Aztec Swim and Dive Aims for Fourth Straight MW Championship This Week

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State swim and dive team will be seeking its fourth consecutive conference title and sixth in the last seven years when it journeys to the Lone Star State this week for the 2025 Mountain West Championships, slated for Feb. 19-22 in Houston, Texas.

The four-day meet commences on Wednesday at the CRWC Natatorium on the University of Houston campus and will be streamed live via the MW Network with links available on GoAztecs.com.

SDSU will battle nine other conference foes that sponsor women's swimming and diving, including Air Force, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico, San José State, UNLV, Wyoming and Washington State, the latter of which became a MW affiliate member in the sport for the next two seasons.

The Aztecs have won eight Mountain West Championships in program history (2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024), capturing the title last season 1,487.50 points to top second-place UNLV (1,256.50) by 231 points. In 2023, the Scarlet and Black set a conference record with 1,638 points en route to the championship.

San Diego State will be looking to become just the second school to claim four consecutive MW titles since former member Brigham Young was crowned champion in four straight years from 2007-10.

SDSU returns 11 competitors that combined for 44 all-Mountain West honors at last year’s conference meet, including Meredith Smithbaker, who collected a team-high seven all-conference plaudits, including individual crowns in the 50 and 100 freestyle. 

Not to be outdone, the Aztecs will also feature two-time reigning MW Swimmer of the Year Alex Roberts, who won a gold medal in the 200 backstroke while contributing to team victories in the 200 and 400 medley relays.

In all, San Diego State earned seven individual goal medals and won four of five relay competitions last season (200 medley, 400 medley, 200 free, 400 free).

Following the 2024 championships, Valentina Lopez Arevalo was named MW Diver of the Meet, marking the third time an SDSU competitor has earned such honors after Ximena Lechuga Gonzalez received the same recognition in 2019 and 2022.

Lopez Arevalo took home gold medals on the 3-meter springboard and in platform competition while claiming a silver in the 1-meter springboard event.

Lopez Arevalo has captured 11 event titles during the 2024-25 campaign (five in the 1-meter springboard, three on the 3-meter springboard and three from the platform), collecting three Mountain West Diver of the Week awards in the process.

Other returning individual winners from last season’s MW Championships include Moa Bergdahl (100 breast) and Christiana Williams (200 breast).

Continuing their success of the last decade-plus, the Aztecs have once again completed a dual-meet schedule without a blemish on their record, posting a 10-0 mark during the 2024-25 campaign. With those results, SDSU raised its record to 134-2 since January 2013 and extended its dual-meet winning streak to 74 straight dating back to January 2018.

SDSU set three Aztec Aquaplex pool records in its victory over the University of San Diego on Jan. 25, including Kaydence Bispo in the 50 free (22.77) and Alli Mann in the 100 free (49.73). Mann and Bispo also swam the final two segments of SDSU’s 400 medley relay team that set a pool standard as well (3:43.09).

For her efforts, Mann garnered both MW Swimmer and Freshman of the Week accolades for the second time in the month of January after receiving the same plaudits following the Aztecs’ double dual meet sweep of New Mexico and Pepperdine.

Earlier this season, Bispo (Freshman) and Reka Nyiradi (Swimmer) earned conference weekly honors after the Scarlet and Black posted a pair of dual meet victories at Alaska Fairbanks.

As a team, the Aztecs recorded an impressive second-place team finish at the Hawkeye Invitational, Nov. 21-23, in Iowa City, Iowa. Smithbaker won the 50 and 100 freestyle, while Abby Storm was victorious in the 100 and 200 back, joining Mai McKenna, who was triumphant in the 200 fly.

A total of five SDSU swimmers have recorded nine NCAA “B” cut times in  this year, including Smithbaker in the 50 free (22.42, No. 1 MW) and 100 free (48.83, T-2 MW); Storm in the 100 back (52.17, No. 2 MW) and 200 back (1:55.11, No. 1 MW); Bergdahl in the 100 breast (1:00.24, No. 3 MW) and 200 breast (2:12.57, No. 4 MW); Williams in the 100 breast (1:00.51, No. 4 MW) and 200 breast (2:12.62, No. 5 MW); and McKenna in the 200 fly (1:58.46, No. 2 MW).

Following this week's Mountain West meet, San Diego State will begin preparations for the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships, set for March 10-12 in Federal Way, Washington.

The NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships are also scheduled for next month, March 19-22, at the same site in suburban Seattle.