Feb. 4, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK
The San Diego State Aztec swimming and diving team will conclude its 2009-10 regular season with a double dual meet against the University of San Diego and Northern Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 6. The first event gets underway at 1:00 p.m. at the Aztec Aquaplex.
SENIOR DAY
Prior to Saturday's meet, the Aztecs will honor five seniors making their final home appearances for the Red and Black. That group includes Elena Karpeeva, Nino Metsar, Jessica Morrill, Kyla Power and Petra Radovic.
WINNINGS WAYS
With a record of 12-3, San Diego State has won more dual meets this season than in any previous campaign. The Aztecs' record of 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference is also the program's best in its 11 years in the MWC. The team's fourth-place finish in the final regular-season standings is also its best ever as well.
SDSU has a streak of 25 straight dual meet wins against non-conference opponents. The last loss to a non-MWC team was a defeat at North Texas on Nov. 17, 2006. In current head coach Mike Shrader's three seasons, the Aztecs have not lost to a non-conference foe.
LAST TIME OUT
In their most recent dual meets, the Aztecs dropped a 153-128 decision at Wyoming on Jan. 29, then rebounded for a 125-108 victory at Northern Colorado the following day.
At Wyoming, SDSU got first-place finishes from Leona Jennings in the 100 and 200 backstroke. Melanie Garibaldi was also a double winner for San Diego State as she was victorious in the 500 and 1000 freestyle events. Katelyn Weddle captured the 100 breaststroke while San Diego State's other first-place result was turned in by Brooke Vessey the 200 butterfly.
In the win at Northern Colorado, eight different Aztecs captured first place in the sweep of the nine swimming events. SDSU's lone double winner in those individual races was Koch (50 free and 50 fly). Other victorious Aztecs included Meghan Zimmer (1000 free), Melanie Garibaldi (200 free), Elena Karpeeva (100 IM), Allison Stuhr (50 back), Petra Radovic (100 free), Kelsy Diener (500 free) and Katelyn Weddle (50 breast).
AZTEC DIVERS AT AIR FORCE INVITATIONAL
While the swimmers at Wyoming and Northern Colorado, SDSU divers Aina Eill and Rafaella Suarez competed at the Air Force Diving Invitational. Suarez, competing in her first collegiate meet, finished 12th (of 24) in the one-meter and 21st (of 28) in the three-meter. Eill, who has been nursing a shoulder injury, was 23rd in the one-meter, but was forced to withdraw from the three-meter event. Result from the Invitational were used in the dual meet scores that weekend as Wyoming and Northern Colorado both had their divers competing in Colorado Springs as well.
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.
MWC TOP TIMES
San Diego State owns a total of 34 of the top 10 individual times in the Mountain West Conference in the league's 14 swimming events. A trio of Aztecs has turned in top 10 marks in four events apiece. That threesome includes Leona Jennings (1st-100 back, 1st-200 back, 1st-200 IM, 2nd-100 fly), Elena Karpeeva (5th-100 breast, 3rd-200 breast, 6th-200 IM, 2nd-400 IM) and Melanie Garibaldi (3rd-500 free, 3rd-1000 free, 2nd-1650 free, 7th-400 IM).
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Aztecs will be looking to complete their second consecutive undefeated home season this weekend. 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.
AZTEC SWIMMING NOTES
San Diego State swimmers have set eight Aztec Aquaplex pool records this season. Those record-setters include Petra Radovic (500 and 100 free), Leona Jennings (100 and 200 back, 200 IM), Katelyn Weddle (100 and 200 breast) and Stephanie Koch (100 free). New Aztec Aquaplex marks have also been set in two relays: Koch, L. Jennings, Bierwith, E. Jennings in the 200 free relay and L. Jennings, Weddle, Bierwith and E. Jennings in the 200 medley relay.
Katelyn Weddle has finished first in the 100 breast in seven of eight meets this season including the 24-team Toshiba Classic where she was first of 107 swimmers.
Leona Jennings has won the 100 breast in each of SDSU's last five meets and was third (of 129) at the Toshiba Classic. She has also won four consecutive 200 breast events.
ON DECK
Following Saturday's meet the Aztecs will take the next two-plus weeks to prepare for the Mountain West Conference Swimming and Diving Championships which will be held Feb. 24-27 in Oklahoma City.