National titles in NCAA competition have eluded the Mavericks across all NCAA sports since joining the Division II in 1992. Swim and dive, however, might just be the best chance the Mavericks have.

They truly set the tone for another dominant year with the two-day Intermountain Shootout at The El Pomar Natatorium. They faced off against  such as the University of Utah, Brigham Young University (BYU) and RMAC rival CSU Pueblo. 

Despite the harsh competition, the Mavericks proved why they are considered one of the top Division II programs in the nation, securing numerous victories and making an early statement that they are ready for a championship season. 

“We started off really good on Friday by beating Utah by just one point. We get a lot of great competition, and they are really fast. It helps push us,” said junior Olivia Hansson.

The Intermountain Shootout wasn’t just about team victories, it was also a showcase of individual brilliance. The women’s team started strong, with Hansson finishing first with a time of 2:06.35 for the 200 Yard Butterfly.  Oliva was not the only one to secure a first-place victory for the women’s team, as junior Agata Naskret claimed first in the 100 Yard Backstroke with a time of 55.76. Sophomore Jenna Hurley also notched an amazing performance, placing second in the Women’s 3-meter Dive, which led to the women’s one-point victory on the first night of competition.

The men’s team also had a wonderful performance at the shootout. Day one, the men’s team took an incredible first place finish in the 400 Yard Medley Relay.  Both Maverick relay squads saw the podium, seeing the B team log a third place victory. Along with his first place performance in the relay, senior Andrew Scoggin nabbed another first-place victory in the 100 Yard Backstroke.

The meet meant a lot to the men’s team as this was our first time getting to see how the team adjusted with the loss of Ben Sampson, the reigning NCAA Division II Men’s Swimmer of the Year.  

“I think he was a great guy on the team. I think he was everyone’s friend. Not only did he score a lot of points, he was an overall great friend.  He’s definitely missed, but I think getting to train with someone like that leaves an impact on everyone.  It’s motivation to be better and replace the role he had last year,” said sophomore Max Ayres

Ayres truly stepped into that role, as he finished first in the 50-yard Breaststroke, narrowly edging teammate Forrest Frazier. Along with Ayres, the rest of the men’s team also did well on day two of the shootout.  

“We’re a blue-collar, hard-working team. Our success depends on everyone in the program getting better. If we stay where we are, we won’t be competitive. The goal is to improve every day. We value fierce competition in practice but in a supportive, loving way. I’ve seen our women start to embrace that. After you compete, you can really see the correlation between your training and your meet performance. After that first meet, things seem to be elevated because it’s a reality check,” said head coach Mickey Wender.

Coach Wender has taken the CMU swim and dive teams to unprecedented high after unprecedented high. In his five years at the helm, Wender has received four RMAC coach of the year awards, and even grabbed the NCAA Division II coach of the year award last season.

“If I did the same thing every year, we’d get worse. So, I change our training program by 10-20% each year. It’s about specific adaptation to increased demand. For example, if I trained Ben Sampson the same way every year, he would have never developed to his full potential. It’s about progressive overload—there’s science behind it, but also a lot of art. My job is to figure out how hard I can push them, where I need to challenge them, and how to help them develop without pushing them too far. The training gets harder each year, but the culture remains consistent,” said Wender.

Outside of his personal awards, Wender has seen his athletes garner 286 All-America awards, along with 157 individual RMAC titles. As icing on the cake, Wender’s squads are undefeated against every other RMAC program.

“Our rate of improvement is 3.8% from senior year in high school to senior year in college. The national average across all divisions is 1.8%, so we’re more than twice the national average. That’s our key to success—identifying talent, hard workers and helping them reach their full potential,” said Wender.

As CMU continues to build on its early-season success, one thing is clear: the Mavericks are poised for another remarkable season. With incredible performances, a hard-working roster, and an unwavering focus on improvement, the team is well-positioned to make a serious run this season. The Mavericks dominantly opened their season, proving once again that they are one of the top swim programs in the country. CMU is ready to take on all challengers as they march toward their ultimate goal: a national title.

CMU’s next big test comes on Nov. 3, when the team travels to Laramie to take on the University of Wyoming. Last year, Wyoming narrowly defeated CMU in a close meet at the Mavericks’ home pool, and this year’s contest promises to be just as competitive.