BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul swimming & diving program was picked ninth in the 2021-22 NSIC Swimming & Diving Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league office on Thursday.
Minnesota State secured the maximum eight first place votes and is picked atop the league entering the season, with St. Cloud State securing the lone remaining vote and picked second.
It's the second year for Concordia's swimming & diving program, which had its inaugural season during the 2020-21 academic year which was dramatically altered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Concordia opens the year with a meet at Northern State competing against the host Wolves along with UMary (N.D.) in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The Wolves were picked seventh and the Marauders fifth in the poll.
The Golden Bears will also compete against NSIC members Minnesota State, Southwest Minnesota State (four times), Augustana, and a second meet against Northern State. The Golden Bears will also swim in the MSU Moorhead Invite.
The league schedule culminates at the NSIC Swimming & Diving Championship on February 9-12, 2022 at the Midco Aquatic Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota hosted by the University of Sioux Falls.
ABOUT THE GOLDEN BEARS
The Golden Bears swimming & diving program enters its second season of competition in 2021-22 and their first under head coach
Rachel Busch. Busch, a former standout swimmer at Minnesota State, joins CSP after a successful stint at the helm for Buffalo High School. Heading into the first season under Busch, the squad has more than tripled in size with seven swimmers on the roster. The team's two returners,
Sydney Fleming and
Laura Vekony, are the relative veterans of the bunch as both earned valuable experience in their first season on campus. Fleming became the first Concordia swimmer to qualify for a final in the NSIC Championships as she placed 22nd in the 400 individual medley while Vekony earned the team's first points with a 13th place finish in the 200 butterfly.
The duo will be joined by five newcomers, including junior
Dejah Jackson and freshmen
Farida Maher,
Stephanie De Leon,
Charly Horn and
Imani Simmons. Maher, CSP's swimmer to watch, joins the Golden Bears after a highly decorated career at the Egyptian American International School in Cairo, Egypt. Maher competed for the top swim club in Egypt and placed first in the 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1500m freestyle in the 18 year old age group and captured the overall women's championship in the 200m freestyle. Jackson and Simmons join from nearby Harding and Como Park High Schools, respectively, after serving as team captains of their programs. De Leon was a four-year letterwinner and captain at Nevada State High School in Las Vegas while
Charly Horn enters her first season from Berlin, Germany.
CSP's NSIC SWIMMER TO WATCH
Farida Maher (100, 200, 500 Free, Fr., Cairo, Egypt / Egyptian American International School)
- Competed for the top swim club in Egypt, keeping top ranking nine consecutive years
- Placed first in the 18 year old age group in all of her events: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500m freestyle in April 2021
- Captured overall women's champion in the 200m freestyle (2:06.57)
- Finished second overall in the 400, 800, 1500m freestyle and third overall in the 100m freestyle
"Farida Maher enters her freshman year at CSP with experience competing on the national stage in Egypt. In April of 2021 she placed first in the 18-year old age group in all of her events (100, 200, 400, 800, & 1500m free) and was the overall women's champion in the 200 meter freestyle (2:06.57). She was second overall in the 400, 800, & 1500 meter free and third overall in the 100 meter free. We are looking forward to Farida making a strong showing in the NSIC and NCAA," –
head coach Rachel Busch.
