Nov. 23, 2013
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. - The San Diego State swim team sent seven athletes to the finals in five individual events and completed a sweep of the relays in the meet's final event as it captured the championship of the 2013 Arena Invitational. The Aztecs pulled away from runner-up San Jose State as they finished with a total of 1,196.5 points over the three days. The second-place Spartans totaled 1,094 points with Hawaii finishing a distant third with a score of 728.5.
SDSU began Saturday's finals session by capturing the top two places in the 200 backstroke. Natilee Ruiz won the race with a time of 1:58.45 with teammate Mikaela Macklin taking second in 2:00.18. Freshman Kate Santilena also scored points with an eighth-place finish in 2:03.36. Macklin's time of 1:59.98 in the prelims enter the SDSU record book as the seventh-fastest time in school history.
In the 1,650 freestyle, freshman Caroline Mitchell finished third with a mark of 16:52.82, the sixth-best time ever for an SDSU swimmer. SDSU's other top finisher was Dana Michaels, who captured ninth place in 17:13.13.
The next event, the 100 freestyle, saw a new school record established by freshman Anika Apostalon, who went 48.40, a time that goes down as an NCAA B qualifying time. Chelsea Bailey recorded a 50.52 during her sixth-place showing while Maddy Dalcamo's ninth-place time of 50.35 enters the SDSU all-time list in the number seven position.
The 200 breaststroke race saw Emily Pleger capture eighth place in 2:21.46. Her mark of 2:16.46 in the prelims was the fourth-fastest in program history while Jordy Hanna's 11th-place time of 2:20.18 ranks eighth on the Aztec all-time list.
After her third-place finish in the 1,650 free earlier, Caroline Mitchell came back to take eighth in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:07.92. Frida Berggren won the consolation final (ninth overall) with a time of 2:02.51, the fourth-best in program history. Mitchell's mark of 2:02.63 in the prelims enters the SDSU record book in fifth place, just behind Berggren's time.
San Diego State concluded the meet by completing a sweep of the weekend's five relays with a victory in the 400 freestyle relay. The foursome of Apostalon, Macklin, Ruiz and Dalcamo turned in a time of 3:19.98, the third-fastest time ever by an Aztec quartet.
San Diego State will next be in action when it hosts the University of Chicago on Friday, Dec. 20, at 10:00 a.m.at the Aztec Aquaplex. That meet will be SDSU's first home meet of the season.
TEAM STANDINGS 1. San Diego State.....1196.5 2. San Jose State......1140 3. Hawaii...............728.5 4. Fresno State.........587.5 5. Cal Poly.............585.5 6. Pacific..............559.5 7. Loyola Marymount.....556 8. CSU San Bernardino...536 9. U of San Diego.......533.510. UC San Diego.........508.511. Pepperdine...........215