GUNNISON, Colo. Western Colorado's women's swimming and diving team swept every event of the two-day Dan France Continental Divide Cup, capturing the team title (381-53) over Adams State University in the inaugural edition of the Cup.
The Mountaineers picked up a pool record from
Morgan Nielsen in the process, and diver
Alexandra Wallis achieved the first of two required qualification scores for nationals.
Day 1 of the event was hosted on Saturday by the Grizzlies in Plachy Hall Pool, with the event concluding Sunday at Western's Paul Wright Natatorium. Western wore their pink suits as the team continues to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Nielsen, just a freshman, opened Saturday's events list with a win in the 1,000-yard freestyle, touching in a time of 11 minutes, 20.93 seconds. Later in the afternoon she earned a win in the 500 free (5:35.26).
Her first event on Sunday was the record-breaker, as she won the 1,650 free in a time of 19:00.09, breaking the Natatorium record of 19:02.85. Nielsen would then go on to finish second in the 200 backstroke (2:19.48).
Wallis, who dove in the NCAA Division II 2023 Qualifying Meet last season, is halfway to earning a spot in the 2024 Qualifying Meet. Her 11-dive score Sunday morning of 413.45 points on the 1-meter board surpasses the qualifying standard of 390.00 points. The sophomore must now clear 255.00 points in a 6-dive optionals event. She posted a score of 225.975 in also winning that event Sunday.
Other event winners for the Mountaineers included:
Western also swept the four relays, taking first and second in the 200 free relay, the 400 free relay and the 400 medley relay, and taking first and third in the 200 medley relay.
UP NEXT
The Mountaineers will face host Colorado State University Pueblo and the University of Nebraska Kearney in the CSU Pueblo Tri-Meet on October 20-21.
