Nov. 4, 2010
Complete Results | Photo Gallery 1 | Photo Gallery 2
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State swimmers and divers captured first place in 12 of 16 events en route to a 173-127 victory over defending Mountain West Conference champion Brigham Young Thursday afternoon at the Aztec Aquaplex. The win was the first ever for Aztecs against the Cougars as SDSU improved to 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the MWC.
The meet began with the Aztec 200 medley relay team of Leona Jennings, Katelyn Weddle, Brooke Vessey and Emilee Jennings claiming a first-place finish with a time of 1:43.28. That mark matched the pool record established by the same foursome in the meet against Oregon State in early October.
SDSU's Kelly Marquenie (10:01.11) and Melanie Garibaldi (10:09.45) then added to their team's lead with a one-two finish in the 1000 freestyle. Later in the meet the duo repeated their finishes in the 500 freestyle. Marquenie's time of 4:55.53 in that race set a new Aquaplex record and was the fourth-best time ever record by an Aztec swimmer.
San Diego State's other double individual winners included Leona Jennings, Katelyn Weddle and Kristen Meier. Jennings picked up wins in the 100 and 200 backstroke. Her time in the 200 back (2:00.96) set a new Aquaplex record while her mark of 54.86 in the 100 back tied the facility record that she already held. Weddle was victorious in both of the breaststroke events, finishing the 100 breast in 1:03.34 and 200 breast in 2:17.73.
Meier led a group of SDSU divers that picked up first, third and fifth-place finishes in each of the two events. Meier won the 1-meter event with a score of 256.20 and her first-place point total of 289.35 in the 3-meter diving qualified her for the Zone Meet in March. Freshman Hattie Lamping took third in both diving competitions with scores of 234.15 (1-meter) and 263.93 (3-meter).
The Aztecs also got individual victories from sophomores Kim Bierwith in the 50 freestyle (23.81) and Stephanie Koch in the 100 freestyle (51.35). Bierwith's time in the 50 free is the second-fastest mark recorded at the Aquaplex.
BYU's four wins were turned in by a pair of athletes with all four winning times becoming new Aztec Aquaplex records. The Cougars' Rachel Grant set pool records in the200 free (1:49.14) and 200 individual medley (2:02.21) while teammate Kim Welch notch new facility bests in the 100 fly (55.34) and 200 fly (2:02.35)
San Diego State finished off the meet by setting a facility record in the 400 free relay. The foursome of Marquenie, Koch, Emilee Jennings and Jessica Crider turned in a time of 3:26.09 which also goes into the SDSU all-time record book as the second-fastest time in school history.
The Aztecs will have little time to rest as they now leave for Texas where they will face MWC foe TCU in a dual meet on Saturday, Nov. 6, at the University Recreation Center pool in Fort Worth.