Nov. 23, 2013
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. - The San Diego State swim team sent multiple swimmers into every individual event final and turned in 19 all-time SDSU top 10 times as it moved into first place at Arena Invitational being held at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, Calif., this weekend.
The Aztecs' quality depth was the story as their two-day total of 796 points enabled them to pass first-day leader San Jose State which finished the day with a score of 746. Hawaii (468.5) stands third in the team standings for the three-day meet that concludes on Saturday.
SDSU opened Friday night's finals by winning the 200 medley relay. The quartet of Anika Apostalon, Jordy Hanna, Loreen Whitfield and Taylor Johnson went 1:41.99 as they registered the seventh-fastest time in program history.
Up next, the 400 individual medley saw Aztecs swimmers finish fifth and sixth as Caroline Mitchell (4:25.70) and Shannon Herman (4:25.98) led the way for SDSU. Mitchell's mark of 4:22.87 in the prelims of the event was the fifth-best ever for an Aztec while Herman's time in the final ranks ninth. In addition, freshman Frida Berggren, who did not compete in the final, clocked a 4:24.30 in the prelims, seventh-fastest in program history.
Three Aztecs placed among the top eight in the final of the 100 butterfly led by Whitfield in 55.02. Fifth place went to Kate Santilena (55.83) with teammate Samantha Guttmacher finishing eighth (56.52). Santilena's mark goes into the SDSU record list as the seventh-best while Guttmacher's time of 56.08 in the prelims ranks eighth.
Senior Mikaela Macklin then stepped up to take second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:48.49, fifth-fastest in school history. Berggren also tallied points for her team with a sixth-place finish in 1:50.47, 10th-best ever by an Aztec.
SDSU swimmers then captured third and fourth in the 100 breaststroke as Emily Pleger (1:03.38) finished just ahead of fellow Aztec Jordy Hanna (1:03.94). Hanna's mark put her in the SDSU record book with the fifth-fastest time in the event.
In the evening's final individual event, the 100 backstroke, Apostalon achieve an NCAA B Cut along with the second-best time in school history with a second-place finish in 53.79. Natalie Ruiz took third in 55.66 (seventh-best in program history) while Santilena was seventh in 56.58.
The Aztecs capped off the night by winning the 800 freestyle relay. The foursome of Berggren, Dana Michaels, Ruiz and Macklin went 7:22.74 to go into the SDSU record book with the fourth-fastest time by an SDSU quartet.
Action at the Arena Invitational will conclude on Saturday (Nov. 23) with prelims in the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly getting underway at 9:00 a.m. Finals in those five events plus the 400 freestyle relay are scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. The finals of the 1,650 freestyle will be held at noon.
TEAM STANDINGS 1. San Diego State......796 2. San Jose State.......746 3. Hawaii...............468.6 4. Cal Poly.............406 5. Pacific..............395.5 6. Loyola Marymount.....389 7. Fresno State.........382.5 8. CSU San Bernardino...374 9. U. of San Diego......36710. UC San Diego.........344.511. Pepperdine...........156