10/28/2026 12:11:00 PM | Swimming & Diving, Pokes Insider
Wyoming captain swims to honor friend, lost teammate Carson Muir
LARAMIE – Sophie Nutter has been swimming for two throughout her Wyoming career.
The senior from Austin, Texas, lost her best friend and teammate, Carson Muir, during her freshman year when Muir was killed in a car accident along with UW men's swimmers Charlie Clark and Luke Slabber.
"That was definitely the hardest thing I've been through in my life," Nutter said. "I came to college, and obviously, you don't know anybody when you're showing up at a new school and moving across the country. Carson was there for me from day one. We were attached at the hip. We would do everything together. Every practice, we'd be in the same lane.
"After the accident happened, I just hit a really dark, bad place in my life. But I think that incident turned the team around for the better. It really brought us closer together. Coaches, teammates, everybody's here for a bigger reason than just swimming."
Nutter has matured from being a swimmer who didn't make the travel team early in her career into a strong, versatile performer in sprint freestyle, sprint butterfly and middle-distance butterfly events.
She's also one of the Cowgirls' team captains, alongside NCAA qualifiers Macey Hansen and Tara Joyce.
"That's what you hope for with every student-athlete: somebody who comes in hungry, does the right things, takes a few bumps along the way, but also learns from it, makes it a strength and then becomes contagious with that strength," UW head coach Dave Denniston said. "She's also everyone's friend, and she believes in the best in everybody.
"She was somebody who was really close with Carson Muir, and I think losing her, Sophie in a lot of ways memorializes Carson by being that person who believes in you no matter what. That was Carson's big trait: her faith in people."
In high school, Nutter thought she wanted to spread her wings far from Texas by attending college in Boston or New York.
Then she visited Laramie.
"I came on my recruiting visit to Wyoming, and I just fell in love with it," Nutter said. "My parents think it's so funny because I just always imagined myself being in a big city, but I came to Laramie, Wyoming, and ended up loving it."
Denniston said Nutter put in a lot of work in the weight room and dramatically improved her efficiency in the water over the years.
"One of the things Sophie's bringing to this team is a contagious avenue for success and showing the younger ones, or the ones who might be struggling, that this is part of it, but it's going to be worth it," Denniston said.
During the Cowgirls' 163-137 victory over Air Force, the first official dual meet in the new Wyoming Aquatics Center, Nutter competed in the 100-yard butterfly, finishing second, and the 200 butterfly, finishing fourth. She also swam on the 200 medley relay team, which placed third, and the 400 freestyle relay team, which finished fourth.
"It's been a roller coaster, honestly," Nutter said of her development. "I feel like it's helped me mature and grow up in so many ways. Freshman year was not my year. I was not doing that great. My swim was OK, but I didn't get brought to every meet, and that kind of sucked.
"Now, in my senior year, being a captain is such a dream come true. I feel like, through my struggles and through the things that I've been through on this team, that's helped me become a better captain and know how to be there for my teammates in better ways."
UW will face Utah in a dual meet Friday at the Green River High School Aquatic Center.
In the 2025 meeting between the former Mountain West rivals, Nutter and the rest of the 200 medley relay team set the tone with a strong performance in the Cowgirls' 172-128 victory over the Utes.
Nutter also won the 100 and 200 butterfly races, Hansen won the 500 and 1,000 freestyle races, and Joyce won the 100 and 200 freestyle races.
"They're able to take any situation and make the most out of it. They've had some of that through practice, but that's just who they are as people," Denniston said of his Cowgirl captains. "They want to have fun, they want to be successful, and they want people to enjoy that success with them. They've figured out a formula to make that happen.
"Sophie's the one who's probably the most approachable. I think when you look at Macey and Tara, they can be a little intimidating because they are so fast and they have been to NCAAs. I think a lot of our younger athletes are drawn to Sophie because she's maybe not the superstar on paper that Macey and Tara are, but man, she's relatable, and she gets the best out of people, too."
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Wyoming Aquatics Center in September, a large crowd filled the state-of-the-art facility. The parents and siblings of Muir, Clark and Slabber were among those in attendance.
Denniston asked Nutter to serve on the committee planning a permanent memorial to the three swimmers, which is scheduled to be added to the facility in the spring. Since the tragedy, Nutter has also grown close to Muir's mother, Kristie.
"The accident happening was terrible, and I feel like I definitely am still swimming for two because me and Carson would do everything together," Nutter said. "We were doing our two fly sets together because we did the exact same events. Every time I step up behind the blocks, it's kind of comforting knowing that I have her on my side, if that makes sense."
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
Don't just watch the game — change it. The most powerful way to support University of Wyoming student-athletes is by joining the Cowboy Joe Club. Your membership fuels scholarships, provides essential resources, and helps Cowboys and Cowgirls succeed both in the classroom and in competition. Your gift is not just support — it's access. As a member, you'll enjoy exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the action than ever before. Be a champion. Join our team. Visit CowboyJoeClub.com or call 307-766-6242.
The senior from Austin, Texas, lost her best friend and teammate, Carson Muir, during her freshman year when Muir was killed in a car accident along with UW men's swimmers Charlie Clark and Luke Slabber.
"That was definitely the hardest thing I've been through in my life," Nutter said. "I came to college, and obviously, you don't know anybody when you're showing up at a new school and moving across the country. Carson was there for me from day one. We were attached at the hip. We would do everything together. Every practice, we'd be in the same lane.
"After the accident happened, I just hit a really dark, bad place in my life. But I think that incident turned the team around for the better. It really brought us closer together. Coaches, teammates, everybody's here for a bigger reason than just swimming."
Nutter has matured from being a swimmer who didn't make the travel team early in her career into a strong, versatile performer in sprint freestyle, sprint butterfly and middle-distance butterfly events.
She's also one of the Cowgirls' team captains, alongside NCAA qualifiers Macey Hansen and Tara Joyce.
"That's what you hope for with every student-athlete: somebody who comes in hungry, does the right things, takes a few bumps along the way, but also learns from it, makes it a strength and then becomes contagious with that strength," UW head coach Dave Denniston said. "She's also everyone's friend, and she believes in the best in everybody.
"She was somebody who was really close with Carson Muir, and I think losing her, Sophie in a lot of ways memorializes Carson by being that person who believes in you no matter what. That was Carson's big trait: her faith in people."
In high school, Nutter thought she wanted to spread her wings far from Texas by attending college in Boston or New York.
Then she visited Laramie.
"I came on my recruiting visit to Wyoming, and I just fell in love with it," Nutter said. "My parents think it's so funny because I just always imagined myself being in a big city, but I came to Laramie, Wyoming, and ended up loving it."
Denniston said Nutter put in a lot of work in the weight room and dramatically improved her efficiency in the water over the years.
"One of the things Sophie's bringing to this team is a contagious avenue for success and showing the younger ones, or the ones who might be struggling, that this is part of it, but it's going to be worth it," Denniston said.
During the Cowgirls' 163-137 victory over Air Force, the first official dual meet in the new Wyoming Aquatics Center, Nutter competed in the 100-yard butterfly, finishing second, and the 200 butterfly, finishing fourth. She also swam on the 200 medley relay team, which placed third, and the 400 freestyle relay team, which finished fourth.
"It's been a roller coaster, honestly," Nutter said of her development. "I feel like it's helped me mature and grow up in so many ways. Freshman year was not my year. I was not doing that great. My swim was OK, but I didn't get brought to every meet, and that kind of sucked.
"Now, in my senior year, being a captain is such a dream come true. I feel like, through my struggles and through the things that I've been through on this team, that's helped me become a better captain and know how to be there for my teammates in better ways."
UW will face Utah in a dual meet Friday at the Green River High School Aquatic Center.
In the 2025 meeting between the former Mountain West rivals, Nutter and the rest of the 200 medley relay team set the tone with a strong performance in the Cowgirls' 172-128 victory over the Utes.
Nutter also won the 100 and 200 butterfly races, Hansen won the 500 and 1,000 freestyle races, and Joyce won the 100 and 200 freestyle races.
"They're able to take any situation and make the most out of it. They've had some of that through practice, but that's just who they are as people," Denniston said of his Cowgirl captains. "They want to have fun, they want to be successful, and they want people to enjoy that success with them. They've figured out a formula to make that happen.
"Sophie's the one who's probably the most approachable. I think when you look at Macey and Tara, they can be a little intimidating because they are so fast and they have been to NCAAs. I think a lot of our younger athletes are drawn to Sophie because she's maybe not the superstar on paper that Macey and Tara are, but man, she's relatable, and she gets the best out of people, too."
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Wyoming Aquatics Center in September, a large crowd filled the state-of-the-art facility. The parents and siblings of Muir, Clark and Slabber were among those in attendance.
Denniston asked Nutter to serve on the committee planning a permanent memorial to the three swimmers, which is scheduled to be added to the facility in the spring. Since the tragedy, Nutter has also grown close to Muir's mother, Kristie.
"The accident happening was terrible, and I feel like I definitely am still swimming for two because me and Carson would do everything together," Nutter said. "We were doing our two fly sets together because we did the exact same events. Every time I step up behind the blocks, it's kind of comforting knowing that I have her on my side, if that makes sense."
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
Don't just watch the game — change it. The most powerful way to support University of Wyoming student-athletes is by joining the Cowboy Joe Club. Your membership fuels scholarships, provides essential resources, and helps Cowboys and Cowgirls succeed both in the classroom and in competition. Your gift is not just support — it's access. As a member, you'll enjoy exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the action than ever before. Be a champion. Join our team. Visit CowboyJoeClub.com or call 307-766-6242.
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