SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State swim and dive team closed out its regular-season home schedule on a high note Friday, defeating the University of San Diego, 146-121, in a dual meet at Aztec Aquaplex to highlight Senior Day festivities.
SDSU logged the fastest times in all 13 swimming events, winning both relays while capturing a pair of diving crowns to finish its 2023-24 dual-meet ledger with an unblemished 15-0 record, including a 10-0 mark at home.
Individually, the Aztecs received pool record times from Christiana Williams (100, 200 breast) and Alex Roberts (200 back) to extend their winning streak to 65 consecutive dual meets dating back to Jan. 8, 2018.
Williams became just the fourth SDSU swimmer to break the 1-minute barrier in the 100 breaststroke, touching the wall with a personal-best 59.91, which leads the Mountain West and eclipses an NCAA "B" cut time. In addition, the Aztec senior maintained her perch atop the conference performance list with a season-fast clocking of 2:10.74 in the 200 breaststroke, improving on another NCAA "B" cut standard.
Not to be outdone, Roberts surpassed an NCAA "B" cut time of her own after posting a winning effort of 1:55.40 in the 200 backstroke.
Elsewhere, Avery Turney and Valentina Lopez Arevalo were double winners on Friday.
Turney logged season-best swims in the 50 freestyle (23.16) and 100 freestyle (50.28), which both rank third in Aztec Aquaplex history.
Meanwhile, Lopez Arevalo continued her stellar season with two more diving victories in the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard, giving her 13 event titles this season. The SDSU junior posted a wining total of 294.68 in 1-meter competition, besting freshman Alina Skrocki, who finished second with a season-best score of 267.60. Both marks surpassed NCAA Zone qualifying standards.
The Aztec duo duplicated the feat on the 3-meter board, as Lopez Arevalo (308.55) topped Skrocki (289.05) once again.
San Diego State opened the meet by capturing the top four spots in the 200 medley relay and did not look back.
The Aztec combo of Evonne Stehr, Meredith Smithbaker, Mai McKenna and Wilma Johansson joined forces for a triumphant performance of 1:41.68, edging the foursome of teammates Abby Storm, Moa Bergdahl, Rachel Hubka and Turney (1:41.97), who placed second.
Shortly thereafter, Emily Allen (10:32.73) and Raya Embury-Brown (10:35.83) posted a 1-2 finish in the 1,000 freestyle, both of which represented career bests.
Alyssa Schiller was SDSU's lone entrant in the 200 freestyle and the sophomore made her appearance count with a collegiate-fast swim of 1:53.55 to claim the title.
Schiller was one of 10 different Aztecs to post individual victories, joining the aforementioned Williams, Roberts, Turney, Lopez Arevalo and Allen, along with McKenna, Riley Tapley, Paige Mitchell and Charlotte Sevin.
Tapley was triumphant in the 100 backstroke with a season-best time of 54.42, while teammates Reka Nyiradi (56.76), Storm (56.88) and Stehr (58.76) followed in succession.
Along with Williams' performance in the 100 breaststroke, Bergdahl placed second with a 1:02.14 clocking, while Smithbaker took third at 1:05.32.
Shortly thereafter, Sevin took home the event title in the 200 butterfly after touching the wall at 2:07.81, while Emily Tenczar logged a second-place swim of 2:08.17,
The 50 freestyle soon followed and featured a thrilling finish, highlighted by Turney's victory. Meanwhile, McKenna (23.26) set a career-fast time to edge Hubka (23.27) for second place, with both efforts ranking fourth and fifth in pool history, respectively.
Turney also topped a pair of teammates in the 100 free, where Johansson placed second with a season-fast clocking of 52.21, followed closely by Stehr (52.26).
With the Scarlet and Black safely leading on the team scoreboard, the Aztecs' results in the final six races were counted as exhibitions.
Following Roberts' success in the 200 back, Storm posted the second-fastest time in the event with a clocking of 2:09.55.
Moments later, Mitchell logged a season-best swim of 5:00.50 to outdistance the field in the 500 freestyle, while Summer West subsequently completed the race at 5:07.28.
As the meet progressed, McKenna just missed a pool record in the 100 butterfly by .03 seconds, touching the wall with a personal-best 53.53, which ranks seventh in program history and surpasses an NCAA "B" cut standard. In addition, Tapley recorded the second-fastest time in the event with a season-best 55.16, while Nyiradi (56.11), Tenczar (57.63) and Sevin (58.70) followed in succession to highlight a dominating event for the Aztecs.
SDSU also registered the four fastest times in the 200 individual medley, led by Roberts (2:03.70) and Williams (2:04.36), who both notched season-best swims, followed by Bergdahl (2:08.68) and Stehr (2:10.36).
In the 400 freestyle relay, the team of Smithbaker, Turney, Tapley and Schiller clocked in at 3:23.85, which ranks second in Aztec Aquaplex history, while the foursome of Hubka, Johansson, Allen and Storm finished with the second-fastest time of the race at 3:33.29.
The Aztecs also held a pair of time trials following the competitive races, as McKenna posted a personal-best effort of 4:18.13 in the 400 individual medley, which ranks seventh in school history. Not to be outdone, her performance is good for third on the Aztec Aquaplex's all-time charts.
Prior to Friday's meet, SDSU held a special Senior Day ceremony celebrating the accomplishments of Jules Harrison, Rachel Hubka, Wilma Johansson, Mai McKenna, Paige Mitchell, Alex Roberts, Evonne Stehr, Riley Tapley and Christiana Williams.
San Diego State divers will travel to the Grand Canyon State for the NAU Lumberjack Invitational, Feb. 8-10, in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The Aztecs will be aiming for their third consecutive conference title two weeks later when they head to the Lone Star State for the 2024 Mountain West Championships, Feb. 21-24, in Houston, Texas.
Aztecs Sink USD on Senior Day
