Courtesy: Colorado Mesa Athletics
GUNNISON, Colo.— The nation’s tenth-ranked Colorado Mesa University women’s and diving team broke six pool records, had two NCAA diving qualifiers and posted the fastest time in every swimming event en-route to a comfortable 196-95 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual win at Western Colorado University on Thursday evening at the Mountaineers’ Paul Wright Natatorium.
The triple-digit victory, which could have been even more lopsided had the Mavericks (1-4, 1-0 RMAC) not exhibitioned all of their competitors in the final four swimming events, was the first for the Mavericks’ new head coach Mickey Wender and extended their RMAC winning streak into a fifth different season and to 17 consecutive conference wins since starting the streak on Jan. 22, 2016 against the Mountaineers (3-1, 0-1 RMAC).
Wender has more than 400 career wins in his 27 years as a collegiate head coach at Army West Point, Washington and UC-Santa Cruz.
Senior Brittany Dixon set new pool records for both six and 11 dives off the 1-meter board as she scored 274.75 points on her six optional dives and 455.15 total points. She and teammate Ali Lange, who had 396.95 total points, both set NCAA Division II Championship qualifying marks.
Dixon was also credited with two wins as she fared best in the five compulsory dives with 180.40 points before tallying her record-breaking total in the optional stages. Her 6-dive mark broke the former 6-dive record of 215.38, which had been held by CMU’s Amanda Jennings. WCU’s Jessica Anderson had held the natatorium mark of 418.50 points.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks were breaking swimming records early and often as well.
The 200-yard medley relay team of Sarah Fillerup, Samantha White, Lauren White and Bret Congdon posted a time of one minute, 49.58 seconds to open the dual, bettering the former record of 1:50.19 which had been set by Grace Payton, Samantha White, now student assistant coach Danielle Jefferies and Sierra Forbord nearly a year ago (Oct. 27, 2018).
Sophomore Robyn Naze then took down the 1000 Free record as she posted a time of 11:00.48, nearly seven seconds quicker than the former pool record of 11:07.03.
Samantha White then broke her own mark and led a 1-5 Maverick sweep of the 200 breaststroke in 2:29.05, just quicker than her 2016 time of 2:29.21. White also won the 100 breast in 1:08.75.
Elsewhere, freshman Davy Brown won the 200 free in 1:58.75 as the Mavs took the top three spots. Brown later dominated the 400 individual medley in 4:26.22, to smash Payton’s mark of 4:51.01. Payton was second fastest in that event, the penultimate one of Thursday evening, with a time of 4:50.68.
Reigning RMAC Swimmer of the Week Lauren White, also a freshman, won both backstroke events as she took the 100 back in 57.85 seconds before coming back to win the 200 in 2:06.91.
Isabelle Hansson led a 1-5 CMU sweep in the 200 butterfly, touching in 2:12.42, 5.1 seconds ahead of any other competitors while Natalie Saul won the 50 free in 25.13 to edge Congdon, who sprinted to a time of 25.22.
Noel Scott, who was the third in the 50, then won the 100 free in 55.20.
In the 500 free, the Mavs had the two top exhibition times with Payton touching in 5:24.03 while Abbey Selin, making her team debut, finished in 5:26.12. They were both ahead of the official WCU winner Lauren Sanders (5:30.67).
CMU’s Candice Rosen had the fastest time (1:00.32) in the 100 fly.
The Mavericks’ A, B and C 400 freestyle relay teams then capped the night all finishing in quicker times than WCU’s A team, which were the official winners in 3:49.85. CMU’s top squad of Lauren White, Maddie Pressler, Ruby Bottai and Logan Anderson finished more than eight seconds quicker in 3:41.76.
The Mavericks will attempt to continue their momentum on Friday when they contest another RMAC dual at Adams State. CMU’s men, who were off on Thursday, will also compete against the Grizzlies in Alamosa at noon.