ALAMOSA, Colo.  Western Colorado women's swimming will get a jump on the 2022-23 schedule with Saturday's away meet at Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foe Adams State University.

WESTERN HEADING INTO THE MEET
Though very early in the training season, the Mountaineers look to extend a 15-meet win streak over the Grizzlies, a string that includes four wins last season by an average score of 183-56.

Western graduated seven seniors from last season's third-place RMAC team, but are still led by a returning crop of seasoned veterans – three seniors and four juniors – and six sophomores who all played vital roles in the successful season.

Returners include All-RMAC swimmers , Courtney Coplan, Taylor Grebe, Tayla Liddle, Jordan Maruska, and Addison O'Donnell, who set the school record in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.94) while also achieving an NCAA provisional cut.

Head coach Vickie Fellows was hot on the recruiting trail for this upcoming campaign, bringing in 14 freshmen, including a pair of divers, as well as a transfer junior, LynDea Turner, who set the Southwestern Oregon Community College record in the 200-yard backstroke (2 minutes, 6.21 seconds) in her first year at the school.

Newcomers to the program arrive not only from in state, but also from Cheney, Washington; Eagan, Minnesota; Salt Lake City and Santa Clara, Utah; Kansas City, Missouri; Houston, Texas; Edmond and Bixby, Oklahoma; Buffalo, Wyoming; and from Wrangell, Alaska.

GRIZZLIES HEADING INTO THE MEET
Adams State finished in seventh place at last season's RMAC championship meet. Melinda Hunzeker was named the program's head coach in mid-season (December 2021) and leads the team into the 2022-23 campaign.

The Grizzlies squad has solid senior leadership with six senior swimmers and one junior returning this year.

Building from the bottom up, Hunzeker brought in a first-year class of seven freshmen, the majority from in state.

UP NEXT
Western heads back into heavy training following Saturday's meet, not hitting the competition pool until the annual Crimson/Slate Intrasquad meet on Sat., Oct. 8. The Mountaineers then head to Pueblo, Colo., for the Colorado State University Pueblo Quad Meet the following weekend.