competition. The Rams ultimately ended the day in seventh place.
The second day of the championships was just as exciting, as the sophomores led the way to bring CSU up to fifth place. Fort Collins native Maddie Gamble started Thursday morning by beating the school record in the 500-meter freestyle event, and ended it by beating her own record.
"Our swims were awesome," Mattos said. "Maddie going 4:53.23, setting our school record, and re-breaking the record she set in the morning, was phenomenal."
Also on Thursday, sophomore Samantha Dole landed in third place in the 50-meter freestyle before joining Fuller, Emily Molzahn, and Charlie Swearingen to beat another school record in 200-meter freestyle relay, once again breaking a Van Dyken record.
The Rams, who were using the new Laser suits, found that the upgrade in gear may have hindered their time in and out of the pool.
Be the first to comment on this story