Nov. 19, 2016
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. - The San Diego State swim team completed its participation at the 2016 A3 Performance Invitational on Saturday as it finished in second place of the 10 teams competing.
The Aztecs' final team total of 1138.5 points was second only to UCLA (1400.5) and well ahead of third-place UC Santa Barbara (949) and fourth-place Hawai'i (875).
San Diego State got the final day underway with four swimmers scoring points in the 1650 freestyle race. Freshman McKenna Meyer was SDSU's top finisher, capturing fifth place with a time of 16:43.85, a mark that goes into the SDSU record book as the sixth-fastest time in program history. In addition, her 1000 split of 10:07.59 also enters the Aztec records list as the sixth-best time at that distance.
Corinn Casper was SDSU's second-best finisher in the race as she took eighth place in 17:07.72. Also earning points for the Aztecs were Martina Marks (17:20.25-13th) and Caroline Mitchell (17:23.45-17th).
In the 200 backstroke, Kate Santilena took eighth place with a time of 2:02.03. In the B final, Andrea VanderMey and Alexa Clayfield finished second and third with marks of 2:00.68 and 2:01.44 respectively. McKenna Garfein (2:04.19) and Kassidy Henson (2:04.43) also picked up points by placing third and fourth in the Bonus final.
The 100 freestyle saw a pair of SDSU swimmers record times that rank among the all-time top 10 at SDSU. Alma Thormalm went 50.23 while placing fourth in the championship final. Her time ranks ninth on the SDSU all-time list. Payton Wilson's mark of 50.60 is the 10th-fastest time in program history as she was the winner of the B final. In addition, freshman Allie Klinger was fifth in the Bonus final in 52.28.
In the 200 breaststroke, freshman Morganne McKennan placed seventh with a time of 2:17.12, a mark that ranks as the seventh-best for an Aztec swimmer. Cecilia Zaccarelli's time of 2:25.36 allowed her to capture eighth in the Bonus final.
San Diego State had six swimmers earn points in the 200 butterfly with two competitors each in the championship, B and Bonus finals. Frida Berggren was SDSU's top finisher as she captured third place in 1:59.57 while teammate Rachael Kelch placed eighth in 2:04.29.
Caroline Mitchell took third in the B final in 2:03.73 followed by Martina Marks in sixth at 2:04.45. Others earning points in the 200 fly included Summer Harrison (2:04.56) and Samantha Guttmacher (2:05 .77) who finished first and third in the Bonus final.
San Diego State wrapped up the meet by placing second in the 400 freestyle relay. The quartet of Wilson, Thormalm, Berggren and Guttmacher turned in a time of 3:21.59.
The San Diego State swimming and diving team will next be in action on Friday, Dec. 2, when it hosts Pepperdine for a dual meet at 2:00 p.m. at the Aztec Aquaplex.
FINAL TEAM STANDINGSUCLA………………1400.5San Diego State……1138.5UC Santa Barbara...…949Hawai'i…………….…875San Jose State…………625.5UC San Diego…………575.5Fresno State……………513.5Cal Poly……………….476.5Cal State Bakersfield…361Loyola Marymount….163