Preview: Mountain West Conference

Today marks the first day in a two-week series of conference previews.  Division I coaches and SIDs that have not completed the season preview interview form should contact their respective regional contact. Today's tour takes us out west to highlight - from top to bottom - one of the most tightly-contested conferences in the country.

Brigham Young University
Coach:  Men: Tim Powers  Men: Stan Crump
MWC Finish:  Men: 2nd   Women: 1st
NCAA Finish:  Men: 24th  Women: 40th

Led by returning All-American Angela Goodson, the BYU Cougar Women look to defend their MWC title.  Joining Goodson is NCAA qualifier Tawni Jones as well as MWC individual champion Natasha Menezes.  The loss of Brittany Davis-Burk and Shannon Bloom to graduation will leave a void, but the Cougars depth should help fill the gap.  Leilani Roberts, Kirsty Ferrell, Angela Nelson and Whitney Hall all contributed major points last year and will have to do so this year as well.  Strong incoming freshman Sara Jayne Christiansen, Samantha Crist, Rachel Grant, Michelle Menezes, and Aleesha Miller all will have to immediately contribute if BYU wants to repeat their victory.  

The BYU men don’t have it quite as easy as the women.  The Cougar men lost All-Americans Brett Allen, Chris Patience and Jorge Azevedo along with Mark Chay to gradation.  But, like the women, the men’s team has depth that they will need to draw upon if they want to take back the title.  Returning All-American diver Brandon Watson will return valuable points and leadership.  Joining him will be and Travis Price who gained national experience last season.  Zach Anderson and Chad Fong will both have to be prepared to repeat their All-MWC swims from last year.  The Cougars lost a narrow battle with UNLV for the conference title last year and if they hope to claim it this year, they will need a total team effort.


Colorado State University
Coach:  John Mattos
MWC Finish: 5th
NCAA Finish: n/a

Colorado State enters this season with goals to break in to the top three at the MWC Championship and qualify several athletes for NCAAs.  The loss of backstroker Brette Winegarner to graduation hurts the Rams.  Fortunately, team captains Tara Staley and Celes Park bring some needed leadership to the Rams while Jen Muniz, Nora Kennedy, and Gisella Cianci will provide the depth and talent CSU needs both in dual and conference meets.  Newcomers Charlie Swearingen, Nicole Lynch, Emily Molzahn, Michelle Price, Mei Ratz, and Maddie Gamble will need to step it up and have an immediate impact if the Rams want to accomplish their goals.  


University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Coach:  Jim Reitz
MWC Finish:  Men: 1st  Women:  3rd
NCAA Finish: Men: n/a  Women: 28th

The UNLV Women enter this season with perhaps one of their strongest squads yet.  Led by All-MWC team members Lani Seaman, Bailey Kuestermeyer, Amanda Weinbrecht and Marina Sandback, the Rebel Women have plenty of talent and leadership to vie for the title. Kim Bonney, Jenne Neff, and Katie Wronn round out a team with enough depth and experience to challenge for the top spot.

The Rebel Men look to repeat their MWC success this year.  However, they must do so without the help from Brandon Nelms, Erik Ringdahl, Adrian Law, John Byers, and Eric Culberson.  All five contributed significant points and leadership to the Rebels last season.  Fortunately one of the Rebel’s strengths has been depth.  This year UNLV will look to Johan Claar to repeat his success from last year. Jonas Andersson, Richard Hortness, Devin Phillips, Jeff Ellingsen, and Tamas Bosnyak all added major points and will have to do the same again.  Last year the Rebels narrowly defeated BYU and if they want to do so again, they will need an entire team effort.

University of New Mexico
Coach:  Tracy Ljone
MWC Finish: 7th
NCAA Finish: n/a

Last year the Lobos finished seventh at conference and are hungry to improve this season.  Graduating seniors Jenna Syverson, Jen Hale, and Kelly Soldow leave a gap that the rest of the team will need to fill if New Mexico wants to repeat their success.  Diver Carrie Quinn, Tori Clarridge, Andrea Zarins, Theresa Rogers, Lisa Toelle, and Ashley Grisdale all contributed valuable points to the Lobos and will have to do so again this year.  Newcomers Sally Bellinger, Jennifer Burgess, Jaclyn Fedors, transfer Carly Hilo, Melissa Neary, Elora Stanton and Wilmarie Velez Santiago will add some needed depth for the Lobos this season.

 
University of Wyoming
Coach: Tom Johnson
MWC Finish:  Men: 4th   Women: 4th
NCAA Finish:  Men: n/a   Women: n/a

The Wyoming Women suffered the loss of Erin Spaldinger and Heidi Thorson along with Emily Keefer and Lauren Beard to graduation this past season and will need some new leadership to fill the void.  Aimee Stinson, Jessica Fruhwirth, and Kari Budd all finaled at last years MWC Championships and will need to repeat that feat this year.  A large and strong recruiting class includes Cailee Anderson, Laura Dupuis, Megan Evans, Kristen Flachbarth. Caitlin Hudak, Carol Jones, Virginia Marcon, Lauren Salisbury, Stephanie Vint, Erin Wagner, Lesley Young, Taryn Sisco and Allie Smith will add depth to the Cowgirls.

The Cowboys lost MWC butterfly champion Ron Fogel and NCAA qualifying diver Kevin Bretting to graduation.  Fortunately for the men, they still have much of the talent and depth that earned them a fourth place finish last season.  Matt Ulirch, Alex Larkin, Levi Bell, Robbie Hilton, and Sam King all return significant points from last year.  Like on the women’s side, the men landed a large talented recruiting class that will need to contribute right away including Nathan Fuller, Christian Johnson, James Rigg, David Schmitt, Bryan Shears, Sean Sweet and Christian Verbrugghe.

San Diego State University
Coach:  Mike Shrader
MWC Finish:  9th
NCAA Finish:  n/a

Mike Shrader begins his first year at SDSU following a four-year stint at Nevada and hopes to bring SDSU up from their ninth place finish last season.  The Aztecs will be led by Katie Smith, Jessica Morrill, Christine Graham, and Ana Dowell as each scored at last year’s conference championships.  The Aztecs have lacked in depth in the past, but the large recruiting class this season should help. If the San Diego women want to climb up from their 9th place finish from last year, they will need a full team effort.


Texas Christian University
Coach:  Richard Sybesma
MWC Finish:  Men: 6th  Women: 6th
NCAA Finish: Men: n/a  Women: n/a

The TCU Women will be led be Cheryl Townsend and Meredith Grubb along with Meribeth Pottenger and Katie Rosen this season.  They will have to fill the gap left by Erica Tate and Tara Sullivan to graduation.  TCU landed a large recruiting class that should help with the lack of depth that hurt the Frogs last year.

On the men’s side, the losses of Guillermo Ramirez, Alejandro Gomez and Yousif Del Valle to graduation will mean that several current upperclassmen will need to rise to the challenge this season.  Jonathon Berrettni and Cameron Allred along with Josh Bagby return some much needed points and experience and will need to take leadership roles if the Frogs hope to improve from last season’s sixth place finish.  With the help of some talented newcomers, this year might be just what TCU needs to break in to the top five.


U.S. Air Force Academy    
Coach:  Men:  Rob Clayton  Women: Casey Converse
MWC Finish: Men: 3rd  Women: 8th
NCAA Finish: Men: 35th   Women: n/a

The Falcon Women will be looking to Jane Hwang to repeat her performances from last year’s MWC Championships.  Blaire Leake along with Lauren Bursey, Stephanie Hirst, Lindsey Kirchhoff and Lauren White all graduated so the Falcons are in need of some leadership.  Freshman Naomi Ballard, Katie Brock, Laura Cushman, Kristen Donaldson, Kelly Grabbier, Kali Kushner, Morgan Flandreau, Perry Leaked, Jennifer Parker, Jessica Rodgers, Betsy Scar berry and Caitlin Tersely will all be asked to contribute right away.

The Falcon Men lost standouts Chris Knouted and Paul Parameter, along with Ryan Moss, Justin Lapin, Nick Burton and Nick Zeal to graduation, leaving a large gap in both experience and points.  Bryan Avery, T.J. Cowling and Sean O’Keefe will need to step in and fill the shoes of the departed class.  Helping them along will also be Andrew Bergman and Kai Yamaha.


University of Utah    
Coach:  Greg Winslow
MWC Finish: Men: 5th Women: 2nd
NCAA Finish:  Men: 26th   Women: 41st


After last year’s close second place finish, the Utah women are looking to take home the title this season.  Unfortunately they will have to do so without the help from NCAA qualifiers Amber Walter and Alison McInturff as they both graduated.  Coach Winslow will be looking to Jennifer Fredsall, Shannon McQueen, and Adrienne Coburn to lead the Utes during his first year at the helm.  

Graduating seniors Andrew Cole. David Johnson and David Maasberg leave a gap in leadership, fortunately Marco Ferraro is prepared to fill the void.  Newcomers Garrett Beaman and Thomas Ekstrom both look to come in and have an impact early on.

Coach Winslow sums up that “the Utah Swimming and Diving program will strive to continue it's upward climb toward the peak of the mountain west conference.  Gone are the days where dual meet records define the Utes, beginning with the 2007-2008 season Utah will be a championship team with a championship mentality.”