Feb. 26, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
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SDSU GEARS UP FOR MWC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The San Diego State women's swimming and diving team (8-4 overall; 2-4 Mountain West Conference) will compete in the MWC championship meet beginning Wednesday, Feb. 27, in Oklahoma City, Okla. The four-day event will be held at the Oklahoma City Community College (OKCCC) Aquatics Center for the ninth time in conference history. The Aztecs, who have had three-plus weeks to prepare for the title meet, will be looking to improve on their eighth-place finish a year ago. The league is planning to have livestats available at www.TheMWC.com throughout the meet.
Schedule of Events (subject to change)
Wednesday: 1-meter diving, 200 medley relay, 800 free relay
Thursday: 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 3-meter diving, 200 free relay
Friday: 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 400 medley relay
Saturday: 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, platform diving, 1,650 free, 400 free relay
PREVIOUSLY ON THE MESA
San Diego State's last competition was on Saturday, Feb. 2, when the Scarlet and Black downed cross-town rival University of San Diego, 156-136, on senior day at the Aztec Aquaplex. Brooke Vessey, Katie Smith, Ana Dowell and Stephanie Henderson opened the dual meet by finishing ahead of the pack in the 200 medley relay with a 1:50.22 mark. Brittany Daly then kicked off the individual events with a win in the 1,000 freestyle, swimming a season-best 10:39.83. Jessica Morrill notched two victories for the second time this season, as she claimed the 100 breaststroke with a personal-best mark of 1:06.83, before taking the 200 breast (2:25.48). Kyla Power continued the Aztecs' winning ways by establishing a personal-record 25.29 en route to capturing the 50 free. Katie Smith also put forth a strong showing, finishing second in the 100 (59.86) and 200 (2:10.65) backstroke with season-best marks. The Aztec divers also had a phenomenal day as they swept the 3-meter event and took the top two spots on the 1-meter board.
SHATTERING RECORDS
In the final dual meet of the year, the Aztec divers made a splash by shattering school records on both boards. Megan Flanagan established a new SDSU record in the 3-meter event with a career-high 300.83. Her mark crushed the previous school record of 265.50 set by Caitlin Atkinson last year. Keely Brooks was not far behind as she finished with the second-best mark in school history (277.20), while Kathleen Heuring etched her name in the books with a score of 267.45.
On the 1-meter board, Atkinson topped her previous personal-best and school record mark of 273.15 with a point total of 280.88. Kristen Maurer accumulated a score of 266.78, putting her second in the record books, while Brooks established SDSU's third-best mark at 263.85.
DIVERS IN THE ZONE
Atkinson qualified for the NCAA Zone E Diving Regionals on Jan. 4, when she captured the 1-meter board (269.10) in the Aztecs' double dual meet versus Air Force and TCU. The Laguna Niguel, Calif., native went on to top that score on Feb. 2, with her mark of 280.88. Maurer also qualified on the 1-meter board (266.78), while Flanagan became eligible for the event with her 3-meter score of 300.83. This is the second straight year that Atkinson and Flanagan have qualified, while Maurer will be making her first appearance. The NCAA diving zones will take place Mar. 13-15, in Oklahoma City, Okla.
AMONG THE MWC LEADERS
Morrill ranks 10th in the conference in the 200 breast (2:22.97) and 17th in the 100 breast (1:06.83). Rosalie Raymond also holds a top 20 mark in the 1,000 free (17th, 10:37.49), while Dowell and Brooke Vessey sit at No. 19 and 20, respectively, in the 100 fly.
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 made the transition to the state-of-the-art Aztec Aquaplex on campus. The 112,000 square-foot facility features a 50-meter competition pool that can also accommodate diving events with its one- and three-meter springboards.
After the first year of competition at its new home, SDSU holds a 3-0 record at the Aztec Aquaplex.
THE COACHES
Mike Shrader, who spent the past eight years as the head coach at Nevada-Reno, is in his first season at San Diego State. Under his guidance, SDSU has already seen vast improvements, as the Scarlet and Black won its final three meets to finish the regular season at 8-4, marking the program's best winning percentage (.667) since the Aztecs won 77 percent of their dual meets in 2001-02. SDSU also defeated TCU for the first time in school history, while many individuals established lifetime bests throughout the season.
Brendon Bray is in his first season as an assistant coach at SDSU, while Jim Wynne is in his sixth year as the diving coach.
AZTEC NOTES
- Of the 29 swimmers and divers on SDSU's roster, 15 are either freshmen or sophomores.
- SDSU swept the MWC women's swimmer and diver of the week awards twice this year. (Feb. 6 - Brittany Daly/Megan Flanagan; Jan. 9 - Jessica Morrill/Caitlin Atkinson).
- San Diego State defeated TCU (169-129) for the first time in program history on Jan. 4.
- Kyla Power swam personal bests in the 50 (25.29) and 200 (1:57.49) free earlier this year.
- Gina DiDomenico (200 and 400 IM), Ana Dowell (100 free, 100 fly), Jessica Morrill (100 and 200 breast) and Rosalie Raymond (1000 and 1650 free) all hold SDSU's top times of the season in two different events.