Wyoming swimmers enjoy strong final day at DU First Chance Invite

* University of Wyoming Athletics media relations release

DENVER -- The University of Wyoming swimming & diving team put a bow on the regular season Saturday at the DU First Chance Invite inside El Pomar Natatorium. The Cowboys and Cowgirls showed well, recording numerous top-two finishes.

“I’m really proud of the way our team swam and the energy they had on deck,” head coach Dave Denniston said. “I was really happy and encouraged by the results.”

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Those top-two finishes for the men featured a couple races where Wyoming took first and second. The first such event was the 200-yard freestyle where Luke Walker won it in 1:40.13, and Gavin Smith was second in 1:40.59.

Matt Lang and Reilly Gilbert also finished 1-2 in the 100-yard backstroke. Lang boasted a time of 50.02, while Gilbert clocked in at 46.72.

Gilbert’s highlight of the day occurred in the 200-yard IM, as he won with a time of 1:55.48. Aron Markow rounded out the Cowboys’ top-two finishes, taking runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 56.71.

More teams were present at the meet on the women’s side. That didn’t stop Samantha Covello from spearheading the day by winning the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:04.75. She added a third-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, swimming a 58.33.

Samantha Diaz gave the Cowgirls’ a pair of victories. She tied for first in the 50-yard freestyle, boasting a time of 23.79.

Emma Mehl had a busy meet in the distance events. She placed second in the 1,650-yard freestyle after registering a time of 17:42.47 and added a third-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:05.41.

Claire Becker took second in the 400-yard individual medley, logging a time of 4:41.42. Hannah Giles took third in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:09.73, and Madeline Bane rounded out the remainder of top-three finishes, taking third in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.60.

“We had great swims by Becker, Mehl, Diaz and Bane,” Denniston said. “We had several PRs for our women, giving confidence to those going into conference.

“We also had great swims also from Markow, Lang and Gilbert on the men’s side.”

The women’s team heads to the Mountain West Conference championships, which begin on Wednesday in College Station, Texas. The men’s team participates in the Western Athletic Conference championships the following week in Houston, Texas.