Feb. 22, 2013
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The San Diego State swimming and diving team continued to widen its lead through day three of the 2013 Mountain West Championships being conducted at the Palo Alto College Aquatic Center in San Antonio, Texas, this week. With 14 events completed (and seven remaining to be contested on Saturday), the Aztecs' team score stands at 561.5, well ahead of second-place defending champion Boise State (360.5).
Wyoming moved into third place with 320 points followed by UNLV (313), Nevada (269), New Mexico (209), Colorado State (191), Fresno State (188) and Air Force (141).
The Aztecs got Friday's evening finals session off a perfect start as it captured its fourth relay title of the meet. The quartet of Chelsea Bailey, Maddy Dalcamo, Gemma Johnson and Whitney Weisz won the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:31.60. The mark established an SDSU school record and was an NCAA B cut time.
Junior Mikaela Macklin then completed a sweep of the individual medley races by capturing the 400 IM in 4:11.15. It was Macklin's second school-record performance of the week as she had also set a new SDSU standard in the 200 IM on Thursday. Fellow Aztecs Melanie Garibaldi and Amanda Barrett added to the Aztecs' point total by finished seventh and eight respectively in the final of the 400 IM.
SDSU then had another school record turned in by senior Gemma Johnson, whose 53.08 in the final of the 100 butterfly was good for a second-place finish. Soph Loreen Whitfield finished sixth on the same race after her time of 53.94 in the prelims was the second-fastest in school history.
San Diego State's depth proved to be a factor once again as the Aztecs took second, third and fourth in the 200 freestyle. Meghan Zimmer was SDSU's top finisher and her mark of 1:46.69 in the prelims established a school record. Behind Zimmer in third and fourth respectively were Jessica Crider (1:47.62) and Kelly Marquenie (1:48.14).
In the 100 breaststroke, senior Katelyn Weddle claimed her third Mountain West title in the event in four years with a winning time of 1:00.67. Emilie Pleger took third place in the B final to add to Aztecs' point total after her time of 1:03.06 in the prelims was the third-best all-time for an SDSU swimmer.
In the evening's final event, senior Leona Jennings placed third in the 100 backstroke in 53.81, a mark the was just .23 second off he school-record time. Adding points to the Aztecs' team total were Chelsea Bailey (54.77) and Haley Preston (55.23) who finished first and third in the B final with times that rank as the second- and third-fastest in school history.
The 2013 Mountain West Championship final day gets underway Saturday morning (Feb. 23) at 11:00 a.m. (CT) with prelims in the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly and platform diving. The finals of those five events along with the 1650 freestyle and the 400 free relay will commence at 6:00 p.m. that evening.
Complete up-to-the minute coverage of the 2012 Mountain West Championships including live scoring can be found by clicking here. For complete results, heat sheets and video go to MW Swimming & Diving Championship Central
DAY 3 TEAM SCORES>1. San Diego State...516.52. Boise State.......360.53. Wyoming...........3204. UNLV..............3135. Nevada............2696. New Mexico........2097. Colorado State....1918. Fresno State......1889. Air Force.........141