Sept. 11, 2008
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State swimming and diving team will begin its preparation for the 2008-09 campaign with its first Red and Black meet on Friday, Sept. 12, at the Aztec Aquaplex. The divers will kick off the action at noon, with the swimming events to follow at approximately 1 p.m.
Second-year head coach Mike Shrader returns 10 letterwinners from last year's squad, while welcoming 14 newcomers to The Mesa. The swimmers will be led by tri-captains Jessica Morrill (breaststroke), Kyla Power (freestyle) and Noelle Holland (butterfly).
Morrill owned the team's fastest times of the season in the 200 breaststroke and the 400 individual medley a year ago. She earned her first career Mountain West Conference weekly award (Jan. 9, 2008) after sweeping the 100 and 200 breast in the Aztecs' double-dual sweep over Air Force and TCU. The Rio Vista, Calif., native currently ranks among the top five leaders in school history in the 200 breast.
Power, a two-time academic all-MWC selection, had a breakout sophomore campaign in 2007-08, setting lifetime bests in four different events. She finished ahead of the pack in the 50 free at Colorado College and against the University of San Diego, while also claiming a first-place finish in the 100 breaststroke at Cal State East Bay. The San Jose, Calif., native swam the team's second-fastest times of the season in the 200 and 500 free.
Holland had a stellar season as a true freshman last year, establishing personal records in the 100 and 200 butterfly. She had her best finish at Colorado College where she captured second place in the 100 fly. The Casa Grande, Ariz., native excelled in the classroom as well, being named to the MWC all-academic team and receiving the SDSU Malik Award (4.0 GPA) for the 2007 fall semester.
The Aztec divers will look to have another strong season led by two-time NCAA Zone E Regional qualifiers Caitlin Atkinson and Megan Flanagan. Atkinson, who was SDSU's top finisher on the 1-meter board in nine dual meets last year, currently holds the school record with a score of 280.88. Flanagan, meanwhile, tops the charts in the 3-meter event with her mark of 300.83.
Also adding to the strength and experience of the diving squad will be junior Amy Freeberg, who became the first Aztec diver to earn all-MWC honors after placing fifth in the platform event at the 2008 conference championships.
In 2007-08, the Scarlet and Black posted its best dual-meet record since the 2001-02 season with an 8-4 mark. SDSU went undefeated (3-0) in its first year of competition at the Aztec Aquaplex, picking up victories over TCU, Air Force and USD.
San Diego State will hold its second intrasquad meet on Saturday, Sept. 27, before kicking off the regular season by hosting Utah in its conference opener on Oct. 11 (3 p.m. PT).