HOUSTON, Texas (2/13/23) – Everything is clicking, and everything is falling into place at exactly the correct time for the University of Wyoming women's swimming and diving team. With the Mountain West Conference Championships beginning Wednesday inside the CRWC Natatorium, the Cowgirls are not only feeling confident but also finding a new level of enjoyment in the sport.  

"It's a unique dynamic right now," head coach Dave Denniston said. "Last week we had the most fun we've had at a practice in a long time. We are having fun swimming, and that's giving us a lot of confidence going into championships."

The confidence aspect blossomed from a strong showing at a quad meet in Las Vegas a couple weekends ago. The Cowgirls put in a stout performance and beat a UNLV team that finished runner-up at last year's conference meet.

The fun aspect is an element that's been growing all season. It comes from a roster that has a blend of senior leadership mixed with confident and mature underclassmen.

"It's a very unique team in a very unique year," Denniston said. "There's a lot of leadership and energy from the younger crew, especially our sophomores. They have stepped up this year, have gone through growing pains, and now see themselves as major contributors on the team. We have a great group of freshmen that are doing well, and the juniors and seniors are both very reliable classes."

That balance bears out. The Cowgirls boast 15 different swimmers that have won a race this season, and of that group, 11 have won multiple races.

Maisyn Klimczak leads the collection of talent with a dozen individual victories this season. Sydney McKenzie has seven wins to her name, while Sage Morton and Carly Palmer have four wins apiece.

Three of those four aforementioned names competed at last year's conference championships. They helped the Cowgirls finish fourth as a team after San Diego State, UNLV and Nevada went 1-2-3, respectively.

The Mountain West Conference has seen quite a bit of parity in the last decade. Four different teams have earned a team title, and the Cowgirls have finished anywhere from third through sixth during that time.

As stated, the 2023 edition of the conference championships starts Wednesday. Preliminary heats of the 1-meter event commence at 12 p.m. with the first finals occurring that evening at 6 p.m.
In the couple days leading up to Wednesday, Denniston's message to his team is simple.

"Just soak it in and have fun," he said.