Women's Swimming | 10/21/2021 1:43:00 PM

After nearly a month off from competition, Dixie State returns to competition this Saturday as the Trailblazers head north to Provo to compete in a two-team dual meet at BYU. The meet will begin at 11 a.m., at the BYU Richards Building Pool.
 
DSU COACHING STAFF: Dan Kesler is his first season as head coach of the Dixie State women's swimming program. Coach Kesler comes to St. George after two years as associate head men's and women's swimming coach at Florida State. While at FSU, he worked with the middle distance and stroke groups, and helped lead both Seminole programs to fifth-place finishes at the ACC Championships last spring.
            Prior to his time in Tallahassee, he had a seven-year stint as an assistant coach at Arizona State (2012-19), where he worked with the distance and middle distance groups while serving as the recruiting coordinator. Kesler spent his final four years working under FSU alum Bob Bowman – who is best known for coaching the most decorated Olympian of all-time, Michael Phelps.
            Kesler began his collegiate coaching career at Division II Wingate University, at which he served five years as the top assistant men's and women's swimming coach overseeing the mid-distance and distance swimmers. Kesler also served on the NCAA D-II top-25 poll selection committee for the 2011-2012 season. While at Wingate, he helped lead the men's team to five-straight Bluegrass Mountain Conference championship titles, and to several top-six finishes at the NCAA Division II national championship meets.
Following a stellar high school career, Kesler swam collegiately at North Carolina State from 2000-03, where he served as team captain as a junior and was an ACC finalist in the distance events.
A native of Westminster, Md., Kesler was also a 2000 Olympic Trials qualifier while representing Green Terror (MD) Aquatic Club.

LAST TIME OUT: DSU kicked off its 2021-22 season with several top-10 all-time marks clocked at the Colorado Mesa Intermountain Shootout held this past Oct. 1-2.
In all, the Trailblazers combined for eight top-10 program performances, seven of which were posted individually. Freshman Paulina Sansores had quite collegiate debut as she recorded the second-fastest 1,000-yard free time in program history with a fifth-place time of 10:30.07 (altitude adjusted). Sansores also recorded the ninth-best 400 IM time with an eighth-place 4:36.14 (altitude adjusted).
Meanwhile, four other marks were clocked by sophomores, including Akalia Bostock in the 400 IM (#5 all-time, 4:33.67 – altitude adjusted), Danyael Cuison in the 50 fly (#3 all-time, 27.16) and Skyler Lyon (#2 all-time, 30.91) and Kathryn Carter (#5 all-time, 31.45) in the 50 breast.
In addition, junior Chloe Partsch swam DSU's ninth-fastest 50 fly time (27.82), and the 200 free relay team recorded the program's ninth-fastest time (1:37.46) in that event.
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Dixie State will close out the 2021 portion of its season slate by hosting the DSU Trailblazer Invitational, which will be held Nov. 18-20, at the DSU HPC Pool.