Nov. 24, 2009
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State's Leona Jennings has been named Mountain West Conference Women's Swimmer and Diver of the Week. It marks the first career honor for the freshman who becomes the second Aztec to capture the award this season after senior Petra Radovic won it two weeks ago.
Jennings, who hails from Seattle, Wash., set four individual San Diego State records last weekend at the Toshiba Classic in Long Beach, Calif. The first-year Aztec set new program standards in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstrokes, finishing the events with times of 54.22 and 1:57.57, respectively. She finished third of 129 swimmers in the 100 back and second of 102 in the 200 back during the finals of the 25-team meet.
She also broke Aztec records in the 200-yard individual medley (finishing sixth of 148 in 2:01.04), as well as the 100 fly (55.12). In addition, Jennings swam on SDSU's record-setting 200-yard medley relay team, which earned second place (of 50 teams) with a time of 1:41.93.
Of her five San Diego State record-setting performances, she met the NCAA B qualifying standard in all but the 100 fly. Three of her times are among the all-time top 10 by a Mountain West Conference swimmer including the 100 back (fourth), 200 back (fifth) and 200 IM (fourth).
Jennings was also a member of three relay quartet that turned in the second-fastest times in Aztec history. The 3:27.65 by the 400 free relay team missed the Aztec record by .05 second while the mark of 1:34.63 by her 200 free relay foursome was .14 off the current SDSU record. She was also on the 400 medley relay team that went 3:44.42 (.71 off the SDSU standard).
All told, Jennings helped account for 283 of the Aztecs' 696 points during the three-day meet as the Aztecs finished fourth of 25 teams.
SDSU is idle this weekend as it prepares to resume its 2009-10 schedule with a dual meet against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, Dec. 5,at 1:00 p.m. at the Aztec Aquaplex.