SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State swim and dive team enjoyed a successful 2022-23 debut on Friday after toppling the University of San Diego by a 33-24 count in a pentathlon meet between the two schools at Aztec Aquaplex.
With the victory, SDSU has emerged triumphant in 37 consecutive dual meets dating back to Jan. 8, 2018 and has won all 11 meetings against the Toreros in their annual pentathlon competition.
SDSU boasted the top nine pentathlon finishers, including fifth-year senior Kristina Murphy, who took home the individual title for the second straight season after posting a combined time of 4:51.90, besting sophomore Meredith Smithbaker (4:57.55) by over six seconds.
Senior Riley Tapley was a close third in the final standings with a 4:58.16 clocking, followed by senior Evonne Stehr, junior Alex Roberts, sophomore Mai McKenna, sophomore Avery Turney, freshman Moa Bergdahl and junior Wilma Johansson.
Murphy came away victorious in three individual pentathlon events, including the 100 butterfly, where she touched the wall at 58.11, edging Smithbaker (58.13) by 0.02 seconds. The Clarksburg, California, native also topped the field in the 100 individual medley (57.98) and 100 breaststroke (1:03.79).
Other pentathlon winners included Smithbaker in the 100 freestyle (51.89) and Tapley in the 100 backstroke (56.90).
In head-to-head scoring, points were awarded to only to the top three finishers from each squad on a 12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.
The teams swam additional races on Friday. These events were not scored in the results but gave both the Aztecs and Toreros benchmarks to continue their early season training with.
To close out the day, Murphy (4:28.73) and McKenna (4:45.64) finished 1-2 in the 400 individual medley, while Johansson was victorious in the 500 freestyle (5:09.31).
SDSU returns to action on Thursday, Oct. 6, when it drives up the coast to face Pepperdine in a dual meet, beginning at 10 a.m. PT in Malibu, California.
Aztecs Defeat USD in Pentathlon Meet, 33-24
