ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico women’s swimming team got their first taste of competition with the Cherry and Silver Intrasquad Meet on Saturday morning at Seidler Natatorium.
While Cherry defeated Silver 108.50-95.50, the more important aspect for first-year Lobos coach Dorsey Tierney-Walker was just seeing her team in action in race situations.
“Early in the season we are looking for the skill development aspects we’ve been trying to emphasize the last couple of weeks in this young part of the season,” Tierney-Walker said. “Plus we are just looking for overall racing effort. This is our first opportunity to see them race so from a coaches’ perspective it was more our job to observe and plan on implementing the skill work we need to do to keep improving.”
The abbreviated meet with 11 events (each athlete competed in each event) is a precursor to the Lobos’ season-opener at Wyoming on Oct. 14 in Laramie. The four weeks between Saturday’s intrasquad meet and UNM’s first competition should give the Lobos plenty of time to improve, Tierney-Walker said.
“I think we are going to see a night-and-day difference from today to our next competition,” Tierney-Walker said. “But even in the short time we’ve been in season from today to three weeks ago – our first week of practice – we are moving in the right direction.”
Following Wyoming, the Lobos return home to host Northern Arizona on Oct. 29. UNM will host one other event when Colorado State and Air Force come to Albuquerque on Dec. 3.
Cherry & Silver Intrasquad Event Winners
- 50-yard Butterfly – Abigail Wheeler (25.83)
- 50-yard Backstroke – Kaela McKee (27.69)
- 50-yard Breaststroke – Emily McGill and Talia Passarelli (31.90)
- 50-yard Freestyle – Madison Burns (24.59)
- 100-yard Butterfly – Abigail Wheeler (58.56)
- 100-yard Backstroke – Carol De Groote Tavares (1:00.15)
- 100-yard Breaststroke – Talia Passarelli (1:11.17)
- 100-yard Freestyle – Adriana Palomino (54.34)
- 200-yard Freestyle – Adriana Palomino (1:56.76)
- 1-meter Diving – Allyson Concepcion (134.25 points)
- 3-meter Diving – Allyson Concepcion (129.85 points)