Aztec Swimmers Continue Fall Schedule with Second Straight Meet at USD
SAN DIEGO – For the second time in two weeks, San Diego State swimmers will battle the University of San Diego when the Aztecs pay another visit to USD Sports Center Pool for a dual meet on Friday, Oct. 2, starting at 2 p.m. PT. Admission is free.
Friday’s clash will feature eight scored distance events, beginning with the 200 medley relay and 150 freestyle, followed by the 150 butterfly, 150 backstroke, 150 breaststroke, 400 freestyle, 300 individual medley and 200 freestyle relay.
The Aztecs have already faced the Toreros this season, cruising to a 33-24 triumph in the annual pentathlon meet between the two programs at USD’s home facility on Sept. 18. With the victory, SDSU has claimed all 15 encounters against the Toreros in the pentathlon format dating back to 2011.
San Diego State boasted the top seven pentathlon finishers, including sophomore Melanie Quinto, who took home the individual crown with an aggregate time of 4:56.62, edging junior Liv Peebles (4.57.21) by less than one second, followed by Sierra Tallman (4:59.99), who took third, while senior transfer Ginger Kiefer (5:00.58) and defending champion Roni Black (5:01.01) rounded out the top five.
In all, the Aztecs won 10 of 11 races on the day, featuring at least the top-three swimmers in nine of those competitions.
Junior Alli Mann emerged triumphant in two of the four pentathlon events she swam, including the 100 free, where she touched the wall at 51.23, topping Kaydence Bispo, who clocked in at 51.69, while Quinto was a close third at 51.76.
Mann also set the pace in the 100 fly with a time of 56.42, while Tallman (57.02) edged Amber Janky (57.72) for second place.
Friday's crosstown skirmish marks the second of four scheduled encounters with USD this season. The Scarlet and Black will engage the Toreros and Cal State East Bay in a triangular meet at Aztec Aquaplex on Tuesday, Jan. 12, before renewing acquaintances in another dual meet at the same facility on Friday, Jan. 22.
Including their annual pentathlons, SDSU has been victorious in 41 straight meetings against the Toreros dating back to the 2000-01 campaign. In their regular-season finale last year, the Aztecs defeated USD at the Aquaplex by a score of 155-108, posting the fastest time in all 13 swimming events, including two relays.
Individually, the Aztecs received pool record times from Mann in the 50 free (22.48) and 100 fly (52.68), while Bispo set another venue standard in the 200 free (1:48.32) to help extend the program’s winning streak to 85 consecutive dual meets dating back to Jan. 8, 2018.
Following Friday’s competition, San Diego State returns to action on Thursday, Oct. 15, when it travels up the coast to face Pepperdine in a sprint meet at 10:30 a.m. PT, before continuing north to the Central Valley for its annual appearance in the Fresno State Invitational, Oct. 16-17, in Fresno, California.