After a one-year hiatus, the University of Wyoming women’s swimming and diving team had a representative at the NCAA Championships this past week in Minneapolis.
Senior Morgan Hartigan broke the one-year drought for the Cowgirls, competing in three different events: the 200-yard individual medley, the 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard freestyle at the NCAA Championships.
During the 200-yard individual medley Thursday, Hartigan recorded a time of 2:01.76, good enough for 60th place. While it was not her fastest time in the event, it still ranks as the all-time fourth fastest here at UW. Hartigan is also the only Cowgirl swimmer to ever compete in this event at the NCAA Championships.
She followed up that performance by competing in the 100-yard backstroke on Friday, clocking in with a time of 53:52 and earning her a 35th place finish. This was her best finish of the week and also the second fastest time in the Mountain West Conference. It was also the second best time ever in University of Wyoming history.
The final event of the championships for Morgan was the 100-yard freestyle, which she placed 48th in with a time of 49.62. Hartigan was again the second fastest Mountain West swimmer in the event and her time was the third fastest ever at UW. She now owns two of the top three times ever at this university.
Her performance wraps up the senior’s career at UW. Hartigan goes down as the ninth Cowgirl ever to compete at the NCAA Championships.
Four divers – two Cowboys and two Cogirls – also competed for Wyoming this past week at the Zone “E” Diving Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo. Senior Derek Campbell qualified for finals and placed 11th in the platform with a score of 549.43 and freshman teammate Jacob Rehmeier came in 21st place with a score of 192.78.
On the women’s side, sophomore Kari Campbell just missed qualifying for finals and ended up placing 18th with a score 222.95. Senior teammate Amanda Fay placed 23rd with a score of 204.05.
The swim season for Wyoming will wrap up with the NCAA Men’s Championship this week in Austin, Texas.
Junior Adam Kalms and sophomore Ryan Nelson qualified for the championships. This marked the first time since 1949 that two Wyoming swimmers will compete in the NCAA Men’s Championships.
