LAS VEGAS, Nev./COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The San Diego State swimming and diving team continued its success at the 2021 Mountain West Swimming and Diving Championships with three top-three swimming event finishes at the Jim Reitz Pool on the campus of the University of Las Vegas, Nev. and a diving title at the Cadet Natatorium in Colorado Springs, Colo. on the campus of the United States Air Force Academy.
Thursday's events started in Las Vegas where the Aztecs' swimmers competed in the preliminary heats of the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, and 50 freestyle. SDSU saw swimmers advance to the championship or 'A' finals of each of the three events, led off by sophomore Paige Mitchell's seventh-place qualifying heat swim of 4:56.22 in the 500 free. In the same event, freshman Wilma Johansson qualified for the consolation heats tonight with an 11th-place preliminary-heat performance of 4:57.25. Junior Mia Ryan advanced to the bonus heats or 'C' finals with an 18th-place finish in the preliminary heats, touching the wall with a time of 5:01.14.
In the 200-individual medley, junior Kristina Murphy earned her spot in the championship finals Thursday night with a fifth-place prelims heat swim of 2:02.31. Sophomore Evonne Stehr made her way into the consolation finals with a 13th-place finish in the qualifying rounds, recording a time of 2:05.56.
Thursday morning's swims were closed out by the Aztecs' sprint freestyle group as four SDSU swimmers qualified to compete in tonight's championship or consolation finals. Senior Klara Thormalm took the top time in the qualifying swims with a time of 22.75, an NCAA 'B' cut mark. Additionally, juniors Sammy Geyer and Lizzie Menzmer also snagged spots in the championship finals, placing third and tied-for-fourth overall with times of 23.04 and 23.08, respectively. Senior Larisa Tam finished 10th in the preliminary heats with a time of 23.38.
On the springboard, junior Ximena Lechuga Gonzalez brought the 1-meter title back to America's Finest City with first-place finishes in the preliminary and championship rounds. She broke the 300-point barrier with her finals score of 310.75 points, almost 30 points higher than the second-place finisher, and won an event title at the conference championships for the third consecutive season. Continuing the Aztecs' success on the diving board were juniors Gina Cazares and Lexi Letts, who placed ninth and 14th respectively in the preliminary rounds to move onto the consolation final. Letts jumped her preliminary finish by four spots in the consolation finals, finishing 10th overall with a score of 248.55 while Cazares completed the competition in 11th place with a score of 244.55.
Thursday evening saw Johannson secure the top finish in the consolation finals, crushing her preliminary heat mark by almost four seconds with a time of 4:53.34 for the 'B' final win. In the championship heat, Mitchell finished fifth overall with a time of 4:52.34.
In the 200-individual medley, Stehr finished third in the consolation heat improving on her preliminary heat mark by two seconds, swimming to a time of 2:03.52. Murphy earned a silver medal with her championship heat swim, touching the wall with a time of 2:00.65.
The 50 free saw Klara Thormalm earn her first individual podium finish of the meet, placing second in the championship heat with a time of 22.78. Geyer and Menzmer finished in fourth and fifth place, touching the wall with times of 22.96 and 23.05, respectively. Tam finished first in the consolation finals with a time of 23.15.
The Aztecs ended the night with a second-place finish in the 400-medley relay with a time of 3:38.35.
Tomorrow's events begin at 10:30 a.m. PT with the preliminary heats of the 400 individual medley, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast and 100 back. Diving continues their conference championship events with the 3-meter preliminary dives beginning at noon MT. Final heats of the swimming events kick off at 6:30 p.m. PT while the consolation finals of the 3-meter springboard are at 2:15 p.m. and the finals are slated for 3 p.m. MT.
RESULTS AFTER DAY 2
1. Nevada- 499
2. UNLV- 489
3. San Diego State- 454
4. Wyoming- 358
5. Colorado State- 274
6. Fresno State- 268
7. Air Force- 169
8. San José State- 135
Thursday's events started in Las Vegas where the Aztecs' swimmers competed in the preliminary heats of the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, and 50 freestyle. SDSU saw swimmers advance to the championship or 'A' finals of each of the three events, led off by sophomore Paige Mitchell's seventh-place qualifying heat swim of 4:56.22 in the 500 free. In the same event, freshman Wilma Johansson qualified for the consolation heats tonight with an 11th-place preliminary-heat performance of 4:57.25. Junior Mia Ryan advanced to the bonus heats or 'C' finals with an 18th-place finish in the preliminary heats, touching the wall with a time of 5:01.14.
In the 200-individual medley, junior Kristina Murphy earned her spot in the championship finals Thursday night with a fifth-place prelims heat swim of 2:02.31. Sophomore Evonne Stehr made her way into the consolation finals with a 13th-place finish in the qualifying rounds, recording a time of 2:05.56.
Thursday morning's swims were closed out by the Aztecs' sprint freestyle group as four SDSU swimmers qualified to compete in tonight's championship or consolation finals. Senior Klara Thormalm took the top time in the qualifying swims with a time of 22.75, an NCAA 'B' cut mark. Additionally, juniors Sammy Geyer and Lizzie Menzmer also snagged spots in the championship finals, placing third and tied-for-fourth overall with times of 23.04 and 23.08, respectively. Senior Larisa Tam finished 10th in the preliminary heats with a time of 23.38.
On the springboard, junior Ximena Lechuga Gonzalez brought the 1-meter title back to America's Finest City with first-place finishes in the preliminary and championship rounds. She broke the 300-point barrier with her finals score of 310.75 points, almost 30 points higher than the second-place finisher, and won an event title at the conference championships for the third consecutive season. Continuing the Aztecs' success on the diving board were juniors Gina Cazares and Lexi Letts, who placed ninth and 14th respectively in the preliminary rounds to move onto the consolation final. Letts jumped her preliminary finish by four spots in the consolation finals, finishing 10th overall with a score of 248.55 while Cazares completed the competition in 11th place with a score of 244.55.
Thursday evening saw Johannson secure the top finish in the consolation finals, crushing her preliminary heat mark by almost four seconds with a time of 4:53.34 for the 'B' final win. In the championship heat, Mitchell finished fifth overall with a time of 4:52.34.
In the 200-individual medley, Stehr finished third in the consolation heat improving on her preliminary heat mark by two seconds, swimming to a time of 2:03.52. Murphy earned a silver medal with her championship heat swim, touching the wall with a time of 2:00.65.
The 50 free saw Klara Thormalm earn her first individual podium finish of the meet, placing second in the championship heat with a time of 22.78. Geyer and Menzmer finished in fourth and fifth place, touching the wall with times of 22.96 and 23.05, respectively. Tam finished first in the consolation finals with a time of 23.15.
The Aztecs ended the night with a second-place finish in the 400-medley relay with a time of 3:38.35.
Tomorrow's events begin at 10:30 a.m. PT with the preliminary heats of the 400 individual medley, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast and 100 back. Diving continues their conference championship events with the 3-meter preliminary dives beginning at noon MT. Final heats of the swimming events kick off at 6:30 p.m. PT while the consolation finals of the 3-meter springboard are at 2:15 p.m. and the finals are slated for 3 p.m. MT.
RESULTS AFTER DAY 2
1. Nevada- 499
2. UNLV- 489
3. San Diego State- 454
4. Wyoming- 358
5. Colorado State- 274
6. Fresno State- 268
7. Air Force- 169
8. San José State- 135