Nov. 19, 2014
THIS WEEK IN AZTEC SWIMMING
The San Diego State swimming team will be at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, Calif., this week to compete in the A3 Performance Invitational hosted by UC San Diego (formerly the Arena Invitational). The three-day meet runs Thursday-Saturday (Nov. 20-22). Prelims begin each day at 9:00 a.m. with the finals session at 5:00 p.m. there will be no diving events conducted at the meet.
A total of 15 collegiate women's teams and eight men's squads will participate in the Invitational. The women's teams include Cal Baptist, Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, Fresno State, Hawai'i, La Verne, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, San Jose State, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, USC and University of San Diego. The Aztecs are the defending champions having won the meet last season.
HEAD COACH Mike Shrader
San Diego State Head Coach Mike Shrader is in his eighth season with the Aztecs and has compiled a dual meet record of 96-14 (.872) during his tenure. Shrader has been named the Mountain West Coach of the Year on five occasions (2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, co-coach in 2009). Including eight seasons as head coach at Nevada, his career record is 185-26-1 (.875).
AZTECS DEFEAT IDAHO, CSU IN DUAL MEET ACTION
The San Diego State swimmers and divers picked up a pair of wins in Fort Collins, Colo, on Nov. 1 when they defeated both Colorado State (187.5-112.5) and Idaho (193.5-106.5) in a double dual meet.
The Aztecs captured first place in eight of the 14 swimming events as well as one of the diving competitions en route to the wins. Natilee Ruiz and Anika Apostalon won two events apiece to pace the SDSU swimmers. Ruiz finished first in both the 200 freestyle (1:55.48) and 200 backstroke (2:02.36). Apostalon took top spot in the 100 backstroke (55.64) and 100 freestyle (50.31). She was also a member of the 200 freestyle relay team along with Chelsea Bailey, Whitney Weisz and Maddy Dalcamo that won the event in 1:33.47.
DIVER OF THE WEEK
San Diego State freshman Alexandra Caplan earned MW Women's Diver of the Week honors for her performance in the meet in Fort Collins, Colo. on Nov. 1. She placed in the top two of both springboard events in the meet vs. Colorado State and Idaho. Caplan won the 1-meter dive with a score of 284.45 and finished second in the 3-meter event with a score of 289.30. Both scores are NCAA-qualifying marks. Her 1-meter dive currently ranks fourth in the Mountain West, while her 3-meter score ranks seventh. In addition, her scores rank as the fourth-highest and eighth-highest respectively on Aztec program history.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
San Diego State completed its fourth consecutive undefeated home season during its 2013-14 campaign with a 7-0 record. The Aztecs have now won their last 39 consecutive meets at home. SDSU's record at the Aztec Aquaplex stands at 50-3 since the facility opened for the 2007-08 season.
DIVERS SHINE
Diving newcomers Isabelle Choquehuanca (junior transfer from LSU) and Alexandra Caplan (freshman from Mission Viejo HS) have recorded dives that rank among the top 10 on the SDSU all-time scores list on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards.
Choquehuanca's mark of 285.90 on the 1-meter ranks fourth all-time for an Aztec diver while Caplan's score of 284.45 stands fifth. On the 3-meter board, Choquehuanca's mark of 297.08 ranks fifth with Caplan's 289.30 coming in at eighth.
In addition, on the platform this season sophomore Shannon Finigan has turned in the seventh best mark ever by an SDSU diver at 193.80 with Caplan recording the eighth-best score of 189.25.
THE STREAK ENDS
San Diego State saw its lengthy dual meet win streak come to an end with the loss at UCLA on January 12, 2013. SDSU had won its last 45 straight meets dating back to the 2009-10 season prior to the loss to the Bruins. The Aztecs' last loss had come against Wyoming on Jan. 29, 2010, in Laramie. The Aztecs are now 68-1 in their last 69 dual meets dating back to January 2010.
NEW COACH
Stephen Allnutt joined the Aztecs' as an assistant coach this past August. Allnutt spent the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Hawai'i where he worked with the middle distance and IM swimmers on both the men's and women's teams. Allnutt attended the University of Hawai'i where he was a swimmer from fall 2007 to 2011.
A native of Forest Grove, Ore., the 25-year-old Allnutt is a 2011 graduate of Hawai'i with a bachelor's of science degree in kinesiology and exercise science. He received a master's degree in kinesiology from UH in 2014 as he completed his thesis on the biomechanics of swimming.
UP NEXT
Following the A3 Performance Invitational this weekend, the SDSU swimmers and divers will be off until Monday, Dec. 29 when they will host a triple dual meet against Air Force, Incarnate Word and UC San Diego at the Aztec Aquaplex at 2:00 p.m.