DENVER, Colo. (Oct. 27, 2018) – Wyoming swimming and diving dropped its first duals of the season against the Denver Pioneers on Saturday. The Cowboys lost 184-114 while the Cowgirls fell short 155-145.
 
"It was a tough week and you could tell the teams were tired. They fought hard, but Denver was the better team today," head coach Dave Denniston said. "The highlights for us in the distance swims were Daniella (Luna Rocha) won the 1000-free and came in second in the 500-free and Jacob (Harlan) had a season-best in the 500-freestyle. Erin (Eccleston) had a really strong performance in the 400-yard IM, while David (Murphy) was solid in the 50-freestyle. Both men's and women's diving swept the boards. We had some nice stuff today unfortunately came up a little bit short."
 
On the Cowboys side, Wyoming won four of 16 events. Mitchell Hovis posted the top time of 56.84 in the 100-yard backstroke. In the 50-yard freestyle, David Murphy touched the wall in a season best 20.81 to take first place. The Cowboys finished two, three, four in the 100-yard freestyle. PJ Musser swam a time of 46.11 followed closely by Murphy with a time of 46.21. James Bouda rounded out in third with a 47.08 mark. Ryan Netzel found the third spot on the podium in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:42.64, which is a season best, and fourth in the 500-yard freestyle with a 4:47.86 time. Tyler Klatt also placed second in the 100-yard backstroke with a mark of 50.92 and Jacob Harlan was third in the 500-yard freestyle with a season-best 4:43.23.
 
On the diving board, the Cowboys swept the 1-meter board posting the top three scores. Ryan Russi took first with a score of 273.23, Brendan Byrnes recorded 211.13 mark for a second place spot and Elijah Chan took third place with a score of 210.68. In the 3-meter, Russi won his second board of the day with a number of 303.83 while Byrnes earned another second place finish with 243.83 mark. In the 400-yard medley relay, the team of Klatt, Murphy, Brayden Love and Bouda finished second with a time of 3:23.00 as did Musser, Grant Sloan, Liam Metzsch and Murphy in the 200-yardfreestyle with a season best time of 1:23.10.
 
The Cowgirls won seven of 16 events throughout the competition. The Cowgirls would place three out of the top four times in the 1000-yard freestyle. Daniela Luna Rocha touched the wall in 10:25.57 to place first, followed by Talita Te Flan in second with a 10:40.97 and Astrid Iturbe in fourth with a 10:47.79. Lainee Jones and Katelyn Blattner posted the top two time in the 200-yard freestyle with 1:52.44, a season-best, and 1:54.59, respectively. In the 200-yard backstroke, Samantha Burke placed first with a time of 2:01.88. The Cowgirls swept the top three spots in the 500-yard freestyle with Jones finishing first in 5:06.40, Luna Rocha touched second in 5:06.87 and Blattner with a third place time of 5:09.66. Erin Eccleston had a solid showing in the 400-yard IM to take the top spot with a time of 4:29.84.
 
The Cowgirls swept both boards. Peyton GrandPre placed first on the 1-meter board scoring 249.60 followed by CeeJay Harris with a score of 245.10. In the three meter, Harris followed with a top spot in the 3-meter dive by scoring 267.08. In the 400-yard medley relay, the team of Burke, Phoebe Browne, Hannah Mclean-Leonard and Isobel Ryan took the second spot with a time of 3:50.90, while the group of Ryan, Sani Carsrud, Jones and Burke swam a time of 1:35.07 to also place second.
 
The Cowboys will host Colorado School of Mines on Friday. The meet is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Corbett pool. The Cowgirls will be back in action on Friday, Nov. 9, against Washington State in Pullman followed by the Idaho Vandals, on Sat., Nov. 10 in Moscow.
 
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