Aztecs Dominate on Day Two at CBU Double Dual
The San Diego State swim and dive team wrapped up its weekend with another dominating performance, winning seven more event titles on Saturday during the second wave of action in a double dual meet against California Baptist and UC Santa Barbara in Riverside, California.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The San Diego State swim and dive team wrapped up its weekend with another dominating performance, winning seven more event titles on Saturday during the second wave of action in a double dual meet against California Baptist and UC Santa Barbara at Lancer Aquatics Center.
With their efforts, the Aztecs defeated the host Lancers (267.50-117.50) and Gauchos (214.50-164.50) after capturing 14 crowns in 20 events over the two-day competition, although final team scores were unpublished at press time.
Alli Mann was a double winner on Saturday, emerging victorious in the 100 freestyle with a personal-best time of 49.44, which ranks seventh in school history. In addition, the SDSU sophomore was triumphant in the 100 butterfly after completing a career-fast swim of 53.52, which is also slotted seventh on the program’s all-time charts.
Elsewhere, Reka Nyiradi topped the competition in the 200 individual medley with a collegiate-fast time of 2:01.41 after posting a second-place finish in the 500 freestyle with a career-best clocking of 4:54.67.
Not to be outdone, Abby Storm surpassed an NCAA “B” cut time in the 200 backstroke, winning the race with a season-best performance of 1:56.27. The SDSU senior also recorded the fastest time in the 50 back with a sprint of 24.54, but the result was deemed an exhibition.
The Aztecs captured another title the 200 breaststroke, where Elisa Branca touched the wall with a winning time of 2:14.40, which marks a collegiate best, while Isabella Gomez took home her second straight diving crown after posting a triumphant score of 252.25 points on the 1-meter springboard.
Additionally, Saturday’s action featured a Scarlet and Black victory in the 200 medley relay, where Storm joined forces with Moa Bergdahl, Sierra Tallman and Alyssa Schiller for a winning effort of 1:40.57, with Bergdahl taking second later in the meet with a sprint of 28.56 in the 50 breaststroke. Schiller also tied for second in the 100 free with a season-fast clocking of 50.61,
Along with Storm’s win, the Aztecs displayed their incredible depth in the 200 back, featuring the four other top-five finishers, including Liv Peebles (2:03.30), who edged Melanie Quinto (2:03.33) for second, while Alex Downing (2:04.10) and Grace Mering (2:04.40) took fourth and fifth, respectively, with their results counting as exhibitions.
Following Branca’s triumph in the 200 breast, Roni Black (2:17.79) placed third in the race, while Bergdahl (2:19.49) was slotted fourth.
Emily Tenczar gave the Scarlet and Black another third-place performer in the 100 fly with a clocking of 55.51, while diver Alina Skrocki tied for the third spot on the 1-meter board with a score of 230.45.
Rounding out the weekend’s activities was the 400 freestyle relay, where the Aztec foursome of Mann, Kaydence Bispo, Schiller and Camille Seiley combined for the second-fastest time of the event at 3:24.09, but the result was scored as an exhibition.
San Diego State will return to competition for the Utah Tech Trailblazer Invitational, Nov. 19-22, in St. George, Utah, while Aztec divers will travel to the Grand Canyon State that same weekend for the first edition of the Lumberjack Invitational, Nov. 20-22, in Flagstaff, Arizona.