ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Concordia- St. Paul swim and dive team is set to kick off the 2024 season with a home dual meet against the Cougars of Sioux Falls on Saturday.
Action will start at 2 p.m. at the Two Rivers Aquatic Center in Mendota Heights, Minnesota the home pool for the Golden Bears, Swimming and diving will rotate with diving starting first.
WATCH ONLINE – NSIC NETWORK
All Golden Bear NSIC swim and dive will be available to watch online, free of charge, powered by the NSIC Network, supported by BlueFrame Technology. Visit nsicnetwork.com/cspbears on a laptop or desktop computer, download the NSIC Network app on your mobile device or watch on your supported OTT provider such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Search "NSIC Network" and download the app for the league's full sport and team lineups. NSIC NETWORK FAQ
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THIS SEASON'S TEAM
The Golden Bears bring in 13 newcomers this year, marking their largest incoming class composed of 12 freshmen and one transfer.
Coach Busch on this year's newcomers, "They are a great bunch and are the largest incoming class in school history. This talented group covers a wide range of events which is essential to growing the depth of the program."
The Navy and Gold also bring back 11 returners including Co-NSIC Swimmer of the Year and NCAA qualifier Farida Maher, NSIC Freshman of the year Sophie Leo and NSIC All-Conference Diver Caitlyn Greenwalt.
"I am very proud of the returners and they have done an incredible job at setting the foundation for the team culture. They have modeled the expectations for the newcomers and have been extremely welcoming. I owe it to the returners for the cohesiveness of our team," Busch added.
PRESEASON
With a strong set of preseason practices coming to a close, the Golden Bears look to build success off their best start in program history.
When asked about the team following preseason practices, head coach Rachel Busch replied, "We are off to the strongest start in school history with the largest roster size we have ever had!"
Busch added, "The upperclassmen have done a great job welcoming the newcomers and we are functioning well as a unit. As a team we are having a lot of fun and we are encouraging each other at practices both in the pool and the weight room."
NSIC PREVIEW
The Golden Bears are coming off their best season since the program's establishment, coming in fifth at the NSIC Championships while tallying seven Top-3 finishes and having their first NCAA Championships qualifier.
CSP was picked to finish fifth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 35 points.
On the preseason ranking Busch stated, "The ranking gives us some fuel to move up in the standings which the team is eager to do and gives us the underdog mentality."
The Navy and Gold will jump right into NSIC action hosting Sioux Falls in a dual meet. The Cougars were picked to finish fourth in the NSIC Preseason Poll, edging out the Golden Bears by seven points to make this opening meet a competitive and high energy matchup.
Busch stated, "We are excited to kick off the season in what will be a competitive meet."
LOOKING AHEAD AT THE SCHEDULE
The team will be hosting three home meets this season marking a first for the program.
CSP will host a pair of duals against Sioux Falls Oct. 5 and Jan. 25 against St. Kate's, along with a three-day invite hosted with St. Kate's on Nov. 21-23.
The Golden Bears will get to compete locally in St. Paul this season attending a double-dual with Minnesota State and St. Thomas that will be at the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex right here in St. Paul, Minn.
The Navy and Gold will swim in eight regular season meets before the season culminates at the NSIC Swimming and Diving Championships which are set for February 12-15, 2025 at the Hulbert Aquatic Center in West Fargo, North Dakota; hosted by the University of Sioux Falls.
NEW COACHING ADDITION
The Golden Bears coaching staff has added Valerie Childs as a graduate assistant coach this fall. Childs comes to CSP after spending the past five years as a member of the University of Sioux Falls Swim team where she competed at the NSIC Championships every year collecting multiple titles. Childs achieved two NSIC conference records in addition to qualifying for the 2024 NCAA DII Championships where she competed in the 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 free and 100 free.
On the addition of Childs, "We love having coach Val on staff, she brings a lot of value in her hard work, knowledge, and care for our student athletes," Busch added.
FINAL WORDS FROM COACH BUSCH
"We continue to build on the success of previous seasons and we look forward to climbing the ranks in the conference!."
