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RMAC Releases Preseason All-Conference Team

Colorado Mesa's Sam Bryant and Cassi Blakeman and CBU's Christie Halverson and Zach Parry headline the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Preseason All-Conference team.

The preseason awards and all-conference teams are voted on by the conference's head swimming and diving coaches.

Colorado Mesa's Bryant was voted men's preseason Swimmer of the Year. He earned All-American honors in the 2015-16 season with a sixth place finish in the 1,000-free, while earning RMAC Swimmer of the Meet after winning four individual events in the RMAC championships. He broke conference records in the 1,000-free, 400-individual medley, 500-free, and 1,650-free as a Junior, while also a member of the 400-free relay and 800-free relay teams that broke Colorado Mesa records in those events.

Earning women's preseason Swimmer of the Year is CBU's Halverson. Halverson was the NCAA Division II national champion of the 1000-free event at last season's NCAA Championships. She also took second in the 1650-free. The West Linn, Oregon native earned All-American honors in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650-free events in 2015-16, holding school records for each. Halverson was named RMAC Academic Athlete of the Year in 2015-16, while also earning Honorable Mention All-American for her efforts on the 800-free relay team that owns the school record.

CBU's Parry is this year's men's preseason Diver of the Year. Last season, he earned RMAC Diver of the Year honors in 2015-16, while also collecting NCAA Division II All-American accolades in 1-meter and 3-meter. He was the RMAC champion in both 1-meter and 3-meter dive events, earning RMAC Diver of the Meet. Currently, Parry is third on California Baptists all-time record list in 1-meter (six-dives) and 3-meter (six-dives) and second in 1-meter (eleven-dives) and 3-meter (eleven-dives).

CMU's Blakeman was voted women's preseason Diver of the Year. Blakeman earned All-American honors in 2015-16 as a freshman in the 1-meter after placing seventh in the NCAA Championships, while taking nineteenth on the 3-meter board. She was a member of the All-RMAC second team after finishing fourth in both 3-meter and 1-meter events at the RMAC Championship.

On the women's side, CBU has four swimmers named to the 2016-17 Preseason All-RMAC team as Colorado Mesa and newcomer Oklahoma Baptist land two a piece on the team.

On the men's side, CBU has four swimmers named to the men's Preseason All-RMAC team while Oklahoma Baptist earns three preseason all-conference accolades.

2016-17 Preseason Men's All-RMAC
Chad Brandon, Oklahoma Baptist
Sam Bryant, Colorado Mesa
JP Goyetche, Oklahoma Baptist
Robert Griffith, CBU
Skyler Hirsch, Colorado Mesa
Brennan Mays, Colorado Mines
Alexis Ohmar, CBU
Zach Parry, CBU
Mark Sambolin, Oklahoma Baptist
Scott Tolman, CBU

2016-17 Preseason Women's All-RMAC
Suzanne Afchain, Oklahoma Baptist
Courtney Chacon, CBU
Christie Halverson, CBU
Carrie Kralovec, Colorado Mines
Eryn Leonard, Colorado Mesa
Faith Moss, Oklahoma Baptist
Alena Rumiantceva, CBU
Mary Saiz, Colorado Mesa
Kristina Tchernyshev, CBU
Randi Yarnell, Western State

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