Aztecs to Battle USD in Regular-Season Home Finale on Friday
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State swim and dive team will conduct its final home meet of the regular season on Friday, Jan. 23, when it welcomes the University of San Diego to Aztec Aquaplex. First race is scheduled for 1 p.m. PT, and admission is free.
Prior to the Aztecs-Toreros showdown, SDSU will hold a special Senior Day ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of Moa Bergdahl, Alyssa Schiller, Abby Storm and Emily Tenczar.
Friday’s meet will feature 13 scored swimming events, starting with the 200 medley relay to be followed by the 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 500 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 200 individual medley and 400 freestyle relay.
In addition, the Scarlet and Black will battle USD in a pair of diving competitions on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard.
San Diego State swimmers are coming off a sweep of Pepperdine (162-128) and Cal State East Bay (183-91) in a double dual meet at home on Jan. 5.
Against the Waves and Pioneers, the Aztecs recorded the fast times in 13 of 14 swimming events and were awarded first-place points in 11 of those races while capturing a diving crown. With its successful results, SDSU raised its record to 9-0 for the 2025-26 campaign.
Alli Mann, Sierra Tallman and Elisa Branca were double winners that day, while Grace Mering, Melanie Quinto, Isabella Gomez, Kaydence Bispo and Abby Storm also emerged triumphant in individual events, helping the Scarlet and Black extend its winning streak to 84 consecutive dual meets, a span of eight years.
Mann carved her name on the Aztec Aquaplex top 10 list after winning the 100 and 200 butterfly. In the 100 fly, the SDSU sophomore touched the wall at 54.11, which ranks third in pool history, while her collegiate-fast clocking of 2:02.23 in the 200 fly is slotted sixth.
Tallman also set a pair of Aztec career-best times after winning the 200 and 500 freestyle, earning Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors in the process. The Santa Barbara native recorded a victorious time of 1:51.53 in the 200 free, followed by a swim of 5:04.66 in the 500 free, her first appearance in the event as a collegian.
Meanwhile, a contingent of six Aztec divers competed in a stacked field at the UCLA Bruin Invitational, Jan. 9-11, highlighted by Gomez’s second-place finish from the platform height.
Entering the week, Storm owns the Mountain West’s fastest time in the 200 back (1:53.27) and is slotted second in the 100 back (52.03), which rank 27th and 37th in the nation, respectively, as of Jan. 21. Additionally, SDSU’s 800 free relay team of Bispo, Quinto, Reka Nyiradi and Amber Janky boasts the league’s top performance at 7:13.77, which is good for 33rd in the country.
Other top-five Mountain West individual performances this season for the Aztecs include Nyiradi (200 fly, 2nd, 1:57.95), Bergdahl (100 breast, 3rd, 59.53), Mann (100 fly, 4th, 53.28), Schiller (100 free, 5th, 49.13) and Bispo (200 free, 5th, 1:47.49).
Including their annual pentathlons, San Diego State has been victorious in 39 consecutive meetings against USD dating back to the 2000-01 campaign.
The Aztecs have faced the Toreros on three previous occasions this season, including a 153-132 triumph on Jan. 2 as part of double dual meet with Vanderbilt at the Aquaplex. In that encounter, eight different competitors captured individual event titles that counted towards SDSU’s victorious team score.
Earlier in the fall, the Aztecs recorded a 33-24 triumph in pentathlon action at USD’s home pool on Sept. 19, before returning to claim an 81-67 decision in a distance meet the following week on Sept. 26.
Following Friday's festivities vs. the Toreros, Aztec divers will travel to the Grand Canyon State for the NAU Lumberjack Invitational, Jan. 29-31, in Flagstaff, Arizona.
San Diego State will look to capture its fifth consecutive conference title just over two weeks later when it heads to the Lone Star State for the 2026 Mountain West Championships, Feb. 18-21, in Houston, Texas.