GUNNISON, Colo. – Western State Colorado University women's swimming and diving cracks the top-25 in the nation for the first time since being reinstated. The team is the No.25-ranked team in the nation according to collegeswimming.com. Western battle the hardest competition of the year when they take on No.26-ranked Colorado Mesa University Friday afternoon in Paul Wright Natatorium at 4 p.m.
 
The Mountaineers are coming off of their third straight win with a victory over Colorado College last weekend. They have outscored all of their opponents by a combined 500-218.
 
Western State was picked seventh in the RMAC Preseason Poll. Colorado Mesa was picked third. The Mountaineers have never defeated Colorado Mesa in a dual.
 
Freshman Randi Yarnell is leading the team early in the season. Yarnell broke two school records, and is ranked seventh in the nation in the 200 freestyle. Yarnell's time of 1:54.62 is less than a second off of the NCAA B Standard mark, a feat no Mountaineer has achieved since the reinstatement of the program.
 
Also for the Mountaineers, Ariel Fitch was named the Collegeswimming.com RMAC swimmer of the week after winning both the 50 and 100 free in Colorado Springs.
 
Western State has 27 individual top-100 times in the nation thus far, including eight top-50 marks. Three of those are in the top-25, led by Yarnell in seventh in the 200 free, then followed by Alexandra Marsolek at 17^th in the 100 breast and Akemi King in 20^th in the 200 fly.
 
The meet Friday is the first of three home meets this season. It is free to the public and individuals that attend will get a ticket for free admission into that night's volleyball match.