Colorado State’s Lexie Trietley Takes Down Amy Van Dyken Pool Record
Colorado State’s Lexie Trietley earned a piece of history Friday, taking down a Moby Pool record belonging to Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken.
Trietley went 23.21 in the women’s 50 freestyle, taking down Van Dyken’s long-standing pool mark of 23.35. Van Dyken set the record in 1994, the year she won the NCAA title in the event and two years before she won gold in the 50 free among four golds at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
The record that Trietley eclipsed was set nine years before Trietley, a sophomore, was born.
“I told (coach Christopher Woodard) last year I was going to break one or more of her records,” Trietley said in a university release. “I think that’s why I set goals, is to just keep me hungry, keep me going and motivated, want to continue swimming and competing. I think it’s confirming that my training schedule this year is working. It’s a little different than last year. It’s confirming what I’m doing is working and to have faith and trust in Woody and (associate head coach) Lisa (Ginder).”
Trietley, a native of Olean, N.Y., set a best time of 22.76 in the 50 free at the Mountain West Conference Championships last year. That was sixth at the meet and third in program history.
Van Dyken still holds the Moby Pool record in the 100 free at 48.29 seconds and as the anchor to the 400 free relay. Those are two of five records that still hold from 1994, including from South African Olympians Penny Heyns (1:02.94 in the 100 breast) and Julia Russell (2:17.11 in the 200 breast) from a visit from Nebraska. The oldest record dates to 1983 when Jenny Harshbarger went 17:24.50 int eh 1,650 free.
Trietley also helped the Rams take down the 200 medley relay pool record in the 169.5-130.5 victory over Denver. She teamed with Tess Whineray, Katie McClelland and Lucy Matheson to go 1:42.93, downing a mark set in 2017 by Houston.
Van Dyken, the 19-time All-American and six-time gold medalist whose story graces Page 2 of Colorado State’s swimming media guide, still holds the school records in the 50 (21.77), the 100 free (the 48.29) and the 100 fly (52.07).
Trietley has her eyes set on those down the road.
“I’m excited, but I’m really after those school records she has,” she said. “It was pretty exciting and awesome to break the pool record in our good ol’ Moby.”
.png "Mountain West Swimming - logo"){kind=logo}