Feb. 15, 2016
THIS WEEK IN AZTEC SWIMMING
The San Diego State swimming team will be at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, this week to compete in the 2016 Mountain West Conference Championships. The four-day-day meet runs Wednesday-Saturday (Feb. 17-20). Prelims begin each day at 11:00 a.m. (CT) with the finals session at 6:30 p.m. (CT).
HEAD COACH Mike Shrader
San Diego State Head Coach Mike Shrader is in his ninth season with the Aztecs and has compiled a dual meet record of 116-15 (.885) during his tenure. Shrader has been named the Mountain West Coach of the Year on five occasions (2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, co-coach in 2009). Including eight seasons as head coach at Nevada, his career record is 205-27-1 (.882).
AZTECS PICKED TO FINISH THIRD
San Diego State has been picked to finish third at this week's conference championship meet in a poll of the league's 10 head coaches. Boise State and Nevada are the favorites picked to win the title after garnering three first-place votes apiece. The Aztecs also picked up three first-place nods with Wyoming receiving the other remaining three first-place votes. The complete poll is as follows:
Rk. Team (1st place votes) Points 1. Boise State (3)...........73 Nevada (3)................73 3. San Diego State (3).......71 4. Wyoming (1)...............60 5. UNLV......................43 6. Air Force.................35 7. New Mexico................31 8. San José State............28 9. Fresno State..............2410. Colorado State............13A RARE LOSS
San Diego State's loss to Washington State on Nov. 7 was the Aztecs' first dual meet loss at the Aztec Aquaplex since falling to Wyoming on Jan. 31, 2009, a run of 51 consecutive home victories. SDSU's record at the Aztec Aquaplex now stands at 61-4 since the facility opened in the middle of the 2007-08 season.
SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
Aztec senior Taylor Johnson was named the Mountain West Swimmer of the Week for the second time this season on Jan. 5. Johnson was a key player in San Diego State's five wins over two days of competition at the UC San Diego Canyonview Aquatic Center on January 2 and 3. She was involved in a pair of pool records set over the two days. On Saturday she tied the 50-yard freestyle pool record with a winning time of 23.02, then set the new mark on Sunday with a first-place finish of 22.90. On Sunday, Johnson was the leadoff swimmer for the winning 200-yard freestyle relay team that established a new pool record with a time of 1:33.85. Johnson swam on Saturday's winning 200-yard medley relay and Sunday's 400-yard medley relay squads. She was also selected MW Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 10 for her performance in the double dual meet vs. New Mexico and Washington State on Nov. 7. During that meet she won the 50 and 100 freestyle races with times of 23.15 and 51.26 respectively. She was also a member of the 200 freestyle relay team that set a pool record with a time of 1:33.07.
DIVER OF THE WEEK
SDSU sophomore Alexandra Caplan was named the Mountain West Diver of the Week on Jan.5 for her effort in SDSU's five dual-meet victories this past weekend. She won the 1-meter springboard event on both days with a score of 303.05 on Saturday and 284.85 on Sunday. Both marks were NCAA Zone qualifying scores. Caplan also placed second in the 3-meter springboard competition on both days. Her Sunday score of 300.65 was an NCAA Zone qualifying mark. Caplan was also named MW Diver of the Week on Nov. 24 for her performance at the Wildcat Diving Invitational at the University of Arizona (Nov. 20-22). Caplan captured the 1-meter springboard event with a mark of 292.50 in the finals to win the event in a field of 41 divers. On the 3-meter springboard, Caplan placed sixth (of 40 divers) with an NCAA-qualifying mark of 268.15. Caplan ended the Invitational by recording a 200.05 in the platform competition and placing fifth of 30 competitors.
ALL-TIME TOP 10s
The Aztecs have added 14 times in individual events this season that enter the SDSU record book among the all-time top 10 marks. In addition, four top-10 relays times have also been established. Leading that list is Summer Harrison's school record of 1:58.01 in the 200 butterfly set during the Art Adamson Invitational at Texas A&M in late November. Here's the complete list of new SDSU Top 10 marks:
Event Athletes Time (Rank)50 Freestyle.......Taylor Johnson........22.54 (3rd)50 Freestyle.......Cailey Steffens.......23.35 (10th)100 Freestyle......Savannah Miller.......49.85 (5th)1000 Freestyle.....Francesca Arredondo...10:15.73 (9th)200 Butterfly......Summer Harrison.......1:58.01 (1st)200 Butterfly......Rachael Kelch.........2:01.62 (6th)100 Backstroke.....Natilee Ruiz..........55.25 (6th)100 Backstroke.....McKenna Garfein.......55.41 (8th)200 Backstroke.....Rachael Kelch.........1:59.35 (8th)200 Backstroke.....Andrea VanderMey......1:59.60 (9th)100 Breaststroke...Lydia Pereverzina.....1:03.38 (7th)200 Breaststroke...Lydia Pereverzina.....2:19.53 (9th)200 IM.............Rachael Kelch.........2:03.68 (8th)400 IM.............Rachael Kelch.........4:19.30 (4th)200 Free Relay.....Johnson, Steffens, Miller, Weisz............1:30.32 (3rd)200 Free Relay.....Johnson, Steffens, Guttmacher, Weisz........1:33.07 (10th)200 Medley Relay...Santilena, Pereverzina, Harrison, Johnson...1:40.77 (10th)400 Medley Relay...Garfein, Zaccarelli, Harrison, Weisz........3:39.39 (8th)