<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3sqGNZ_0vlMxVXV00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3sqGNZ_0vlMxVXV00" width="1920" height="1080" ></figure>BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The Northern Sun released the 2024 NSIC Preseason Swim and Dive Preseason Poll on Thursday and Concordia- St. Paul was picked to finish fifth in the league. The Golden Bears earned 35 points in the poll, just behind Sioux Falls. Augustana tops the preseason poll, coming off a first place finish at the NSIC Championships last season. "We have our largest roster in school history with 19 swimmers and 5 divers. Our returners, led by Captains Charly Horn and Farida Maher, have done an incredible job welcoming our newcomers, which has allowed us to have our strongest and most cohesive start in program history." said head coach Rachel Busch. Busch added, "The energy at the pool and in the weight room has been a solid combination of determination, electricity, fun, and hard work. The coaching staff is very optimistic about the potential this squad has to be a competitive force throughout the season."Senior Farida Maher returns for her final year in the Navy and Gold and is this year's Swimmer to Watch. Maher is coming off a season in which she qualified for the NCAA Championships, was named the Co-NSIC Swimmer of the Year, was named to the CSC Academic All-American Third-Team, took home two first-place finishes at the NSIC Conference Championships and recorded 17 first-place finishes along with 30 top-10 finishes. "Farida enters her senior year after her strongest showing in the 23-24 season. The 23-24 co-swimmer of the year qualified for her first NCAA Championships in the 200 Free, where she also competed in the 100 Free, 500 Free, and 1,000 Free. She broke the NSIC Conference record in the 200 Free last year at the NSIC Championships." Busch said. "Farida is one of two team captains this season, and we are incredibly proud of the efforts she is taking to be inclusive of all of her teammates and help lead the fun, kind, and hard-working culture we emphasize at CSP."Junior Caitlyn Greenwalt enters her junior year for the Golden Bears and is this year's Diver to Watch. Greenwalt is coming off a season where she was a NSIC All-Conference Diver in the 1-meter and the 3-meter, was named NSIC Diver of the Week four times, collected 16 first-place finishes, collected a pair of All-NSIC Runner-Up finishes and just narrowly missed an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. "Caitlyn got our diving program off the ground and made an immediate impact on our team and in the NSIC." Busch stated. "She was an NSIC All-Conference diver in both 1M &amp; 3M, taking second in both events at the NSIC Championships. Caitlyn qualified for the Black Tuesday competition at the NCAA Championships, finishing 16th in 1M and 28th in 3M. She was a four-time NSIC Diver of the Week and is the current CSP school record-holder in both 1M &amp; 3M diving. We are excited to have her lead the way for our incoming class of divers."Augustana the two-time defending NSIC Champions were picked No. 1 in the NSIC Preseason Poll, they received six first place votes and tallied 62 points, ranking them three points higher than the NSIC Conference Championships runner-up Minnesota State. The Mavericks tallied 59 points and received the final three first-place votes. St. Cloud State came in third with 49 points and Sioux Falls was picked to finish fourth with 42 points. Augustana has both the NSIC Preseason Swimmer and Diver of the Year, Bryn Greenwaldt and Avery Lommel. CSP will open the season at home October 5 to host the Cougars of Sioux Falls. Action will take place at the Two Rivers Aquatic Center in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, the home pool for the Golden Bears at 2 p.m.The season will culminate 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. Farida Maher (Free, 6-1, Sr., Cairo, Egypt., Egyptian American International School)<ul><li>2024 NCAA Championships Qualifier </li><li>2024 NSIC CO-Swimmer of the Year</li><li>2024 CSC Academic All-American Third Team </li><li>2024 NSIC Conference Champion in the 200 and 1000 freestyle</li><li>Two-time NSIC Swimmer of the Week </li><li>Totaled 17 first-place finishes in the 2023-24 season</li><li>First Conference Champion in School History</li><li>19th place at the NCAA Championships with a school record time of 50.91</li><li>2022 NSIC Freshman of the Year</li></ul>Caitlyn Greenwalt (Dive, 5-4, Jr., Cottage Grove, Minn., Park HS)<ul><li>2024 NSIC All-Conference in both the 1-meter and 3-meter</li><li>Four-time NSIC Diver of the Week </li><li>Collected 16 first-place finishes in 2023-24 season</li><li>Finished in first-place in her debut for the Navy and Gold in the 1-meter</li><li>Collected a pair of All-NSIC Runner-up finishes at the conference championships</li><li>2023-24 swept both diving events at seven meets </li><li>Competed in 12 meets</li></ul></div></body>

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Golden Bear swim and dive selected fifth in NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The Northern Sun released the 2024 NSIC Preseason Swim and Dive Preseason Poll on Thursday and Concordia- St. Paul was picked to finish fifth in the league. The Golden Bears earned 35 points in the poll, just behind Sioux Falls. Augustana tops the preseason poll, coming off...