Dec. 3, 2011
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State swimming and diving team improved to 7-0 on the season as it defeated Mountain West foe New Mexico, 153-138, Saturday afternoon at the Aztec Aquaplex. Aztec swimmers turned in the fastest times in 11 of the 12 individual events as well as both relays while the SDSU divers took first in both of their events.
In the diving competition, senior Kristen Meier captured both the one-meter and three-meter springboards with the scores of 311.48 and 331.43. Her mark on the one-meter board was a new Aztec Aquaplex record, bettering the standard she set for the facility last season.
Fellow Aztec diver Rafaella Suarez scored 269.33 on the one meter board, a mark that qualifies her for the Zone Meet next March. Sophomore Ana Steiner also qualified for the Zone Meet by scoring a 298.50 in the three meter event. Both Suarez and Steiner's scores in those events rank third on the San Diego State all-time list and each was the third-highest ever at SDSU's home facility. In addition, Suarez's score of 287.40 on the three-meter was also a Zone qualifying mark and goes into the Aztec record book as the fifth-highest ever.
On the swimming side, two Aztecs won two events apiece and were on a winning relay team. Mikaela Macklin won the 100 and 200 backstroke with times of 57.29 and 2:05.73 respectively. Stephanie Koch, meanwhile, took first in both the 50 free (24.27) and 500 free (5:10.27). Both swimmers were members of the 200 medley relay squad (along with Chelsea Bailey and Gemma Johnson), that got the meet started with a first-place finish in 1:46.20.
Among the seven other individual race winners for the Aztecs were Kelly Marquenie in the 1000 free (10:12.98), Jessica Crider in the 200 free (1:53.35), Emilie Pleger in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.27) and Berklie Oscarson in the 200 butterfly (2:06.84).
Other SDSU first-place finishes were turned in by Meghan Zimmer in the 100 free (52.39), Gemma Johnson in the 100 butterfly (56.43) and Melanie Garibaldi in the 200 individual medley (2:09.74). The only race not won by an SDSU swimmer was the 200 breaststroke where UNM's Alyssa Keill (2:26.40) edged Aztec Taylor Yamagata (2:26.72) by .32 second.
San Diego State capped off the meet with the fastest time in the 200 free relay as the foursome of Bailey, Johnson, Dana Michaels and Taylor Lakey went 1:38.79.
Up next for the Aztecs is a dual meet against Cal Poly on Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Aztec Aquaplex. That meet will consist of only swimming events and will use a long-course (meters) format.
That same weekend (Dec. 15-17) diver Kristen Meier will be in Knoxville, Tenn., to participate in the 2012 USA Diving Winter Nationals.