While Colorado State University students were relaxing for spring break this previous week, the Colorado State Rams were working hard and bringing home some outstanding athletic achievements.

From basketball to track and field, CSU’s women athletes dominated their opponents for an unforgettable spring break.

Starting off early in the week, the women’s basketball team made it to the Mountain West Tournament semifinals against the University of Wyoming Cowgirls March 7 in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center. After a hard-fought week, the Rams fell short 65-56 but weren’t done yet.

They hit the road and took a trip to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to compete in the first round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament March 16. Challenging the University of Northern Iowa Panthers, the Rams battled until the final moment. Ultimately, they were shorthanded at the basket, losing 88-76.

Overall, the women’s basketball team closed out a successful 20-12 season, fourth in the Mountain West Conference with a handful of conference awards.

Meanwhile, the softball team was in Phoenix battling in the Grand Canyon University Invitational against Abilene Christian University and GCU March 10-12.

It would have been a complete sweep weekend as the Rams defeated both opponents on the first day, beating ACU 7-0, and GCU 4-3. On day two, the Rams left the Wildcats in the dust, winning 12-5 early on in the day. Alas, this luck ran short as the Antelopes served the Rams their first loss of the weekend 8-3.

Closing out the weekend on a high note, Colorado State defeated Abilene University with a close 8-7 win before heading home.

Returning from the successful road trip, the Rams welcomed home their Fort Collins fans with a three-day battle against San Diego State University.

Starting off strong, Colorado State outran San Diego 10-5, stealing the opening win. On day two, the Aztecs left no room for the Rams to dig deep and recover, scoring 7 runs in the first inning, resulting in a Rams loss of 15-5. Lastly, in Aggie Day orange, the Rams served a close 3-2 win, closing out a 2-1 weekend welcome. 

Over at the Fort Collins Country Club, the women’s tennis team served up a 5-1 win against Creighton University March 19. This win pushed the Rams to an 11-2 overall season and 4-0 home record, and they continued pushing their four-game win streak before beginning conference play.

Mountain West games will begin in Fresno, California, where CSU will play California State University, Fresno March 24 and then immediately prepare to play the University of Wyoming March 25.

Last but not least, the Rams celebrate the return of three Colorado State NCAA track and field stars for their accomplishments in the recent tournament.

Sarah Carter, Gabi McDonald and Lexie Keller performed highly, securing three spots on the All-American second team. Carter placed ninth in the 5,000-meter with a time of 16 minutes, 31 seconds, while Keller also had a strong performance, placing 10th in the pentathlon with 4,217 points. McDonald closed out with a strong shot put mark of 16.20 meters to finish in 12th place.

With the spring semester in full swing, the Colorado State Rams will continue to take over the Mountain West on the field, court and track.

Reach Karsyn Lane at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @karsynlane1.