Jan. 27, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK
The San Diego State Aztec swimming and diving team makes its final road trip of the regular this week for a pair of Mountain West Conference dual meets. On Friday, Jan. 29, the Aztecs will be in Laramie, Wyo., to face the University of Wyoming at 5:00 p.m. MT. The following day (Saturday, Jan. 30), SDSU will travel to Greeley, Colo., to face Northern Colorado at 1:00 p.m. (MT). The diving competition for these two dual meets will be scored from the results of the Air Force Diving Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Jan. 29 and 30. Wyoming, Northern Colorado and SDSU divers will compete in that event.
LAST TIME OUT
The Aztecs splits a pair of Mountain West Conference dual meets, losing at Brigham Young (193-105) on Jan. 14 and winning at Utah (173-125). The win over the Utes was the first ever for the Aztecs. SDSU's record now stands at 11-2 overall and 5-2 in league action.
At BYU, SDSU won four events during the meet led by freshman Leona Jennings, who captured both the 100 and 200 back with times of 56.17 and 2:03.11 respectively. She also finished second in the 200 individual medley in 2:08.96. Katelyn Weddle was victorious in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:19.57. Earlier in the meet she finished second in the 100 breast by .07 second, marking the first in six races this season that she did not take first place in that event. The other victory came in the 1000 free where frosh Melanie Garibaldi went 10:31.03.
Against Utah, SDSU claimed first place in eight individual events and a pair of relays. Leona Jennings led San Diego State with wins in both the 100 backstroke (56.28) and the 100 butterfly (57.62). Freshman Katelyn Weddle (100 and 200 breast) and senior Petra Radovic (500 and 1000 free) won two individual events apiece with Meghan Zimmer (200 back) and Koch (100 free) notching first-place finishes in one race each. In the 200 medley relay, she combined with Katelyn Weddle, Jamie Vessey and Emilee Jennings to win with a time of 145.47. In the 200 free relay, it was the Jennings sisters, Stephanie Koch and Kim Bierwith who grabbed top sot in 1:36.43.
AZTECS ADD DIVER
SDSU has added diver Rafaella Suarez to its roster and she is expected to compete at the Air Force diving Invitational this weekend. Suarez is a freshman who arrives after spending the fall semester at Mt. San Antonio JC. In 2008 she finished seventh in the 1-meter at the Junior Pan Am Games and also competed at the FINA Junior World Championships in Germany, representing Ecuador at both events. At Claremont (Calif.) High School, she finished fourth at the CIF Division II Championships in 2009. She was also 18th at the 2009 USA Diving National Zone D competition.
AZTECS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
San Diego State are ranked 41st in national poll released by the Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) on January 21. The Aztecs have been ranked since the initial poll was released in November, marking the first time the program had ever received votes in the national poll.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
After a 8-0 start in home dual-meets this fall, SDSU's record at the Aztec Aquaplex stands at 17-3 since the facility opened in the spring of 2008. The Aztecs finished 3-0 during the season in which the facility opened (2007-08) and went 6-3 last year. All three losses at the Aquaplex over the past two seasons have come in conference action. San Diego State has two home dual meets remaining on its schedule (a double dual event vs. University of San Diego and Northern Arizona in early February).
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Freshmen Leona Jennings and Katelyn Weddle have recorded times this fall that rank among the top 50 in the nation this season. Jennings' nationally ranked times include 54.22 in the 100 back (17th), 1:57.57 in the 200 back (25th) and 2:01.04 in the 200 individual medley (39th). Weddle has turned in marks of 1:01.45 in the 100 breast (10th) and 2:14 20 in the 200 breast (22nd). All five of those times meet the 'B' Qualifying Standard for the NCAA Championships next March.
In addition, three Aztec relay teams have recorded times that rank among the top 30 in the country in Division I this fall. The 800 free relay foursome of Stephanie Koch, Meghan Zimmer, Petra Radovic and Jessica Crider have turned in a 7:26.35 to rank 29th nationally. In the 200 medley relay, Leona Jennings, Katelyn Weddle, Kim Bierwith and Stephanie Koch's mark of 1:41.93 is the 25th-best time in Division I. And the 400 medley quartet of Stephanie Koch, Leona Jennings, Emilee Jennings and Kim Bierwith ranks 31st with a mark of 3:44.42. The 800 free and 200 medley teams have met the 'B' Qualifying Standard as well.
MWC TOP TIMES
Just past the halfway mark of the 2009-10 season, Aztec swimmers have posted the top times in the Mountain West Conference in 10 of the 14 individual events and three of the five relays. A total of 22 times that rank among the top five in the league during the 2009-10 campaign have been turned in by SDSU swimmers this fall. Entering the week, top MWC times have been recorded by Stephanie Koch (100 & 200 free), Meghan Zimmer (500 free) Petra Radovic (1000 & 1650 free), Leona Jennings (100 & 200 back, 200 IM) and Katelyn Weddle (100 & 200 breast). The Aztecs also have the nest times in the MWC in the 800 Free and the 200 and 400 Medley Relays.
ON DECK
Following Saturday's meet at Northern Colorado, San Diego State will return home to prepare for a double dual against Northern Arizona and San Diego on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 1:00 p.m. at the Aztec Aquaplex. It will be the team's final competitive meet prior to the Mountain West Conference championships on Feb. 24-27 in Oklahoma City.