Press Release courtesy of New Mexico Athletics
The University of New Mexico women’s swimming and diving team will open its season on the road on Friday, October 13, at 3 p.m. with a dual meet at Denver University, followed by a second dual meet on Saturday, October 14 at 10 a.m at Air Force Academy.
The Lobos are looking to build for the future after head swimming coach Dorsey Tierney-Walker‘s first season at UNM. The team broke eight school records, four of which were snapped by standout junior Adriana Palomino. The Arizona native also competed at the USA National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, this summer, posting her personal best time in the 400 freestyle relay at 4 minutes, 20.16 seconds. Palomino finished 54th in the heat, which was won by five-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky. For more on Palomino’s time at the USA National Championships, click here.
The team is also headlined by three seniors, including Celine Bertrand, Madison Burns and Deidra Dorough. Bertrand was one of the four Lobos to break school records this past season. She owns the records for the 200 fly at 1:59.25 and the 400 individual medley at 4:19.84.
UNM is supplementing its building effort by bringing on six freshman, headlined by Klara Farkas (Fly/Free) from Norway and Matea Sumajstorcic (Free) from Croatia. Sumajstorcic holds the Croatian national record in the 200 free at 2:04.34. The freshman class also includes Samie Hubbard (Distance Free), Hannah Tiendas (Diving), Landry Walker (Distance Free) and Brooke Zukowski (Breast).
Coach Tierney-Walker was recently inducted into the University of Texas Hall of Honor. She captured two national championships with the Longhorns in 1990 and 1991. Her induction adds to an already impressive list of accomplishments over her career, including being a finalist at the 1998 and 1992 Olympic Trials and coaching Auburn University to a pair of national championships in 2006 and 2007. For coach Tierney-Walker’s Hall of Honor induction, click here.
The Lobos will follow up their two opening competitions with their first home event of the season, a dual meet against Wyoming on Saturday, October 21 at 12 p.m. UNM will also compete in six other events throughout the season, excluding postseason play. Two of those events are at home, including a dual meet versus New Mexico State and the Cherry vs. Silver Invite. Their away tournaments include the Houston Invitational in November, two visits to Northern Arizona University and a joint meet in San Diego including San Diego State, Fresno State and Colorado State.
Postseason play will begin with the Mountain West Championships in San Antonio, Texas, onWednesday, February 14, 2018 through Saturday, February 17, 2018. Following that, the NCAA Diving Zone will take place in Flagstaff, Arizona, on Monday, March 5, 2018 through Wednesday, March 7, 2018, and the NCAA Championships will be held in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 through Saturday, March 17, 2018.
Be sure to follow UNM Women’s Swimming and Diving on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date throughout the season.