Jan. 8, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
Complete Release and Top Times/Marks in PDF Format
THIS WEEK
The San Diego State swimming and diving team (4-2, 2-2 Mountain West Conference) will make the short trip to the University of San Diego on Wednesday, Jan. 9 for a double dual meet against Boise State and MWC foe Colorado State at noon PT.
PREVIOUSLY ON THE MESA
Last week, San Diego State defeated both TCU (169-129) and Air Force (167-63) at the Aztec Aquaplex. Sophomore Jessica Morrill was a double winner as she swept both breaststroke events, while classmate Caitlin Atkinson captured the one-meter board with a NCAA Zone E Diving Regional qualifying score of 269.10.
A DAY OF FIRSTS
San Diego State made an impressive home debut in its inaugural meet at the Aztec Aquaplex on Friday, Jan. 4. The Aztecs, who fell to TCU 71-40 last year, defeated the Horned Frogs for the first time in program history by a convincing score of 169-129. SDSU had six individuals win seven different events, and each of their times/scores went in the books as pool records.
SCOUTING THE RAMS In his 27th year as the head coach at Colorado State, John Mattos has led the Rams to a 6-0 overall record and a 3-0 mark in the MWC. Wednesday's meet will be the first competition for Colorado State since they placed second at the six-team Husker Invite in Lincoln, Neb., on Nov. 15-18. Sophomore Kathleen McCleary, a 2006-07 all-MWC performer, captured the 1,650 free on the first day of the invitational, swimming a lifetime best 17:16.42.
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
Head coach Kristin Hill is in her second year at the helm of the two-year old Boise State program. The Broncos are 5-5 overall and are coming off a third-place finish at the UC Irvine/Ayers Invitational. Boise State junior Katelyn LoFland was named the Western Athletic Conference swimmer of the week on Dec. 3, after breaking the school record in the 1,650 free (17:24.70).
SERIES HISTORY
Since the inception of the MWC in 1999-00, SDSU trails the series with Colorado State, 7-0. The Rams won the last dual meet between the two teams, 185-103, in Fort Collins, Colo.
The Aztecs lead the series with Boise State, 2-0. The two squads met on Nov. 17, 2007, in Salt Lake City, Utah, with SDSU coming out on top, 168-132. The Aztecs also won last year's meeting in San Diego by a score of 204-29.
THE COACHING STAFF
Mike Shrader, who spent the past eight years as the head coach at Nevada-Reno, begins his first season at San Diego State. While at Nevada, Shrader led the Wolf Pack to an 89-12-1 record, two conference titles and four NCAA championship appearances.
Brendon Bray, who came to The Mesa from the University of Washington, begins his first season as an assistant coach at SDSU, while Jim Wynne enters his sixth year as the Aztec diving coach.
MORRILL A DOUBLE WINNER
Sophomore Jessica Morrill played a key part in the Aztecs' victories over TCU and Air Force as she swept both breaststroke events with season best times. Morrill clocked in at 1:07.43 in the 100 breast, and at 2:22.97 in the 200 breast.
DOWELL REMAINS CONSISTENT
Senior Ana Dowell captured her third race of the season last Friday when she took the 100 free in a time of 54.50. She also led the Aztecs at Wyoming on Dec. 8, claiming the 100 fly for SDSU's only first-place finish of the day. Dowell currently holds the Aztecs' top marks of the season in both the 50 and 100 free.
ATKINSON QUALIFIES FOR ZONES
Sophomore Caitlin Atkinson qualified for the NCAA Zone E Diving Regionals last Friday when she captured the one-meter board with a season-best 269.10. Atkinson has been the top-finisher for SDSU in five of six dual meet diving events this year. Atkinson was also the only Aztec to qualify for the finals on both springboards at the USC Diving Invitational on Nov. 2.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Since the 1999-00 season, the San Diego State women's swimming and diving team has called the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center its "home." But this year, the squad makes the transition from the Kroc Center to a state-of-the-art swimming facility on campus, the Aztec Aquaplex.
The 112,000 square-foot Aztec Aquaplex features two pools, one for competition and another for recreation, in addition to a hydrotherapy spa. The competition pool can accommodate a multitude of swimming and diving events with its one- and three-meter springboards.
San Diego State currently holds a 2-0 record at the Aztec Aquaplex, with its next home meet scheduled for Feb. 2 against the University of San Diego.
AZTEC NOTES
- Of the 29 swimmers and divers on SDSU's roster, 15 are either freshmen or sophomores.
- The Aztecs captured every event in its non-conference meet at Cal State East Bay on Dec. 1.
- Senior Ana Dowell swam a personal-best 54.33 in the 100 free at Utah (Nov. 17).
- Junior Rosalie Raymond holds the Aztecs' top times in both the 500 and 1,000 free, while freshman Brooke Vessey leads all SDSU swimmers in the 100 fly and the 100 back.
- San Diego State was scheduled to host its first two meets of the season at the Aztec Aquaplex, but they were postponed due to the wildfires in San Diego County.
ON DECK
The Aztecs will not have much of a break as they will head to Provo, Utah for a Mountain West Conference dual meet at BYU on Saturday, Jan. 12 at 1 p.m MT.