Cowgirls Win CMU Invite & Cowboys Take Second, Dive Wraps Up SMU Invitational

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (11/23/24) – The University of Wyoming swimming and diving teams completed the Colorado Mesa Invite and SMU Invitational.

The Cowgirls won the CMU Invite with 1,119.5 points, beating out Colorado Mesa, Northern Arizona, Colorado School of Mines and a partial squad from the University of Utah. The Cowboys took second with 875.5 points.

Head Coach Dave Denniston couldn’t have been more pleased with how his team performed over the last four days.

“We had an absolutely fantastic week of racing,” Denniston said. “I don’t know how many best times and personal records were set by the Cowboys and Cowgirls, but it was a lot. We are coming home with a lot of confidence and happy swimmers and coaches. The season is only getting better from here.”

Tonight, the Cowgirls had four first-place finishers and several other top finishes as well. The Cowboys also had a good night with some high finishes.

Freshman sensation Macey Hansen took first in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:44.09.

Jakub Rynkiewicz and Derek Long went two and three in the 1650-yard freestyle with respective times of 15:48.41 and 15:52.14.

Heidi Billings came in third in the 200-yard backstroke, logging a time of 1:59.72.

Wyoming natives Tara Joyce and Brynlee Busskohl each turned in a first-place performance. Joyce won the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 49.86. Busskohl won the 200-yard breaststroke, logging a time of 2:15.98.

Rachael Horne also put in a third-place performance in the 100-yard freestyle, swimming a time of 50.83.

In the 200-yard butterfly, Ellie Fritscher took second with a time of 2:03.53.

Gavin Smith came in first in the 200-yard butterfly, swimming a 1:46.97.

The Cowgirls also set a pool record in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a collective time of 3:21.26, swam by Veronika Ozimek, Lauren Swartz, Horne and Joyce.

The Cowboys took second in the 400-yard freestyle relay, with Caleb Ozenne, Quinn Teller, Luke O’Connor and Smith collectively swimming a 3:00.66.

On the diving side of things at the SMU Invitational, Jonah Mann and Alicia Gonzalez were the only Pokes to advance to the finals round on platform. Mann took sixth with 220 points while Gonzalez took eighth with 200.45 points.

Wyoming swimming and diving will close out the 2024 calendar year at the UNLV Invite December 16-18.