Aztecs Open 2025 With Double Dual Victories

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State swim and dive program rang in the new year in style Thursday with a pair of victories over Pepperdine (165-129) and New Mexico (165-126) in a double dual meet at Aztec Aquaplex.

With the results, SDSU extends its winning streak to 72 dual meets and is six days shy of seven years since its last defeat, a 153-147 setback to Colorado State on Jan. 8, 2018.

The Aztecs logged the fastest times or highest marks in 15 of 16 events and were awarded victories in 11 of those to raise their record to 7-0 in dual-meet competition this season.

SDSU flashed its tremendous depth as nine different competitors captured event titles, including Alli Mann, who took home a pair of crowns that counted towards the Scarlet and Black’s team score, while Summer West, Wilma Johansson, Liv Peebles, Moa Bergdahl, Meredith Smithbaker, Elisa Branca, Valentina Lopez Arevalo and Jessica Schroeder emerged triumphant as well.

The Aztecs' balance was on full display in the first race of the afternoon, posting the top two times in the 200 medley relay, including the victorious team of Peebles, Bergdahl, Mann and Smithbaker, who clocked in at 1:43.80, while the foursome of Alex Downing, Christiana Williams, Emily Tenczar and Avery Turney combined for a second-place time of 1:46.10.

In the 1,000 freestyle, West touched the wall with a season-fast 10:43.64, while Elsa Fullerton followed in third at 10:56.03.

Shortly thereafter, SDSU grabbed the top three spots in the 200 freestyle, where Johansson completed the race with a winning effort of 1:52.67, edging Kaydence Bispo (1:52.73), while Eva Allan (1:56.37) took third.

The Aztecs kept the momentum in the 100 backstroke, as Peebles completed the race with a winning time of 55.52, which ranks sixth in pool history, while Downing (59.64) and Grace Mering (59.68) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

Moments later, the Scarlet and Black logged a 1-2 finish in the 100 breaststroke, where Bergdahl emerged victorious with a time of 1:01.68, which ranks third in Aztec Aquaplex history, while Branca clocked in at 1:05.29.

Not to be outdone, SDSU boasted the top three individuals in the 200 butterfly, where Mann captured the crown with a season-fast 2:04.20, while Tenczar (2:06.16) took second, followed by Charlotte Sevin (2:09.40).

Heading into the meet's intermission, Smithbaker claimed the top prize in the 50 freestyle after touching the wall at 23.21, which ranks fourth on the facility’s all-time charts, while Turney registered a second-place effort of 23.91.

Following the break, the Aztecs' dominance continued in the 100 freestyle, as the Scarlet Black recorded three of the top five results, including Mann, who logged her second win of the day at 51.28, edging Bispo (51.32) at the proverbial wire, while Turney (52.56) was slotted fourth.

SDSU’s individual victory streak was snapped in the 200 backstroke, where Mering (2:08.46) was edged by Pepperdine’s AJ Adams (2:08.42) for the title.

However, the Aztecs rebounded with Branca’s win in the 200 breaststroke, where the freshman swimmer clocked in at 2:21.84. Bergdahl actually posted the fastest time in the event with a swim of 2:19.80, which was scored as an exhibition.

As the meet progressed, the Scarlet and Black produced the top three times in the 500 freestyle, but with the host school enjoying a comfortable lead on the team scoreboard, the results were also counted as exhibitions. Johansson completed the race with a season-fast 5:02.43, followed by Allan (5:14.76) and Fullerton (5:16.15), whose effort marked a season best as well.

Similarly, SDSU recorded the top two performances in the 100 butterfly, which were deemed exhibitions. Tenczar touched the wall at 56.82, followed by Peebles, who clocked in at 57.11.

Later in the 200 individual medley, Branca collected her second victory of the meet, although her time of 2:09.02 was considered an exhibition, as was Mering’s second-place swim of 2:10.39.

Fittingly, SDSU completed Thursday’s swimming docket by recording the two fastest times in the 400 freestyle relay, both of which were scored as exhibitions. The foursome of Johansson, Bispo, Turney and Mann combined for an effort of 3:28.38, while the team of Tenczar, Reka Nyiradi, Allan and Bergdahl followed in succession at 3:31.96.

Over in the diving well, Valentina Lopez Arevalo emerged victorious on the 1-meter springboard with a season-best score of 296.50, which eclipsed an NCAA zone qualifying standard and ranks 10th in Aztec Aquaplex history. In addition, Summer Westmoreland (263.75) was second in the event, while Taylor Konopacke (235.55) took fourth.

In 3-meter competition, Jessica Schroeder topped the field with a season-high total of 280.10 points, surpassing an NCAA qualifying mark in the process, while Westmoreland (253.75) was third, followed by Lopez Arevalo (248.60), who finished fifth.

San Diego State continues its busy stretch on Tuesday, Jan. 7, when it plays host to Colorado College and Cal State East Bay for another double dual meet at Aztec Aquaplex. First swim is set for 2 p.m. PT.