SAN DIEGO – San Diego State freshman Meredith Smithbaker has been named the Mountain West Conference's Freshman of the Week in swimming and diving for the week ending on Oct. 24. The announcement was made from the conference office in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Tuesday morning.
A native of Fort Collins, Colo., Smithbaker competed in six races last week, recorded wins in four competitions, had one second-place finish and the fastest time in another event.
In matching 132-65 victories over Loyola Marymount and Seattle U, and a 118-76 triumph over Grand Canyon last Friday, she helped secure the programs, 30th, 31st and 32nd consecutive dual meet wins.
In the first race of the day, the 200-medley relay, she and her teammates won the event in 1:41.43 and later won that day's 100 free in 51.47. In her final race of the day, she was part of the Aztecs squad that had the fastest time in the 400 free relay (3:30.27), but with the day's duals in hand the effort was deemed an exhibition.
On Saturday, against the same teams, San Diego State matched its three wins from the day before, 159-44 over LMU, 149-47 over Seattle U and 120-79 over GCU.
Smithbaker and her 400 medley relay teammates won the first event of the day in 3:46.36, then in the 50 free, she finished second place in 23.89. In Saturday's 100 free, Smithbaker lowered her time from the previous day by more than two-tenths of a second to 51.23.
This is Smithbaker's first weekly conference award and the second for an Aztec this year.
-SDSU-