March 1, 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The San Diego State women's swimming and diving team finished eighth with 161 points at the Mountain West Conference championships, moving up one spot from its ninth-place showing last year. On the final day of competition, Katie Smith recorded her second top 16 finish of the meet, while Jessica Morrill made her first finals appearance. The Aztec divers also had a strong showing in the platform event.
After coming in sixth in the 100 backstroke on Friday, Smith swam to a 14th-place finish in the 200 back (2:05.54). The Los Angeles, Calif., native notched a season-best 2:05.04 in the qualifying rounds earlier in the day. Also in the 200 back preliminaries, Alexandra Rogers recorded a season-low 2:07.09, while Kyla Power had a lifetime-best 2:11.07.
Morrill found herself in the 200 breaststroke B final, where she finished eighth, after clocking in with a season-best 2:22.27 in the preliminaries. Christine Graham also recorded a personal-best 2:31.15, but was just short of a qualifying score.
In platform diving, Amy Freeberg was SDSU's top finisher and improved on last year's 10th-place performance, as she finished fifth overall with a career-high 207.05. Freeberg was the only Aztec to advance to the finals after placing second in the prelims (203.35). Also competing were Keely Brooks (166.55), Kristen Maurer (162.30), Kathleen Heuring (146.40) and Megan Flanagan (138.60).
In the 400 free relay, the final event of the four-day meet, the quartet of Ana Dowell, Power, Graham and Stephanie Henderson touched the wall in a season-best time of 3:34.07.
Three Aztec divers, Caitlin Atkinson, Flanagan and Maurer, will head to the NCAA Zone E Diving Regionals, March 13-15, at the Oklahoma City Community College Aquatic Center.
Mountain West Conference Championships
OKCCC Aquatic Center -- Oklahoma City, Okla.
March 1, 2008
Final Standings
1. BYU (763)
2. UNLV (622)
3. Utah (579)
4. Wyoming (574.5)
5. Colorado State (359)
6. TCU (276.5)
7. New Mexico (262)
8. San Diego State (161)
9. Air Force (151)