By: Sam Boender
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Men's and Women's Swimming teams saw nine Orediggers earn All-RMAC distinction on Wednesday evening as program records fell and NCAA-qualifying times rolled in.
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Joseph Lev-Tov,
Annie Osmun,
Kerrigan Hemp,
Cameryn Schmidt,
Jorie Selig,
Luca Burns,
Garrett Waite,
Seth Krause, and
Michael Kietzman all claimed All-RMAC status.
Isabella Bono, Lev-Tov,
Lucas Hoke, Osmun,
Garrett Waite,
Charles Burroughs, and Selig each produced NCAA-qualifying times. Additionally, Osmun took down two program records and
Luca Burns broke another. After three full sessions of swimming, Mines' women are #2 in the team race thanks to 194.50 points. The Oredigger men are #3 in the team standings on the merits of 194 team points – just two back of Oklahoma Christian. Colorado Mesa's men and women are both #1.
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Wednesday evening started with the "A" finals of the 1000-free. On the women's side, Bono turned in a NCAA "B" time of 10:35.91 to finish #6.
Julie Gill and
Maggie Wells combined for 16 additional team points in the same event. The men's 1000-free was highlighted by Lev-Tov who notched a Second-Team All-RMAC finish by taking #3 in a NCAA "B" time of 9:25.09. That put him #12 in the nation this season. Hoke also raced to a NCAA "B" time of 9:31.20 while finishing #6.
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The 200-IM finals came next. Osmun lit fireworks for Mines by breaking her own program record with a time of 2:03.12. That was good enough for third place, Second-Team All-RMAC distinction, and a NCAA "B" time that would have ranked top-10 prior to the conference championships. Elsewhere on the women's side,
Olivia Kisow,
Jordan Tierney,
Sophia Buhr,
Zooecia Phoebus, and
Savannah Karas combined to give the Orediggers 26 points in the team standings.
Garrett Waite led Mines' men in the 200-IM with a NCAA "B" time of 1:49.77 on the way to a seventh-place finish.
Charles Burroughs also had a NCAA cut after stopping the clock at 1:50.95.
Gavin Moore and
Gavin Gilmore added six more points to Mines' team total in the same event.
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Osmun struck again for the women in the 50-free. She took down teammate
Jorie Selig's record of 23.57 with a 23.54. Her performance netted a sixth-place finish while upping her NCAA-qualifying status. Selig also improved her national standing with a 23.93 while finishing 11th. Meanwhile,
Jordan Tierney and Schmidt tied for 14th at 24.43 and added five points to the team score. For Mines' men, Kietzman, Krause, Burns,
Braden Hunt, and
Jakson Winn stacked up 36 team points.
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The final event of the night was the 200-medley relay where the Oredigger men and women swept silver. Hemp, Schmidt, Osmun, and Selig were Second-Team All-RMAC for the women thanks to a time of 1:43.98.
Emma Neuroth, Phoebus, Karas, and
Sarah Bennett teamed up for 14 additional points in the team race. Finally, in the men's 200-medley relay, Burns led off with a program-record 22.38 in the 50-back. It was his own record. Waite, Krause, and Kietzman followed up in the final three legs to give the quartet Second-Team All-RMAC status. Winn, Gilmore, Burroughs, and Hunt totaled 14 team points as part of the "B" relay.
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Action at the 2024 RMAC Swimming & Diving Championships continues Thursday morning with prelims in the 100-fly, 400-IM, and 200-free. The day also includes the 400-medley relay. Prelims start at 10 a.m. with finals going off at 5:30 p.m. Live results and pay-per-view video on the RMAC Network will be linked on social media and at
www.minesathletics.com.
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Fans can keep up with Mines swimming on "X" (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram at @MinesSwimming. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, "X" and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.