Oct. 27, 2003
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This Week
San Diego State will host its first dual meet of the season when the University of San Diego visits the Ray & Joan Kroc Community Center on Saturday, Nov. 1. The first race is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m.
The Recent Past
Recent meetings between SDSU and USD have been very competitive with each team claiming a pair of victories over the last four years. The Toreros won the contests in 1999 and 2000, with the former being decided by just four points. The Aztecs, meanwhile, have won each of the last two meetings with USD. Last year's contest came down to the final event (400 free relay) with San Diego State winning it to pull out a three-point victory (152-149).
Coaching Staff
San Diego State head coach Deena Schmidt is in her 10th season as head coach of the Aztec swimming and diving program. The former Olympian, who won a gold as a member of the 400 medley relay team at the 1972 Olympics, is a 1988 graduate of San Diego State. Schmidt is assisted by Greg Hutt, also in his 10th season. Jim Wynne is in his second season as the Aztec diving coach. In addition, former Aztec all-conference swimmer Erin Kilpatrick will serve as a student assistant coach.
Ray & Joan Kroc Community Center
San Diego State will hold its home meets this season at the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center pool. The facility opened in the summer of 2002 and is located at 6845 University Avenue. The Aztecs hold their daily practice sessions at the City Heights Pool.
At the UOP Invitational
San Diego State finished second in the six-team UOP Invitational during the weekend of Oct. 17-18. SDSU won a pair of events at that meet: the 800 freestyle relay (Melissa Webb, Hannah Ryan, Stella Karoly, Caitlin Friedhoff) and the 400 free relay (Emily Schmied, Sylvia DelMoral, Amy Osback, Stella Karoly). The team totaled 884.50 points over 18 swimming events (there was no diving competition during this meet) to finish second to host University of the Pacific.
Ryan Starts Strong
Senior Hannah Ryan got her 2003-04 season off to an excellent start at the UOP Invitational two weeks ago. She swam a 17:31.69 in the 1,650 freestyle, the fourth-best time ever for an Aztec in that event. In the 500 freestyle, she recorded a time of 5:03.48 to establish a new personal career best at that distance. Her time of 1:55.31 in the 200 free was the best for SDSU at the meet. She was also a member of a pair of relay teams that finished no lower than second: the 800 free relay (1st) and the 200 free relay (2nd). Ryan accounted for a total of 58 points for SDSU during the two-day meet.
Friedhoff Impresses
Freshman Caitlin Friedhoff, a prep All-American from Kent, Wash., turned in the team's best times in a pair of events in her Aztec debut. She went 24.65 in the 50 free and 53.62 in the 100 free. Those times would have ranked as the second and third-fastest times respectively for SDSU during the 2002-03 campaign. Friedhoff also swam on the first-place 800 free relay team, second-place 200 free relay team, and the second-place 400 medley relay team
Karoly Leads Medley Events
Stella Karoly, a freshman from Kapolei, Hawaii, had a fine outing in the medley relay events. She finished third in the 400 IM and fifth in the 200 IM, and was the Aztecs' top swimmer in each of those events.
Webb Shows Versatility
Sophomore Melissa Webb, who came on last season to earn all-conference honors in the 200 backstroke at the league championships, took up where she left off by pacing SDSU in both the 100 and 200 backstroke events at the UOP Invitational. She finished fourth overall in the 100 (1:01.42) and third in the 200 (2:10.19). Webb was also a member of both relay squads (800 free and 400 IM) that took first place at the meet.
Fernandez Sets New Personal Best
Senior Allison Fernandez began her fourth year as an Aztec by setting a personal career best in the 200 freestyle at the UOP Invitational. She turned in a time of 2:03.11, bettering her previous best by 2.81 seconds.
Preseason Picks
San Diego State has been picked to finish seventh in the Mountain West Conference this season by a poll of the league's coaches. The Aztecs were eighth at last season's MWC Championship meet. The complete preseason poll is as follows:
Pl. Team (1st place votes) Pts.1. Colorado State (4).......462. Brigham Young (3)........443. Utah (1).................364. UNLV.....................335. New Mexico...............256. Wyoming..................197. San Diego State..........128. Air Force.................9
The Schedule
For the second consecutive season, the Aztecs will face each of the other seven Mountain West Conference schools in dual meet action beginning with an away contest at Utah on Nov. 7. The Aztecs will host three MWC teams in dual meets at home, and conference action will be concluded by Dec. 6. SDSU will compete in the annual UCI Invitational in early January and conclude the regular season with three dual meets on the road before traveling to Oklahoma City for the annual conference championship meet in mid-February.
Looking Ahead
The Aztecs hit the road next week for their first Mountain West Conference dual meets of the year as they travel to Salt Lake City to face Utah on Friday, Nov. 7, at 6:00 p.m. (MST). The next day (Nov. 8), SDSU will face Brigham Young and Denver in a double dual meet in Provo, Utah, at 1:00 p.m. (MST).