Dive into Senior Day: A Special Showdown Against Wyoming!

By: Sam Boender

M Swimming: #25 Mines vs. Wyoming – Mines Natatorium – Saturday, 11 a.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Results]

W Swimming: #21 Mines vs. Wyoming – Mines Natatorium – Saturday, 11 a.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Results]

HOME FINALE
Saturday signifies the second home competition of the season for the nationally-ranked Colorado School of Mines Men’s and Women’s Swimming squads. It also represents the final home event of the Orediggers’ 2024-25 season, which means it is Senior Day. The Mines men and women will honor their senior class by competing against NCAA Division I Wyoming. Senior acknowledgement will commence at 10:40 a.m. on the pool deck at the Mines Natatorium, with the first race beginning at 11 a.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
There will be complimentary live video on the RMAC Network. The stream will initiate at 10:40 a.m. to include the Senior Day recognition. Actions on Saturday will also showcase live results on SwimCloud. These can be accessed through the various links in this article or by visiting www.minesathletics.com/swimlive.
 
DIFFERENT TYPE OF DUAL
Saturday’s agenda is not your ordinary dual event. It is crafted for both swimmers and spectators to enjoy. The modified and expedited schedule will progress swiftly and aims to generate plenty of enthusiasm in each race. It should be highlighted that two lanes will be allocated for swimmers to warm up and cool down. The remaining six will be for competitive races. Please review the schedule of events below.
– 400-medley relay
– 200-free
– 50-back
– 50-breast
– 200-fly
BREAK
– 400-freestyle relay
– 200-back
– 200-breast
– 50-fly
BREAK
– 100-IM
– 200-freestyle relay
 
LOOKING BACK
Last weekend, the Oredigger men and women visited the U.S. Air Force Academy just north of Colorado Springs. The Mines men competed against the Falcons, while the women participated in a quad meet including Air Force, Northern Colorado, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The men were defeated in their dual, 167-94. The final scores for the Oredigger women resulted in losses to the Falcons and Bears, 239-54 and 225-68, respectively. However, Mines succeeded against UTRGV, 190-87. Individually, Julie Gill distinguished herself as the top scorer for the women, securing silver in the 1000-free and bronze in the 500-free. For the men’s team, Jakson Winn not only was the leading point scorer for the Oredigger but also topped all swimmers at the meet. Winn earned gold in the 100-back, 100-free, and as a member of the 400-freestyle relay. Furthermore, Vladislav Kazakin claimed silver in the 100-free, Luca Burns took silver in the 100-back, Jaron O’Grady received silver in the 200-fly, Michael Kietzman won gold in the 50-free and silver in the 100-free, and Ronan Lauinger earned silver in the 200-IM. Kietzman, Sawyer Jones, and Kazakin combined to form the other three legs of the victorious 400-freestyle relay.
 
CELEBRATE THE SENIORS
The senior class for Mines swimming in 2024-25 consists of 12 exceptional student-athletes. Isabella Bono, Sophia Buhr, Kerrigan Hemp, Olivia Kisow, and Maggie Wells will represent the Oredigger women during the pre-meet celebration. The “honored guests” for the men are Jack Engler, Gavin Gilmore, Michael Kietzman, Ronan Lauinger, Jaron O’Grady, Andres Saa, and Max Waring. Collectively, this group has achieved multiple runner-up finishes at the RMAC Swimming & Diving Championships, numerous appearances and team scoring at the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships, and many All-RMAC honors in the last three years. Each senior will have an individual tribute announced during the pre-meet festivities. A concise profile of each senior is provided below.
 
ISABELLA BONO
Throughout her career, Bono has recorded several NCAA “B” qualifying times in four events, including the 500-free, 1000-free, 1650-free, and 400-IM. She also boasts podium finishes every year of her career at the conference championships, including Second-Team All-RMAC in the 1650-free (2) and 200-fly. Bono was honored as CSCAA Second-Team Scholar All-America during her sophomore and junior years as well.
 
SOPHIA BUHR
Currently ranked among the top-100 in NCAA Division II for the 100-fly and 200-fly, she has contributed team points for Mines at the RMAC Championships in all three years. These points include scoring swims in the 100-fly, 200-fly, 200-IM, and 400-IM. She was recognized as Second-Team All-RMAC during her freshman year on the 200-medley relay. Additionally, Buhr achieved a top-50 national ranking in the 50 fly as a freshman and sophomore while finishing her junior season among the top-100 in the 100-IM.
 
KERRIGAN HEMP
During her tenure at Mines, Hemp has set four program records, including the 100-back, 200-back, and both medley relay legs. She has been honored as a three-time First-Team All-RMAC swimmer and holds two Second-Team All-RMAC finishes. Notably, Hemp has received two CSCAA Second-Team All-America awards as part of the 400-medley relay in 2023 and 2024.
 
OLIVIA KISOW

Kisow began her collegiate journey as the 2022 RMAC Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, she qualified for the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships as a member of the 800-freestyle relay team. Overall, Kisow is a First-Team All-RMAC swimmer and has earned four Second-Team All-RMAC distinctions at the conference meets. She has also ranked in the top-100 nationally in several events at the end of multiple seasons.
 
MAGGIE WELLS
As a freshman, Wells achieved First-Team All-RMAC finishes as part of the 200-freestyle and 400-freestyle relays, along with Second-Team All-RMAC on the 800-freestyle relay. She went on to secure two additional Second-Team All-RMAC accolades in the subsequent two years while ranking in the top-100 nationally in the 200-free and 1000-free as a junior. Earlier this season, Wells participated in the 400-freestyle relay that shattered the program record at the midseason invite in Grand Junction, Colo.
 
JACK ENGLER
Engler has earned four Second-Team All-RMAC distinctions, including two all-conference races.in the 400-medley relay, another as a part of the 400-freestyle relay, and a fourth-position conclusion in the 200-breast as a sophomore. His contribution to the 400-medley relay at the 2024 RMAC Championships led to a program record. Throughout his journey, Engler has consistently ranked in the top-100 nationally in several events, reaching a peak of 36^th in the nation in the 50-breast as a junior.
 
GAVIN GILMORE
Throughout his tenure at Mines, Gilmore has accumulated points in every one of his appearances at the RMAC Swimming and Diving Championships. His best result in the conference events was sixth place in the 100-breast in 2023. Gilmore’s combined efforts in academics and athletics earned him the CSCAA Second-Team Scholar All-America accolade in 2024. He has also made the Mines Dean’s List and Honor Roll for the last four years consecutively.
 
MICHAEL KIETZMAN

From 2022-24, Kietzman boasts two First-Team All-RMAC accolades and seven Second-Team All-RMAC finishes at the championship tournaments. In just his junior year, the Texan achieved three NCAA “B” times at the RMAC Swimming & Diving Championships. Perhaps most remarkable was his contribution to the 2022-23 800-freestyle relay, which shattered the program record at the midseason invite in Grand Junction, recording the quickest time in Oredigger history with and without altitude adjustments.
 
RONAN LAUINGER
In the previous season, Lauinger became a two-time All-American for the Orediggers, completing the 400-IM at 15^th in the nation and finishing 14th nationally in the 500-free. To this point, he has been a five-time All-RMAC swimmer and a conference titleholder in the 400-IM. Lauinger’s name is etched six times in the program record book and he has qualified for all three NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships thus far. He is anticipated to qualify again, currently ranked ninth in the nation in the 400-IM.
 
JARON O’GRADY

Over the past three seasons, O’Grady has achieved three Second-Team All-RMAC finishes at the championship tournaments. He was named the RMAC Swimming & Diving Academic Athlete of the Year in 2024 as well. Other honors for O’Grady consist of, but are not limited to, being a three-time Second-Team Scholar All-America and receiving CSC Academic All-America recognition in 2024. As a senior, O’Grady is currently ranked in the top-25 nationally in both the 1000-free and the 200-fly.
 
ANDRES SAA
In his career, Saa has excelled in distance freestyle and individual medley competitions. Recently, he has added mid-distance freestyle, butterfly, and IM to his skill set. Saa was awarded the 2023 RMAC Summit Award and subsequently earned the CSCAA Second-Team Scholar All-America status. He has tallied points for Mines at the conference championships in consecutive seasons with a top finish of seventh in the 1000-free in 2023. Another highlight was a NCAA “B” cut in the 500-free during the 2023 RMAC meet.
 
MAX WARING
In 16 years of competitive swimming, Waring holds a club state title for the 200-fly, was a finalist at the state high school A-level, and received Second-Team All-RMAC honors in the 200-fly at the 2021 conference championships. His accolades include a CSCAA Second-Team Scholar All-America recognition and two listings on the RMAC Academic Honor Roll. Waring also achieved a NCAA “B” cut in the 200-fly in 2023.
 
RECORD RELAY
At the TYR/CMU Invitational in November, Mines’ women’s team remarkably excelled in the 400-freestyle relay during the final session on the last racing day. The Oredigger team of Jennifer Pierson, Jordan Tierney, Maggie Wells, and Kylie VanderMeer clocked a time of 3:28.24, which adjusted to 3:27.84 for altitude, both of which secured a place in the program record book. This performance surpassed the prior record established during the 2019-20 season. It highlights the first program record of the season for either Mines’ men or women.
 
IN THE RANKINGS
Following a successful November, both the men’s and women’s teams at Mines re-appeared in the College Swimming and Diving Coaches’ Association of America’s (CSCAA) 2024-25 Division II Top 25 dual meet poll. The Orediggers commenced the season with the men at #23 and the women at #25 before falling out of contention in November. The December national ranking featured the men returning at #25 and the women rising to #21.
 
NEW MAN ON DECK
Noah Hensley joined the Mines swimming staff during the summer as the second full-time assistant coach in program history. Hensley brings nearly ten years of experience as both a student-athlete and coach at the collegiate level. Most recently, the four-time NCAA All-American served as the associate head coach for the men’s and women’s swimming & diving squads at NCAA Division I Miami University of Ohio. His background also includes stints at IU Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI) and North Carolina State University, where he also competed as a student-athlete. Fans can read Hensley’s full profile HERE.
 
ADDITIONAL ADDITIONS
Head Coach Claire McDaniel further enhanced her team by hiring assistant coach Jackie Mudd and graduate assistant Colin Fenster. Mudd comes to Mines after her collegiate competition at Biola University in California. Originally hailing from Littleton, Colo., she graduated from Columbine High School. Fenster competed as a student-athlete at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. This duo, along with the previously mentioned Hensley, joins veteran assistant Andy Foley to complete the entire Oredigger staff under McDaniel’s leadership.
 
AT THE HELM
Colorado School of Mines Swimming Head Coach Claire McDaniel is in her sixth season leading the Oredigger men and women. McDaniel earned her third RMAC Coach of the Year recognition on the men’s side after guiding the Orediggers to a silver team standing at the 2023-24 RMAC Swimming & Diving Championships. She has also secured three RMAC Coach of the Year honors for the women’s team. Over five seasons, McDaniel has mentored five RMAC Swimmers of the Year, four RMAC Freshmen of the Year, and 25 all-American performances, comprising 21 individual events and four relays.
 
UP NEXT

Saturday marks the final meet of the regular season for Mines’ men. Their next competition will be the 2025 RMAC Swimming & Diving Championships scheduled for Feb. 11-15 in Grand Junction, Colo. The Oredigger women will have one last dual prior to the postseason when they travel to Colorado State on Jan. 25.
 
Fans can stay updated on Mines swimming via “X” (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram at @MinesSwimming. They can also follow Colorado School of Mines Athletics year-round on Facebook, “X” and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.