FORT MYERS, Fla. – Erin Dawson is becoming problematic.
Not just for the opposition Colorado State’s women’s swimming and diving team faces, but for her coach, Christopher Woodard. After Monday’s split double dual with Florida Gulf Coast and Miami, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for him to decide which events the junior will enter.
“She’s a real problem. My only problem is how do I find a cloning-research center on campus and make another one,” Woodard quipped after Dawson won a pair of events and notched a pair of program top-three times as the Rams beat the host Eagles 187-113, falling to Miami 166-128.
Dawson’s two wins came near the end of the program, first in the 500-yard freestyle where her 4:52.07 ranks third at Colorado State; it was the first time she entered the event this season. Her next win came a few races later in the 200 IM, one of her best events, as she posted a 2:02.46 which was just .12 off her fourth-place ranking at the school.
Earlier in the day, she took third in the 200 freestyle, her 1:48.47 the second-best time in program history.
Why did she swim the 500 free Monday? Woodard’s response: Why not? She now owns program top-four times in four events, but she can only swim three individual races at the Mountain West Championships. Those decisions can come later. For now, the Rams are just reaping the benefits.
“Isn’t that a shame? It certainly gives us a lot of latitude,” Woodard said, his team now 6-2 in duals this season. “It also allows coaches and Erin sit down a plot not only this year, but what the future holds for her. We still have another two years with her, so let’s be open to the possibilities. It gives us latitude to see where she ranks against the Mountain West and strategize what are the best events for her as well as where she can do the most damage for the team points wise.”
The Rams won six events in total, four against the Hurricanes out of the ACC. Freshman Tess Whineray won the 200 backstroke with a strong 2:00.01, while graduate transfer Sydney VanOvermeiren won the 200 breaststroke with a 2:17.91. Miami did not compete on the boards, with Maggie DiScipio winning the 3-meter with a 299.48, a score which ranks sixth at the school, while Braden Shaffer won the 1-meter at 276.75 (eighth at CSU), just ahead of DiScipio’s 271.26. Both of them hit their Zones mark for the 1-meter, Di Scipio just improved hers on the 3-meter while Shaffer grabbed her first. It was the first time since October the Rams’ diving trio was all healthy and competing together.
With the swimmers wearing tech suits, the Rams posted a second consecutive strong midseason showing, with a host of in-season personal bests.
Lucy Matheson had top-three finishes in both butterfly events, her 2:01.30 in the 200 to place second was a season notch while Maya White taking second in the 1,000 free with her best open-race time (10:01.98). Whineray placed third in the 100 back, her time of 54.87 the seventh-best at CSU.
All of them, as well as VanOvermeiren and Lexie Trietley posted a pair of top-six finishes as the three teams went head-to-head. More points came from freshmen Mia Axelman, Maddi Geyer and Mavi Nehir Isman, transfers Sophia Heminway and Rylee O’Neil boosted the total as did returners Megan Hager, Maisy Barbosa and Azalea Shepherd. It was Shepherd’s first competition of the season coming off a surgery, her sixth-place showing in the 50 free representing a major step forward.
The team had not competed in more than a month and more than kept pace. Woodard sees nothing but confidence brewing from the masses as the season hits the final stretch, with only two more duals remaining, both before the calendar turns pages.
“We knew we had the capability to swim some fast events, but I think we were pleasantly surprised by some of the times,” Woodard said. “I said when we’re on deck, ‘I don’t want to hear should have, could have, want, wish hope for’; those are all weak words. I said we’re going to have, ‘I will, I can, watch me.’ I think they went in with a pretty good attitude and it showed in the results.
“Occasionally you get some dips in the season; you expect that. I’m sure we’ve had our fair share individually, but as a team, I think we continue to make moves forward that hopefully are just giving us confidence we’ll be a force in February.”
Not just for the opposition Colorado State’s women’s swimming and diving team faces, but for her coach, Christopher Woodard. After Monday’s split double dual with Florida Gulf Coast and Miami, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for him to decide which events the junior will enter.
“She’s a real problem. My only problem is how do I find a cloning-research center on campus and make another one,” Woodard quipped after Dawson won a pair of events and notched a pair of program top-three times as the Rams beat the host Eagles 187-113, falling to Miami 166-128.
Dawson’s two wins came near the end of the program, first in the 500-yard freestyle where her 4:52.07 ranks third at Colorado State; it was the first time she entered the event this season. Her next win came a few races later in the 200 IM, one of her best events, as she posted a 2:02.46 which was just .12 off her fourth-place ranking at the school.
Earlier in the day, she took third in the 200 freestyle, her 1:48.47 the second-best time in program history.
Why did she swim the 500 free Monday? Woodard’s response: Why not? She now owns program top-four times in four events, but she can only swim three individual races at the Mountain West Championships. Those decisions can come later. For now, the Rams are just reaping the benefits.
“Isn’t that a shame? It certainly gives us a lot of latitude,” Woodard said, his team now 6-2 in duals this season. “It also allows coaches and Erin sit down a plot not only this year, but what the future holds for her. We still have another two years with her, so let’s be open to the possibilities. It gives us latitude to see where she ranks against the Mountain West and strategize what are the best events for her as well as where she can do the most damage for the team points wise.”
The Rams won six events in total, four against the Hurricanes out of the ACC. Freshman Tess Whineray won the 200 backstroke with a strong 2:00.01, while graduate transfer Sydney VanOvermeiren won the 200 breaststroke with a 2:17.91. Miami did not compete on the boards, with Maggie DiScipio winning the 3-meter with a 299.48, a score which ranks sixth at the school, while Braden Shaffer won the 1-meter at 276.75 (eighth at CSU), just ahead of DiScipio’s 271.26. Both of them hit their Zones mark for the 1-meter, Di Scipio just improved hers on the 3-meter while Shaffer grabbed her first. It was the first time since October the Rams’ diving trio was all healthy and competing together.
With the swimmers wearing tech suits, the Rams posted a second consecutive strong midseason showing, with a host of in-season personal bests.
Lucy Matheson had top-three finishes in both butterfly events, her 2:01.30 in the 200 to place second was a season notch while Maya White taking second in the 1,000 free with her best open-race time (10:01.98). Whineray placed third in the 100 back, her time of 54.87 the seventh-best at CSU.
All of them, as well as VanOvermeiren and Lexie Trietley posted a pair of top-six finishes as the three teams went head-to-head. More points came from freshmen Mia Axelman, Maddi Geyer and Mavi Nehir Isman, transfers Sophia Heminway and Rylee O’Neil boosted the total as did returners Megan Hager, Maisy Barbosa and Azalea Shepherd. It was Shepherd’s first competition of the season coming off a surgery, her sixth-place showing in the 50 free representing a major step forward.
The team had not competed in more than a month and more than kept pace. Woodard sees nothing but confidence brewing from the masses as the season hits the final stretch, with only two more duals remaining, both before the calendar turns pages.
“We knew we had the capability to swim some fast events, but I think we were pleasantly surprised by some of the times,” Woodard said. “I said when we’re on deck, ‘I don’t want to hear should have, could have, want, wish hope for’; those are all weak words. I said we’re going to have, ‘I will, I can, watch me.’ I think they went in with a pretty good attitude and it showed in the results.
“Occasionally you get some dips in the season; you expect that. I’m sure we’ve had our fair share individually, but as a team, I think we continue to make moves forward that hopefully are just giving us confidence we’ll be a force in February.”
