Colorado State Rams Kick Off Season at Multi-Venue Invite
DENVER/COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Teh Colorado State Rams swimming and diving team begins its 2024-25 season this weekend, competing in a two-day invite spanning two locations: the University of Denver and the Air Force Academy. Competition starts Friday at 5 p.m. at DU, with swimming events held there, and continues Saturday at 11 a.m. at the academy, hosting the diving portion of the meet. the Rams will face opponents from Northern Colorado and Wyoming.
This year’s roster includes four athletes with All-Mountain West recognition: Erin Dawson, Maggie Di Scipio, Lexie Trietley, and Tess Whineray. Head Coach Woody Woodard anticipates the addition of 12 freshmen will significantly impact the team’s performance.
“I’m hopeful, and I think also recognizing we’re trying to build on something,” Woodard said. “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. 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.”
The incoming class is the largest Woodard has seen in five seasons, with three freshman divers joining a team of six.New diving coach Seth O’Dea will led the divers.
Dawson, a three-time Mountain West champion and two-time defending champion in the 400-yard individual medley, expressed excitement about the team’s growth. “I think it’s really exciting because it’s quiet 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.”
Senior Lexie Trietley, a five-time All-Mountain West honoree, plans to mentor the freshman class. “I just want to have fun and leave it all out in the pool and just see what I can do,” trietley 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.”
Following this weekend’s invite, the Rams will host their first home meet of the season on Oct. 24 at the Edora Pool Ice Center, facing denver and Colorado Mesa. The Rams finished seventh at the 2024 Mountain West Championships with a 6-3 dual meet record.
