Dec. 1, 2012
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - In a meet that featured several non-standard events, the San Diego State swimming and diving team defeated Fresno State, 133-128, Saturday afternoon at the Aztec Aquaplex. The win improved the Aztecs to 6-0 in dual meet competition this season as they secured their fourth win over Mountain West opposition this fall.
The final meet score of in favor of SDSU was not indicative of the Aztecs' dominance as San Diego State elected not to score points in four of the final five swimming events.
The meet began with SDSU taking first in the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:44.03. The quartet of Gemma Johnson, Katelyn Weddle, Loreen Whitfield and Leona Jennings turned in a mark that ranks as the eighth-fastest in school history as well as the fourth-best time ever recorded at the Aquaplex.
Freshman Natilee Ruiz won three events as the Aztecs captured first in 12 of the 13 swimming races. Ruiz took first in both the 50 and 100 backstroke with times of 26.93 and 1:01.90 respectively. She was also victorious in the 300 freestyle in 2:52.12.
Other double winners in individual events for San Diego State included Katelyn Weddle in the 50 (29.12) and 100 (1:03.58) breaststroke), Loreen Whitfield in the 50 (25.17) and 100 (55.78) butterfly, and Jessica Crider in the 100 (51.94) and 500 (4:57.64) freestyle.
In addition, Jennings won the 100 individual medley with a time of 58.39. SDSU also captured the final event of the meet, the 500 freestyle relay as 10 swimmers from each squad went 50 yards each. The lone event not won by an Aztec swimmer was the 50 freestyle.
In the diving competition, SDSU junior Anna Steiner finished second on the three-meter board with score of 295.88, a mark that qualified for the Zone Diving meet in March. She also scored a career-best 275.78 on the one-meter board, a mark that ranks third on the all-time Aztec diving list.
Freshman Chandler Marshall's 277.88 on the three-meter board (fourth place) goes into the SDSU record book as the ninth-highest score ever by an Aztec diver in that event.
San Diego State will now have a month away from competition with its next meet, a dual vs. Tulane, scheduled for Monday, Jan. 7, at 2:00 p.m. at the Aztec Aquaplex. That will be the SDSU's final home met of the 2012013 campaign and has been designated as Senior Day.