The rivalry matchup. With an 11-0 start matching the program record for dual wins in a year and a chance to break it Friday at Laramie High School when facing Wyoming and Colorado Mesa, none of it trumps the chance to beat the Cowgirls.
"No. I think for our team to really start to move up the standings, they have to believe they can compete with anyone in our conference," Woodard said. "The one team that has proved to be a thorn in our side has been Wyoming. Certainly, I think it has less to do with Wyoming and more to do with our mental block and our ascendency in the conference.
"Wyoming is a great marker. They're great athletes and great coaches."
The meet will begin at noon as all three teams will compete on the 1- and 3-meter diving boards. Swimming, consisting of 14 races, begins at 3 p.m.
The trend is recent, and one which has extended far too long for the Rams' liking. Colorado State owns the overall series at 41-15, but the Cowgirls have taken the past 12 meetings. The last time CSU beat their rivals was in the 2008-09 season.
The teams have matched up well in the lanes, but diving has leaned heavily in Wyoming's favor of late, which is why Woodard is telling his team it will require a compete team effort to stop the streak. What he does like is the attitude his team has put on display this year, posting victories over Denver and BYU, teams which have been hurdles in the past.
On top of competition, there has been the recent training hurdle with the pump at Moby Pool needing repair, sending the team to the Morris Fieldhouse 30-meter pool for the swimmers, EPIC for the divers, which has cut into the training schedule. Regardless, Woodard said his team has let it make them tougher.
"I thought the metric system was tough. Just adding a few more yards is different," he said, as is the fact there are no starting blocks at the Morris facility. "It changes our intervals, our sets, our strategies. It's definitely a hurdle. The girls have had their moments where there's a little bit of feeling bad for ourselves, but they tend to snap back really quick and understand if I stay here, nothing good will come of this. They're redirecting their energies, and I'm pretty impressed with some of the work they've done."
The hope is it will translate into the pool. The Rams already own a win over Colorado Mesa this season, but the one they really want is against the team just up the road. Last year's dual had no fans, so it carried an odd atmosphere, and for this year's freshman class, it will be their first Border War experience.
"For us, right, it's like any other program here. It's always the Border War," Woodard said. "That's a great barometer of where the program is. Half of our team, this is a new experience for them. I don't think they come in with any preconceptions. I think they come in with the idea this is another team we have to beat."
With a win Friday against either of the teams, the Rams will establish a record for most dual wins in a season with 12, as they are currently tied with the 1986-87 team which went 11-0. Winning both duals will match the third-longest dual win streak in program history, done twice previously (2000-01 and 01-02; 1985-86 through 88-89). The program record is 24, set from 1977-78 through 1980-81); the first three years in program history (1974-75 through 1976-77) produced 15 consecutive wins to rank second.
Rams in the Mountain West Top 10
1. Maya White, 1,000 free, 10:13.17*
4. Maisy Barbosa, 400 IM, 4:25.17*
5. Liza Lunina, 200 back, 2:03.05*
6. Kristina Friedrichs, 100 free, 51.77*
8. Kristina Friedrichs, 50 free, 23.62
9. Maya White, 500 free, 5:03.21*
9. Hanna Sykes, 200 butterfly, 2:06.45*
10. Anika Johnson, 200 free, 1:53.09*
10. Liza Lunina, 100 back, 57.56*
10. Maisy Barbosa, 200 back, 2:05.21*
10. Katie McClelland, 100 breast, 1:04.95*
10. Maya White, 400 IM, 4:31.21*
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Rivalry Front and Center of Double Dual - Colorado State University Athletics - CSURams.com
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