Exactly 11 months after wrapping up the 2019-20 season at the SCAC Championships, the Colorado College women's swimming and diving teams opened the 2020-21 campaign on Friday at Schlessman Natatorium.
 
CC dominated the University of the Ozarks in the first Division III athletic competition for the Tigers this academic year, defeating the Eagles, 179-50.
 
Sophomores Kate Brush and Peyton Classon, as well as freshmen Gina Lynch, Emma Phillips and Annie Bowens each collected a pair of individual wins.
 
Brush, a team co-MVP as a freshman last season, won the 200-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly, and finished second in the 200 IM.
 
Meanwhile, an impressive first-year class put together quite a meet. Phillips showed her endurance by winning the 500- and 1000-yard freestyle races, each by more than 30 seconds. Lynch captured the 200 IM and 100 backstroke, and led off the meet-opening 200-yard medley relay.
 
Bowens won the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races and was the opening swimmer for the first-place 400-yard freestyle relay.
 
In diving, Classon captured both the 1- and 3-meter boards, followed by teammates Jen Middleton in the 1-meter and Imali Kegode in the 3-meter.

"We are so grateful to have this chance to compete today," head coach Anne Goodman James said. "I asked our team to be bold, and to really step into this opportunity, and they truly did step in and step up.  We were so excited to race in a real meet situation, and I am truly impressed with what we were able to do today.  Our first years and our returnees all contributed to the energy in the team performance today."
 
The Tigers are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 16 against Austin College.