San Diego State vs Pepperdine vs New Mexico
- January 2, 2025
- San Diego, Calif.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: SDSU Athletics
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State swim and dive program rang in the new year in style Thursday with a pair of victories over Pepperdine (165-129) and New Mexico (165-126) in a double dual meet at Aztec Aquaplex.
With the results, SDSU extends its winning streak to 72 dual meets and is six days shy of seven years since its last defeat, a 153-147 setback to Colorado State on Jan. 8, 2018.
The Aztecs logged the fastest times or highest marks in 15 of 16 events and were awarded victories in 11 of those to raise their record to 7-0 in dual-meet competition this season.
SDSU flashed its tremendous depth as nine different competitors captured event titles, including Alli Mann, who took home a pair of crowns that counted towards the Scarlet and Black’s team score, while Summer West, Wilma Johansson, Liv Peebles, Moa Bergdahl, Meredith Smithbaker, Elisa Branca, Valentina Lopez Arevalo and Jessica Schroeder emerged triumphant as well.
The Aztecs’ balance was on full display in the first race of the afternoon, posting the top two times in the 200 medley relay, including the victorious team of Peebles, Bergdahl, Mann and Smithbaker, who clocked in at 1:43.80, while the foursome of Alex Downing, Christiana Williams, Emily Tenczar and Avery Turney combined for a second-place time of 1:46.10.
In the 1,000 freestyle, West touched the wall with a season-fast 10:43.64, while Elsa Fullerton followed in third at 10:56.03.
Shortly thereafter, SDSU grabbed the top three spots in the 200 freestyle, where Johansson completed the race with a winning effort of 1:52.67, edging Kaydence Bispo (1:52.73), while Eva Allan (1:56.37) took third.
The Aztecs kept the momentum in the 100 backstroke, as Peebles completed the race with a winning time of 55.52, which ranks sixth in pool history, while Downing (59.64) and Grace Mering (59.68) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
Moments later, the Scarlet and Black logged a 1-2 finish in the 100 breaststroke, where Bergdahl emerged victorious with a time of 1:01.68, which ranks third in Aztec Aquaplex history, while Branca clocked in at 1:05.29.
Not to be outdone, SDSU boasted the top three individuals in the 200 butterfly, where Mann captured the crown with a season-fast 2:04.20, while Tenczar (2:06.16) took second, followed by Charlotte Sevin (2:09.40).
Heading into the meet’s intermission, Smithbaker claimed the top prize in the 50 freestyle after touching the wall at 23.21, which ranks fourth on the facility’s all-time charts, while Turney registered a second-place effort of 23.91.
Following the break, the Aztecs’ dominance continued in the 100 freestyle, as the Scarlet Black recorded three of the top five results, including Mann, who logged her second win of the day at 51.28, edging Bispo (51.32) at the proverbial wire, while Turney (52.56) was slotted fourth.
SDSU’s individual victory streak was snapped in the 200 backstroke, where Mering (2:08.46) was edged by Pepperdine’s AJ Adams (2:08.42) for the title.
However, the Aztecs rebounded with Branca’s win in the 200 breaststroke, where the freshman swimmer clocked in at 2:21.84. Bergdahl actually posted the fastest time in the event with a swim of 2:19.80, which was scored as an exhibition.
As the meet progressed, the Scarlet and Black produced the top three times in the 500 freestyle, but with the host school enjoying a comfortable lead on the team scoreboard, the results were also counted as exhibitions. Johansson completed the race with a season-fast 5:02.43, followed by Allan (5:14.76) and Fullerton (5:16.15), whose effort marked a season best as well.
Similarly, SDSU recorded the top two performances in the 100 butterfly, which were deemed exhibitions. Tenczar touched the wall at 56.82, followed by Peebles, who clocked in at 57.11.
Later in the 200 individual medley, Branca collected her second victory of the meet, although her time of 2:09.02 was considered an exhibition, as was Mering’s second-place swim of 2:10.39.
Fittingly, SDSU completed Thursday’s swimming docket by recording the two fastest times in the 400 freestyle relay, both of which were scored as exhibitions. The foursome of Johansson, Bispo, Turney and Mann combined for an effort of 3:28.38, while the team of Tenczar, Reka Nyiradi, Allan and Bergdahl followed in succession at 3:31.96.
Over in the diving well, Valentina Lopez Arevalo emerged victorious on the 1-meter springboard with a season-best score of 296.50, which eclipsed an NCAA zone qualifying standard and ranks 10th in Aztec Aquaplex history. In addition, Summer Westmoreland (263.75) was second in the event, while Taylor Konopacke (235.55) took fourth.
In 3-meter competition, Jessica Schroeder topped the field with a season-high total of 280.10 points, surpassing an NCAA qualifying mark in the process, while Westmoreland (253.75) was third, followed by Lopez Arevalo (248.60), who finished fifth.
San Diego State continues its busy stretch on Tuesday, Jan. 7, when it plays host to Colorado College and Cal State East Bay for another double dual meet at Aztec Aquaplex. First swim is set for 2 p.m. PT.
Courtesy: Pepperdine Athletics
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Pepperdine women’s swim and dive program split the day as they defeated New Mexico for the first time in program history in a double dual meet at Aztec Aquaplex in San Diego, California this afternoon.
Led by AJ Adams‘ two individual wins along with another event win by Ansley Halbach, the Waves got the better of the Lobos 155-144. However, Pepperdine fell to San Diego State 129-165 in the other dual meet today.
SWIM RECAP
RELAYS
The squad of Alexandra Browne (Arlington, Va.), Layla Busquets (Diablo, Calif.), Lindsay Hemming (Orinda, Calif.) and Anna Ryan (Alamo, Calif.) took second in the 400 free relay after clocking a time of 3:36.92. In the same event, Lexie Deitemeyer (Golden, Colo.), Eleanor Mashkovich (Calabasas, Calif.), Maddie McLeay (Omaha, Neb.) and Natalie Do (Mansfield, Texas) earned a spot on the podium after finishing the event in 3:43.90.
In the 200 medley relay, the Pepperdine foursome of Kiana Fan (Irvine, Calif.), Charli Sunahara (Chino, Calif.), Sophia Ware (Allen, Texas) and Browne swam the fastest for the Waves and finished in third with a time of 1:48.23.
INDIVIDUALS
The Waves earned 10 podium spots in the individual portion of the swim meet as they tabbed three first place finishes, three second place finishes and four third place finishes on the day.
Pepperdine took the top spot in three different events as AJ Adams (Castle Rock, Colo.) won two events with stellar performances in the 200 back and the 200 IM. She posted respective times of 2:08.42 and 2:10.62 in her swims. Ansley Halbach (Watkinsville, Ga.) won the 500 free after notching a time of 5:16.96.
Busquets, Mollie Cho (Frisco, Texas) and Halbach tallied the three second place finishes for the Waves. In the 100 fly, Busquets earned a time of 58.54. Cho clocked a time of 2:26.93 in the 200 breast and Halbach continued her impressive day with a time of 10:46.62 in the 1000 free.
Pepperdine’s four third place finishes came from Browne, Busquets, Hemming and Sunahara. Browne swam the 50 free in 24.05, Busquets completed the 100 back in 59.29, Hemming clocked a 2:10.44 in the 200 back and Sunahara posted a 1:08.08 in the 100 breast.
SCORES
Pepperdine def. New Mexico 155-144
San Diego State def. Pepperdine 165-129
DIVING RECAP
3 METER
Vivian Vallely (Newport Beach, Calif.) took fourth with a score of 251.05, while Amanda Wong (Santa Ana, Calif.) and Lexie Martin (Keller, Texas) finished in 8th and 9th with scores of 221.30 and 217.36.
1 METER
Once again, Vallely earned the top spot for the Waves as she put up 223.15 points, good for seventh. Wong, Delainey Pisaruk (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Martin finished in 9th, 11th and 12th after respectively totaling scores of 215.80, 186.95 and 178.90.
QUOTABLES
“I thought the Waves did a phenomenal job today dealing with different types of adversity that we haven’t faced in a while,” head coach Ellie Monobe said. “I thought we had a very nice showing after a good first winter training block. It’s always hard to race in the middle of the winter and I thought our women really pushed themselves. We were closing all our races very well, and even though we didn’t have the pop that we usually do at peak times, we are right where we need to be at this point in the season. We know that with focusing on power and speed in the next couple of weeks that we’ll be in good shape for the championship phase of the season.”
“AJ was our biggest standout of the day. Seeing her lead our 200 group and closing the 200 back and 200 IM with wins over New Mexico was awesome. Watching the overall way our women handled each race with a business mindset and the amount of focus they showed in their win over New Mexico was thrilling to see. Looking ahead, we think this next week of winter training will be a great time for us to bond and we are looking forward to getting some speed back and finishing up the season strong.”
NEXT UP
Pepperdine returns to action next weekend at Fresno State where they are set to take on the Bulldogs in a sprint meet on Friday at 2 p.m. and another dual meet on Saturday at 12 p.m. in Fresno, Calif.
Courtesy: New Mexico Athletics
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Lobos, swimming without a couple of usual top scorers due to the holiday break, fell in a pair of close dual matches in San Diego, losing 165-126 to three-time defending Mountain West champion San Diego State, and losing 155-144 to Pepperdine.
The loss to Pepperdine was the closest UNM has gotten to a win in a regulation 16-event dual match against a Division I since beating New Mexico State 194-106 on January 25, 2020, prior to the 2020-21 season which was lost to COVID. The 144 points were also the most against a Division I school since the NMSU meet in 2020.
The Lobos were able to get event wins in the 100-yard butterfly as Sophia Corder took first place with a time of 57.65, her second-best time of the season. Layni Andrle was third in that same event with 59.70 on the clock.
Additionally, the relay team of Jordan Foster, Katy McCarter, Andrle and Corder took first in the 400-yard freestyle relay at 3:36.18. Corder was in that event for Arianna Stokes, one of several Lobos that missed the event as they head back to Albuquerque from overseas for the holiday break.
Paige Lyons and Eryn Quirsfeld nearly turned in season-bests in the 1,000, with Lyons coming in at 11:06.28, about five seconds off her best, and Quirsfeld at 11:17.06, just 0.05 from her top time.
McCarter was a close second in the 100-yard back at 57.74, and Linda Franco finished fourth in the 50-yard free but turned in a season-best time of 24.19. Foster’s 2:27.79 was good for third in the 200-yard breast and just a half-second off her best mark of the year.
UNM’s best swimming event might have been the 500-free as UNM took second, third, fifth and sixth. Brynn Quintana was second at 5:17.20 in her first time swimming the event this season, and Francesca Benavidez was third at 5:19.01, lopping off over five seconds from her previous season-best.
In diving, Isabella Gomez and Alice English once again went 1-2 for UNM, with Gomez finishing second in the 3-meter at 276.05 and third in the 1-meter at 249.80. English was fifth in the 1-meter at 231.35 and sixth in the 3-meter at 245.60.
New Mexico is now off until a two-day double dual meet on Friday and Saturday, January 17 and 18 as UNM heads to USAFA, Colorado to face Air Force and Colorado State.
