The Colorado College women's swimming and diving team opened the 2015-16 season Saturday with a dual meet against Western State Colorado at Schlessman Pool on the CC campus. Despite some impressive performances by the Tigers, WSCU won the meet, 201-91.
 
Senior Olivia Dilorati led the way with two first-place and a second-place finish. She joined fellow senior Megan Gillespie and sophomores Ellen Silk and Justina Zuckerman to come from behind and win the meet-opening 200–yard medley relay with a time of one minute, 51.87 seconds, the best time in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference so far this season and the 11^th best nationally in Division III.
 
"We started off this meet and the season with an amazing early season performance in the 200 medley relay," head coach Anne Goodman James said. "Not only did we post a very close win, but that time is over three seconds faster than we started out the season last year. 
 
This is an event that our women are focusing on as our best shot at making the NCAA Championships, and it really gives us confidence to start out so well."
 
Dilorati also won the 200-yard backstroke in a time of 2:14.43 and finished second in the 200 freestyle in a time of 2:00.24.
 
"Olivia is off to a great start with strong swims in the 200 free, and to win, coming from behind, in the 200 back," Goodman James said. 
 
Silk also posted a first and second-place individual finish on Saturday. She won the 100 butterfly in a time of 59.28 seconds and placed second in the 200 fly in 2:17.59. In addition, Silk teamed with Zuckerman, fellow sophomore Emily Harrison and senior Erin Holmes to finish second in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:48.28, the SCAC's top time this season.
 
"Ellen looked especially strong winning in the 100 fly," Goodman James said. "Toward the end of the week I felt like we were really struggling in training, and I was very pleased to see us turn things around and compete aggressively today."
 
Sophomore Mary Rose Donahue captured both diving events, winning the 1-meter with a score of 236.77 and the 3-meter with 249.45 points. Freshman Casey Pollard finished fourth in the 1-meter with 144 points.
 
Western State does not have a men's team, but CC put together an intrasquad meet between the women's races.  
 
"It was good to get them our guys racing, even if it was just against each other," Goodman James said. "Freshman Ethan Schick had an outstanding swim in 100 fly, and went a PR in the 100 free. Meanwhile, Crane Sarris showed great strength today in the freestyle events and Yang Yu popped out a great 100 breaststroke, well ahead of his start from last year." 
 
The Tigers are idle for two weeks before travelling to Texas to take on SCAC foe Southwestern University on Friday, Nov. 13.