Jan. 11, 2008
Complete Release and Top Times/Marks in PDF Format
SAN DIEGO -
THIS WEEK
The San Diego State swimming and diving team (5-4, 2-4 Mountain West Conference) will head to Provo, Utah, on Saturday, Jan. 12, for a conference dual meet with BYU at noon PT.
PREVIOUSLY ON THE MESA
On Wednesday, the Aztecs defeated Boise State, 167-128, but fell to MWC foe Colorado State, 185-110, in a double dual meet held at the USD Swim Complex. Senior Ana Dowell swam to a second-place finish with a personal-best 58.69 in the 100 butterfly, while Jessica Morrill also had a runner-up performance in the 200 breaststroke (2:24.04).
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
BYU is at the top of the Mountain West Conference with a 3-0 record in league action and a 7-0 overall mark. The Cougars return 12 all-conference performers from its 2007 MWC championship team, including senior Angela Goodson. Goodson set a MWC championship and all-time record in both the 100 and 200 fly, and completed a sweep of her individual events with a victory in the 200 IM at the title meet last year.
SERIES HISTORY
Since the inception of the MWC in 1999-00, San Diego State trails the series with BYU, 6-0. Last year, the Cougars topped the Aztecs, 144-96, at the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center in San Diego.
THE COACHES
Mike Shrader, who spent the past eight years as the head coach at Nevada-Reno, is in his first season at San Diego State. While at Nevada, Shrader led the Wolf Pack to an 89-12-1 record, two conference titles and four NCAA championship appearances.
Brendon Bray, who came to The Mesa from the University of Washington, begins his first season as an assistant coach at SDSU, while Jim Wynne enters his sixth year as the Aztec diving coach.
Stan Crump is in his 28th year at the helm of the BYU women's swimming and diving program.
AZTEC DUO EARNS WEEKLY HONORS
Sophomores Jessica Morrill and Caitlin Atkinson were named the MWC swimmer and diver of the week, respectively, as announced by the league office on Jan. 9. This marks the first time that the Aztecs have swept the weekly honors since the inception of the MWC in 1999-00.
Morrill captured the 100 breast (1:07.43) and the 200 breast (2:22.97) in the Aztecs' victories over TCU and Air Force. Both times were season bests. Morrill also swam the second leg of SDSU's "B" squad that won the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:51.72.
Atkinson, meanwhile, won the one-meter diving event with a season best and NCAA regional qualifying score of 269.10, while finishing second on the three-meter board (261.60).
A DAY OF FIRSTS
San Diego State made an impressive home debut in its inaugural meet at the Aztec Aquaplex on Jan. 4. The Aztecs, who fell to TCU 71-40 last year, defeated the Horned Frogs for the first time in program history by a convincing score of 169-129. SDSU had six individuals win seven different events.
DOWELL REMAINS CONSISTENT
Senior Ana Dowell swam a season-best 58.69 in the 100 fly at SDSU's double dual meet against Boise State and Colorado State. She also swam a lifetime best in the 100 free (54.33) at the Aztecs' first meet of the season (Nov. 17). Dowell has won three individual events this year, and currently holds the Aztecs' top marks of the season in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly.
ATKINSON QUALIFIES FOR ZONES
Sophomore Caitlin Atkinson qualified for the NCAA Zone E Diving Regionals on Jan. 4 when she captured the one-meter board with a season-best 269.10. Atkinson has been the top-finisher for SDSU in six of eight dual meet diving events this year. Atkinson was also the only Aztec to qualify for the finals on both springboards at the USC Diving Invitational on Nov. 2.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Since the 1999-00 season, the San Diego State women's swimming and diving team has called the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center its "home." But this year, the squad makes the transition to a state-of-the-art swimming facility on campus, the Aztec Aquaplex.
The 112,000 square-foot Aztec Aquaplex features two pools, one for competition and another for recreation, in addition to a hydrotherapy spa. The competition pool can accommodate a multitude of swimming and diving events with its one- and three-meter springboards.
San Diego State currently holds a 2-1 record at the Aztec Aquaplex, with its next home meet scheduled for Feb. 2 against the University of San Diego.
AZTEC NOTES
- Of the 29 swimmers and divers on SDSU's roster, 15 are either freshmen or sophomores.
- Sophomore Kyla Power swam a career-best 1:57.49 in the 200 free on Jan. 4.
- Dowell was the Aztecs' only winner at Wyoming on Dec. 8, as she claimed the 100 fly.
- The Aztecs captured every event in its non-conference meet at Cal State East Bay on Dec. 1.
- Junior Rosalie Raymond holds the Aztecs' top times in both the 500 and 1,000 free, while sophomore Jessica Morrill leads all SDSU swimmers in the 100 and 200 breaststroke.
ON DECK
The Aztecs will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 19, when they head to Colorado Springs, Colo., for a non-conference double dual meet against Cal State East Bay and host Colorado College. The meet is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. PT.