2025 Mountain West Conference Championships
- Dates: Wednesday, February 19–Saturday, February 22
- Location: CRWC Natatorium, Houston, TX
- Defending Champions: San Diego State women (3x)
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Video: Mountain West Network
- Championship Central
- Fan Guide
- Teams: Air Force, Boise State*, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San José State, UNLV, Washington State*, Wyoming
SCHEDULE
Wednesday (2/19)
- 1-meter diving
- 200 medley relay
- 800 free relay
Thursday (2/20)
- 500 free
- 50 free
- 200 IM
- 3-meter diving
- 400 medley relay
Friday (2/21)
- 100 fly
- 400 IM
- 200 free
- 100 breast
- 100 back
- 200 free relay
- Team diving
Saturday 2/22)
- 200 back
- 100 free
- 200 breast
- 200 fly
- 1650 free
- Platform diving
- 400 free relay
2024 STANDINGS
- San Diego State – 1487.5
- UNLV – 1256.5
- Colorado State – 987
- Fresno State – 886.5
- Nevada – 854.5
- Wyoming – 775
- Air Force – 769
- San Jose State – 591
- New Mexico – 417
San Diego State won their 3rd consecutive Mountain West title last year, beating runner-up UNLV by over 200 points. The Mountain West has in recent history been one of the fastest mid-major conferences, and they got even better this season with the addition of Washington State. A former member of the defunct Pac-12, Washington State joined the Mountain West following the dismantling of the conference at the end of last season. As a former Power 5 program, Washington State is sure to make some noise in their first Mountain West Championships
RETURNING NCAA QUALIFIERS
Scarlett Ferris – Nevada
Just a freshman last season, Ferris managed to qualify for NCAAs in the 100 back after going a 51.49 at the Mountain West Championships. She would only compete in the 100 back at NCAAs, finishing 25th with a 51.94.
The 100 back is definitely Ferris’ best event, however, she’s been excelling in a number of others so far this season. 51.49 still stands as her career best in the 100 back, but she swam her career best 1:58.03 200 back at the Phil Hansel Invite back in November. Moreover, Ferris has swum career bests of 22.65 in the 50 free and 50.46 in the 100 free already this season.
Christiana Williams – San Diego State
Last year as a senior for the Aztecs, Christiana Williams swam the 100 and 200 breast at NCAAs. Williams clocked her career bests in the 100 (59.91) and 200 (2:08.23) last season, both of which still stand as her bests. At NCAAs, she swam a 1:00.42 in the 100 for 41st, while she finished 36th in the 200 breast with a 2:10.85.
So far this season, Williams has been strong once again, holding a season-best of 1:00.51 in the 100 breast and 2:12.62 in the 200 breast, both of which are top 5 in the conference.
Dori Hathazi – Washington State
Though Washington State was a member of the Pac-12, not the Mountain West, last season, Dori Hathazi was an NCAA qualifier for the Cougars, so, in that sense she’s a returning qualifier. Hathazi competed in the 200 fly at NCAAs, where she finished 36th in 1:56.71. She held a season-best of 1:54.87, which is also her career best.
Hathazi, a junior, leads the Mountain West by a comfortable margin in the 200 fly so far this season, already having gone 1:55.42. She’s currently 3rd in the conference in the 100 fly with her season-best of 53.77. Hathazi is a strong 500 freestyler as well, holding a top 8 time in the conference with her season-best of 4:48.98.
Emily Lundgren – Washington State
Similar to Hathazi, Washington State’s Emily Lundgren wasn’t in the Mountain West last season, but she was an NCAA qualifier. Like Hathazi, Lundgren is also a junior this season. Lundgren is the only swimmer in the Mountain West this season to have scored at NCAAs last year. It came in the 200 breast, where she swam a career-best of 2:07.30 in prelims, which put her 9th. She came back for the ‘B’ final, where she took 14th in a time of 2:07.99. Lundgren also competed in the 100 breast, where she came in 24th, and the 200 IM, where she finished 52nd.
Lundgren leads the conference in a number of events so far this season. She’s been 59.45 in the 100 breast already, which leads the conference and ties her career best in the event. Lundgren has also been 2:08.16 in the 200 breast, within a second of her career best. She’s been 1:58.82 in the 200 IM, which is the top time in the Mountain West as well. On top of that, Lundgren has really broken out in the 100 fly this season, having gone her career best of 52.60, which leads the conference. She’s ultimately unlikely to swim the 100 fly, however, as she already has the 100 breast and that day.
OTHER STARS OF THE CONFERENCE
Meredith Smithbaker – San Diego State
Now in her senior senior, San Diego State’s Meredith Smithbaker has been one of the conference’s top sprinters throughout her career. That’s no different this season, as Smithbaker leads the Mountain West in the 50 free with her season-best of 22.42. She’s also tied for the top time in the 100 free with Washington State’s Emma Wright, both of whom have gone 48.83.
Smithbaker is the defending Mountain West champion both the 50 free and 100 free, having won those races in 22.24 and 48.54 last year. Those times also stand as her career bests. She’ll have her work cut out for her, however, as Wright is tied with her in the 100 free heading into the meet, and Washington State’s Darcy Revitt has been 22.45 in the 50 free already this season.
Jenna Pulkkinen – Fresno State
Sophomore Jenna Pulkkinen is looking like the real deal for Fresno State this year. Pulkkinen is currently 2nd in the conference in both breaststroke events, sitting behind Washington State’s Emily Lundgren in both. She’s already been under 1:00 in the 100 breast this season, coming into the meet with a 59.84. In the 200 breast, Pulkkinen holds a season mark of 2:10.57. Both of those swims are career bests for Pulkkinen, and both were swum on February 1st at Fresno State’s dual meet against San Jose State.
As a freshman last season, Pulkkinen was an ‘A’ finalist in both breast events at the Mountain West Champs, taking 4th in the 200 breast (2:11.71) and 6th in the 100 breast (1:01.61).
Enkhkhuslen Batbayar – Nevada
Enkhkhuslen Batbayar is in her junior season with the Wolfpack, though this is her first year with the team. A top mid-distance freestyler in the conference, Batbayar has been exceptional this year, already having gone career bests in the 100 free (49.96), 200 free (1:46.32), and 500 free (4:45.23). She leads the Mountain West in the 200 and 500 this season.
Batbayar is a two-time Olympian (2021, 2024) for her home country of Mongolia, having finished 18th in prelims of the women’s 200 free at the Paris Olympics this past summer.
SHOWDOWNS
50 Free/100 Free
We already touched on it in the previous section, but the sprint free events should be some of the most exciting of the meet. San Diego State senior Meredith Smithbaker is the defending champion in both events, having won the 50 free in 22.24 last season. So far, she leads the conference this season as well, entering the meet with a season-best of 22.42. While that’s good news for Smithbaker, Washington State’s Darcy Revitt is right behind, already having gone 22.45 this year. On top of that, Nevada’s Scarlett Ferris has already posted her career best of 22.65 this season. There are a total of 11 swimmers in the conference who have already been under 23 seconds in the event this season, so there’s a lot of depth, which should make it one of the most competitive races of the meet.
Smithbaker won 100 free in 48.54 last year and has already been 48.83 in the event this season. She’s tied with Washington State’s Emma Wright, so we already know that should be a great race. Revitt is right there as well, already having gone 49.02 this season. Those are probably the 3 most likely contenders in the event, but UNLV’s Erika Carlson holds a season-best of 49.39, so she could realistically make a lot of noise as well.
100 Fly
The 100 fly is in a different place than the other events in this section. Neither of the top two finishers from the 100 fly at last year’s Mountain West Championships is back this season, so it’s wide open in that sense. As discussed previously, Washington State’s Emily Lundgren is the top performer in the event this season in 52.60, but it’s unlikely that she will end up racing it, as 200 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast, is her her standard lineup.
Assuming Lundgren is out of it, Nevada senior Yasmin Perry will be the top seed with her season-best of 53.45. That puts Perry in a great position, but Washington State’s Dori Hathazi is close behind in 53.77. UNLV’s Fernanda Mendez Guerra comes in with a 53.80, while Fresno State’s Julia Matney has clocked a 53.95 this season.
100 Back
Nevada’s Scarlett Ferris returns after winning the 100 back at last year’s meet as a freshman. She swam her career best of 51.49 to win the race last year, which also earned her an invite to NCAAs. Ferris has already been 51.85 this season, which leads the conference. Though Ferris is certainly the favorite, San Diego State’s Abby Storm is right on her heels. Storm has already been 52.17 this season, so she’ll be the 2nd seed by just 0.32 seconds. Storm finished 5th in the event last season at this meet.
SWIMSWAM’S PICKS
- San Diego State
- UNLV
- Washington State
We’re picking San Diego State to make it 4 in a row this week. It’s a tricky pick, because if we were judging just on swimming, there’s a case to be made for Washington State to be the favorite. That being said, the Cougars don’t have diving, which will make it hard for them to win the meet.
UNLV looks to be in a good place to repeat as runner-up this year. Fresno State and Nevada look like very strong contenders to finish in the top three as well.
