Aztecs Gearing Up for Double Dual Meet vs. Waves, Lobos on Thursday
SAN DIEGO – After a lengthy hiatus, the San Diego State swim and dive program opens a busy month of competition on Thursday, Jan. 2, when it welcomes New Mexico and Pepperdine to Aztec Aquaplex for a double dual meet, beginning at 2 p.m. PT. Admission is free.
The Aztecs will battle the Lobos and Waves in 14 swimming events along with 1-meter and 3-meter diving. The afternoon action features one flight of the 1,000 freestyle along with two heats of the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 200 butterfly and 50 freestyle. Additionally, the meet includes another pair of heats in the 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 500 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 200 individual medley and 400 freestyle relay.
SDSU swimmers have been idle since posting a strong second-place finish at the highly competitive Hawkeye Invitational, Nov. 21-23, in Iowa City, Iowa. The Aztecs surged into the second spot with 1,238 team points, trailing first-place Nebraska (1,368 pts), while Arkansas (1,187 pts) slipped into third, followed by Illinois (987.5 pts) and host Iowa (879 pts).
Since the beginning of the 2017-18 season, San Diego State has competed in 17 regular-season invitational meets and has finished outside of the top three just once during that span, logging four first-place performances, 10 second-place efforts and a pair of third-place results.
Individually, Meredith Smithbaker (50, 100 free), Abby Storm (100, 200 back), Mai McKenna (200 fly) captured event titles at the Hawkeye Invitational, all eclipsing NCAA “B” Cut times in the process.
As a result of those efforts, Smithbaker enters the weekend leading the Mountain West with the fastest times in the 50 free (22.42) and 100 free (48.33), while Storm and McKenna top the conference in the 200 back (1:55.11) and the 400 individual medley (4:17.05), respectively. In addition, the Aztecs’ 200 freestyle relay team of Smithbaker, Alli Mann, Kaydence Bispo and Liv Peebles own the league’s top time of 1:30.08.
Meanwhile, SDSU divers are coming off a strong showing at the Riverside Collegiate Invitational, Dec. 6-7, in Riverside, California, where Valentina Lopez Arevalo (platform) and Summer Westmoreland (1-meter) claimed event titles. Additionally, Westmoreland finished second on the 1-meter board and platform deck, while Alina Skrocki was the runner-up in 3-meter competition.
The Aztecs have earned four Mountain West weekly honors this season, including two by Lopez Arevalo (dive), and one each by Reka Nyiradi (swim) and Bispo (freshman).
SDSU is 5-0 in dual meets this season, extending its winning streak to 70 straight victories after sweeping the University of Alaska Fairbanks in a pair of road clashes on consecutive days, Oct 11-12. The Scarlet and Black has not lost a dual meet since dropping a 153-147 decision to Colorado State at home on Jan. 8, 2018, a span of nearly seven years.
The Aztecs have won eight straight dual meets vs. New Mexico since 2008 and are 10-3 in the all-time series vs. the Lobos dating back to the 2001-02 campaign. SDSU last faced New Mexico in a regular-season dual meet at home on Jan. 8, 2018, when it posted a 158-142 triumph to offset the aforementioned setback to Colorado State.
The Lobos are 1-3 in dual-meet competition this year and are coming off a seventh-place finish at the Phill Hansel Invitational, Nov. 20-22, in Houston, Texas. Last season, UNM placed ninth at the Mountain West Championships.
Conversely, San Diego State has captured all 23 encounters vs. Pepperdine since the 2000-01 season, including a 95-52 decision in Malibu on Oct. 3. In that meet, which featured primarily sprint events, the Aztecs won all seven races, including two relays, while winning a diving title to punctuate another dominating performance. In addition, SDSU recorded the top five fastest times in two individual events and featured three top-four swims in three other races.
Pepperdine swimmers logged an 11th-place finish at the Trailblazer Invitational in St. George, Utah, Nov. 21-23, while Wave divers last competed at the USC Trojan Invitational that same weekend. Pepperdine is 1-3 in dual meets this season, including a home setback to UC San Diego (184.5-109.5) in its last outing on Nov. 16.
Following Thursday’s action, San Diego State continues its busy schedule on Tuesday, Jan. 7, when Colorado College and Cal State East Bay invade Aztec Aquaplex for another double dual meet, starting at 2 p.m. PT.