New-Look Cobbers Ready For 2013-14 Season
MOORHEAD, Minn. (11/08/13)--- A new era in Cobber swimming and diving starts on Nov. 8 and 9 when Concordia travels to Northern State and then hosts MSU Moorhead in the first two meets of the season. The Cobbers have a new coach, a new training regimen and 14 freshmen on this year's roster.
First-year head coach Ron Hehn brings a wealth of swimming experience but is just beginning his college coaching journey. Hehn was an All-American at Indiana University as a collegiate swimmer and competed in the US Olympic trials. Time will tell if his vast experience as a swimmer can carry over to the deck of the swimming pool as he manages a roster of 30 swimmers and divers in 2013-014.
Hehn will be able to count on several quality upperclassmen as the Cobbers start the year. Concordia has four seniors on the roster and three of the four have MIAC Championship Meet experience. Leading the way on the swimming side will be seniors Kelsey Appert and Jasmine Hanson who are both three-year participants at the conference meet. Appert has been a mainstay for the Cobber relay teams while Hanson finished in the top 25 of the conference in the mile at last year's MIAC Meet.
Alexa Bateman will be the senior member of the always talented Concordia diving crew. She participated in the 1-meter event at last year's league meet and will be joined by teammates Jana Hedstrom, Kayla Rauchwarter and Emily Wood to make up this year's diving contingent. Hedstrom is the most experienced of the quartet as she placed seventh in the MIAC in the 1-meter event last year and narrowly missed making the finals in the 3-meter competition.
The cupboards are far from bare for Hehn on the swimming side as he inherits a team which has eight swimmers compete at the conference meet last year. Rachel Aldinger, Joleen Baker, Emily Erickson, Kasey Lyng, Megan Obrecht, Jordyn Olson, Greta Titus and Hannah Winge all had success at last year's MIAC Meet.
Aldinger, Erickson, Obrecht, Titus and Winge all had top 25 finishes at last year's league meet. Aldinger finished 20th in the 1650-yard freestyle while Erickson did well in both butterfly events last year. She was 20th in the 100-yard butterfly and 23rd in the 200-yard butterfly. Obrecht posted a 23rd-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke. Titus claimed 21st place in the 100-yard backstroke while Wingle was 19th in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:36.07.
The new-look Cobbers will have several meets in November and then just one in December before the Christmas break. Concordia will head back to the pool in the New Year when they participate in the Dragon-Cobber Invite on Jan. 17-18. CC will then close out the regular season by competing in a dual against Hamline on January 24 and then at the annual St. Kate's Invitational on Jan. 25.