March 3, 2010
SAN DIEGO - For the first time ever, San Diego State will be represented at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships by a pair of athletes who both qualified in multiple events. Freshman Katelyn Weddle (Kofa HS, Yuma, Ariz.) and Leona Jennings (Mt. Ranier HS, Seattle, Wash.) will compete at the national meet to be hosted by Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., March 18-20.
Weddle recently set Mountain Western Conference and MWC Championship records in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke at last weekend's league title meet. Her times of 1:00.65 in the 100 and 2:11.26 in the 200 were SDSU records as well and both rank as the 18th-best marks in the nation this season.
Jennings met the NCAA Championship standard in the 200 individual medley when she won that event at the conference meet in 1:58.89, setting an SDSU record in the process with the country's 29th-fastest time. She will also swim in both the 100 and 200 backstroke in West Lafayette after qualifying with NCAA B times of 54.54 and 1:57.20 respectively in those races.
The San Diego State swimming and diving team recently completed its most successful season in school history as it posted its best overall (14-3) and MWC records (5-3) in a season. The team's third place finishes in both the regular-season standings as well as at the MWC Championships represented all-time bests as well.
Aztec swimmers set new school records in all 14 individual races during the 2010 season as well as in all five relay events. At the conclusion of last week's MWC Championships, SDSU's Mike Shrader was named the conference Coach of the Year, an honor he shared at the end of the 2009 season as well.