Swim and Dive Starts Fast and Defeats Colorado School of Mines

Friday, November 13

Greeley, Colo.

5:00 PM

University of Northern Colorado

164.5

97.5

Colorado School of Mines

11/13/2015 10:03:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving

UNC swimming and diving got out to a fast start Friday on its way to victory

By: Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado's swimming and dive team returned to the Butler-Hancock pool Friday evening taking on in-state foe, Colorado School of Mines. The Bears took the meet 164.5-97.5, with all the points coming from the swimmers as Mines did not have any divers compete.

Overall as a team, UNC finished first in 12 of the 14 events and second in five of the 14.

"I thought the meet went really well, the girls swam well tonight," head coach Kelly McClanahan. "My goal for the team for this meet was to win every race, and we were on our way to that until the 200 breast."

Three Northern Colorado swimmers earned victories in multiple events led by Valeria Mihhailova's three individual first place finishes and one relay team win as well. Mihhailova took the 100 yard backstroke (1:00.27), 50 yard freestyle (25.46) and 200 yard backstroke (2:12.20). She was also a part of the first place finishing 200 yard medley relay team (1:50.57).

Teammate Sydney Kovar finished first in two of the three events she individual competed in, and second in the third. The two events she won were the 1650 yard freestyle (18:15.82) and 100 freestyle (54.37). She also helped the 800 freestyle relay team clock in at 8:06.29 to take first place.

"Sydney Kovar had a very good mile swim today, it was the first time we had swam it in a meet this year and she put up a very good time," McClanahan said.

UNC got out to an early lead in meet, winning the first seven events of the night to build its lead and not allow the Orediggers back into it.

Mines took two of the last five events, and just missed out on a third event in the 800 freestyle relay.

"Nate Rothman (Colorado School of Mines head coach) has done an excellent job with his program. His girls were fighters in every race tonight, some of them swimming back-to-back races," McClanahan said of the Orediggers. "They took us right to the wall on almost every race."

UNC's Kovar, Brianna Salanitro, Karlie O'Connell and Sydney Kimura just edged out CSM's team by under two seconds (8:06.29-8:08.04) in the 800.

"I think this win will help with the girls' confidence going into tomorrow's tough match against NAU," said McClanahan about tomorrow's meet.

The Bears get right back into the pool tomorrow morning at 11:30 when they host back-to-back WAC champion Northern Arizona.