Dec. 29, 2015
THIS WEEK IN AZTEC SWIMMING
The San Diego State swimmers and divers will be in La Jolla for a pair of meets this weekend after recently adding a double dual meet to their schedule. On Saturday, Jan. 2, the Aztecs will be at the Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla, Calif., for a triple dual meet against host UC San Diego, Mountain West foe UNLV and Grand Canyon with the first event slated for 1:00 p.m. (PT). On Sunday (Jan.3), SDSU will return to the same venue to take on San Jose State and Incarnate Word in a double dual meet scheduled to get underway at 11:00 a.m. (PT).
HEAD COACH Mike Shrader
San Diego State Head Coach Mike Shrader is in his ninth season with the Aztecs and has compiled a dual meet record of 110-15 (.880) 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 199-27-1 (.879).
AZTECS RANKED
San Diego State is 42nd this week in the Division I rankings published by CollegeSwimming.com. Boise State is the highest-ranked Mountain West team at 39th while Wyoming is just behind the Aztecs at 49th. The Aztecs are sixth in this week's Division Mid-Major Poll (by CollegeSwimming.com) behind Boise State (sixth) and ahead of Wyoming (11th).
SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
Aztec senior Taylor Johnson was named the Mountain West Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 10 for her performance in the double dual meet vs. New Mexico and Washington State on Nov. 7. During that meet Johnson won the 50 and 100 freestyle races with times of 23.15 and 51.26 respectively. She was also a member of the 200 freestyle relay team that set a pool record with a time of 1:33.07. Johnson also swam on the second-place 200 medley relay quartet (1:44.58).
DIVER OF THE WEEK
SDSU sophomore Alexandra Caplan was named the Mountain West Diver of the Week on Nov. 24 for her performance at the Wildcat Diving Invitational at the University of Arizona (Nov. 20-22). Caplan captured the 1-meter springboard event with a mark of 292.50 in the finals to win the event in a field of 41 divers. On the 3-meter springboard, Caplan placed sixth (of 40 divers) with an NCAA-qualifying mark of 268.15. Caplan ended the Invitational by recording a 200.05 in the platform competition and placing fifth of 30 competitors.
ALL-TIME TOP 10s
The Aztecs have added 14 times in individual events this season that enter the SDSU record book among the all-time top 10 marks. In addition, four top-10 relays times have also been established. Leading that list is Summer Harrison's school record of 1:58.01 in the 200 butterfly set during the Art Adamson Invitational at Texas A&M in late November. Here's the complete list of new SDSU Top 10 marks:
Event Athletes Time (Rank)50 Freestyle.......Taylor Johnson......22.54 (3rd)50 Freestyle.......Cailey Steffens.....23.35 (10th)100 Freestyle......Savannah Miller.....49.85 (5th)200 Butterfly......Summer Harrison.....1:58.01 (1st)200 Butterfly......Rachael Kelch.......2:01.62 (6th)100 Backstroke.....Natilee Ruiz........55.25 (6th)200 Backstroke.....Rachael Kelch.......1:59.35 (8th)200 Backstroke.....Andrea VanderMey....1:59.60 (9th)100 Breaststroke...Taylor Young........1:01.41 (3rd)100 Breaststroke...Lydia Pereverzina...1:03.38 (7th)200 Breaststroke...Taylor Young........2:12.58 (3rd)200 Breaststroke...Lydia Pereverzina...2:19.53 (9th)200 IM.............Rachael Kelch.......2:03.68 (8th)400 IM.............Rachael Kelch.......4:19.30 (4th)200 Free Relay.....Johnson, Steffens, Miller, Weisz...........1:30.32 (3rd)200 Free Relay.....Johnson, Steffens, Guttmacher, Weisz.......1:33.07 (10th)200 Medley Relay...Santilena, Pereverzina, Harrison, Johnson..1:40.77 (10th)400 Medley Relay...Garfein, Zaccarelli, Harrison, Weisz.......3:39.39 (8th)
CONFERENCE TOP TIMES
Several Aztec swimmers have posted times that rank among the top five in the Mountain West this season. That list includes:
Event Athletes Time (Rank)50 Freestyle.......Taylor Johnson.....22.54 (1st)100 Freestyle......Savannah Miller....49.85 (1st)100 Freestyle......Whitney Weisz......49.95 (3rd)100 Backstroke.....Natilee Ruiz.......55.25 (5th)200 Backstroke.....Natilee Ruiz.......1:59.02 (4th)100 Breaststroke...Taylor Young.......1:04.32 (3rd)200 Breaststroke...Taylor Young.......2:12.58 (2nd)100 Butterfly......Summer Harrison....53.25 (2nd)200 Butterfly......Summer Harrison....1:58.01 (1st)200 Butterfly......Rachael Kelch......2:01.62 (5th)200 IM.............Savannah Miller....2:01.74 (5th)400 IM.............Rachael Kelch......4:19.30 (1st)200 Free Relay.....Johnson, Steffens, Miller, Weisz...........1:30.32 (1st)400 Free Relay.....Johnson, Miller, Guttmacher, Weisz.........3:20.26 (3rd)200 Medley Relay...Santilena, Pereverzina, Harrison, Johnson..1:40.77 (3rd)400 Medley Relay...Garfein, Zaccarelli, Harrison, Weisz.......3:39.39 (2nd)