COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University men's and women's swimming teams were both picked as unanimous favorites to win their fourth consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference titles this season, according to the conference's 2021-22 pre-season coaches' poll, which was announced Friday morning.
The Maverick women, who set a RMAC Championship margin of victory record of 566 ½ points at the 2021 conference meet, received all six possible first place votes to top the 7-team poll with 36 points. CMU's men received all three possible first place votes to take top billing in the 4-team poll with nine points.
Coaches each ranked their opposition (1-6 for women, 1-3 men) without voting for their own squad.
In the women's poll, the Mavericks finished five points clear of the Colorado School of Mines, which was picked second with 31 points. The Orediggers received CMU Coach
Mickey Wender's first place vote after taking second at last year's RMAC Championships. Oklahoma Christian edged Western Colorado for third place in the poll with 24 points as Western received 23. CSU Pueblo (16), Nebraska-Kearney (9) and Adams State (8) round out the poll.
On the men's side, Mines and Oklahoma Christian were tied for second with six points. Oklahoma Christian received Wender's first place vote. Adams State received three points.
In 2021, the Maverick men won 17 of the 22 contested events, including all five relays to win the 5-team RMAC Championships with a score of 1,115 ½ points, 304 more than Mines and 612 more than Oklahoma Christian, which only competed on the first two days of the conference meet due to COVID-19 issues within the team.
CMU then went on to place 11th at the NCAA Division II National Championships, matching their best-ever finish.
The CMU women claimed 12 event victories, including all five relays, and scored 1,164 ½ points at last year's RMAC Championships. They then went on to place a program-best 12th at the national championships.
The Mavericks also combined to earn a conference-record 120 total All-RMAC certificates last season before 13 different athletes racked up 44 CSCAA All-America honors.
CMU will begin the 2021-22 season later Friday hosting the 11th and largest-ever Intermountain Shootout at the El Pomar Natatorium at 5 p.m. The 9-team women's meet, which continues with a Saturday 10 a.m. session, includes five NCAA Division I foes and will give the Mavericks a chance of extending their 5-plus year dual-meet winning streak against RMAC foes to 27 as they will also swim against Adams State and CSU Pueblo.
The men's meet will feature five teams, including a pair of Division I squads in Air Force and BYU. The Mavericks will also take on the Adams State Grizzlies with a chance of extending their RMAC dual-meet winning streak to nine since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
2021-22 RMAC Men's Swimming & Diving Preseason Poll
2021-22 RMAC Women's Swimming & Diving Preseason Poll
| Institution (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Colorado Mesa (6) |
36 |
| 2. Colorado School of Mines (1) |
31 |
| 3. Oklahoma Christian |
24 |
| 4. Western Colorado |
23 |
| 5. Colorado State University Pueblo |
16 |
| 6. Nebraska-Kearney |
9 |
| 7. Adams State |
8 |
