Sept. 21, 2011
THIS WEEK
San Diego State will get its 2010-11 season underway with a pentathlon meet against the University of San Diego on Friday, Sept. 23, at 2:00 p.m. at the USD Sports Center Pool. The meet will consist of five events (100 back, breast, fly, free and 200 individual medley) with all swimmers competing in each of them. Total times in the five events will determine the individual placings with a meet champion named at the conclusion of the afternoon. Last season's pentathlon between the school's was won by SDSU's Leona Jennings as Aztec swimmers captured nine of the top 10 places.
HEAD COACH MIKE SHRADER
San Diego State head coach Mike Shrader is in his fifth season with the Aztecs and has compiled a dual meet record of 50-13 (.794) during his tenure. Shrader was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year each of the past three seasons (co-coach in 2009). Including eight seasons as the head coach at Nevada, his career record stands at 139-25-1 (.845)
BEST RECORD, BEST FINISH
With an overall record of 19-0, San Diego State completed its best season ever in 2010-11. The Aztecs' went 8-0 in the Mountain West Conference to capture the regular-season title. They also finished first at the 2011 MWC Championship meet to record SDSU's first team title in the history of the program. The Aztecs return 20 letterwinners from last year's squad.
THE STREAK CONTINUES
SDSU has a streak of 38 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 four seasons at SDSU, the Aztecs have not lost to a non-conference foe.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
San Diego State completed its second consecutive undefeated home season during its 2010-11 campaign. After finishing a perfect 7-0 in home meets last season, the Aztecs have won their last 17 consecutive dual meets at home. SDSU's record at the Aztec Aquaplex stands at 26-3 since the facility opened in the spring of 2008.
RECORD SETTERS RETURN
SDSU set school records in 11 individual events and four relays during the 2010-11 campaign. Swimmers who set nine of those individual marks are back along with a majority of the swimmers involved in the relay records. Returning SDSU record-setters include Kelly Marquenie (200, 500, 1000 and 1650 free), Leona Jennings (100, 200 back), Katelyn Weddle (100 breast), Stephanie Koch (100 free) and Melanie Garibaldi (400 individual medley). Also back is Kristen Meier, who set SDSU marks in all three diving events last season.
RANKED RECRUITING CLASS
San Diego State's 2011-12 recruiting class was ranked 17th in the nation by CollegeSwimming.com. Included among the newcomers are six freshmen who earned NICSA Girls High School All-America honors in their respective events. That group is led by Chelsea Bailey (free, back), who was ranked as the No. 14 recruit in the nation by CollegeSwimming.com after earning All-America accolades in the 100 free and 100 back.
Dana Michaels (Shoreline, Wash.) won the 200 and 500 freestyle state championships in Washington while Emile Pleger (Yakima, Wash.) was that state's top-ranked swimmer in the 100 breast. Amanda Barrett (200 & 500 free state champ) was the top-rated swimmer in Utah last year while Taylor Lakey (free, fly) was ranked third among prep swimmers in the state of Oregon. The sixth freshman, Loreen Whitfield (Clovis, Calif.), won eight individual section titles and holds the section record in the 100 fly.
Also in the class are an international transfer and a freshman diver. Gemma Johnson, a junior from the University of Sydney, has been ranked among the top 25 in Australia in the 50m free as well as the 50m and 100m fly. Diver Kelsingten Goodsite (Martin Luther King HS in Riverside HS) finished among the top 10 in the Southern Section CIF Championships two of the past three seasons.
It marks the third straight year that the Aztecs have landed a top 25 class after its 2009-10 group was rated fourth and last year's class was ranked 22nd. SDSU is the lone Mountain West Conference team to have its incoming class ranked among the top 25 nationally.