San Diego State Wins Mountain West Champs, Highest Score in Conference History

Mountain West Conference – Women

• Wednesday, February 19 – Saturday, February 22
• Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Central Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: San Diego State (1x) (results)
• Live results
• Championship Central
• Day 1 Results
• Day 2 Results
• Day 3 Results
• Day 4 Results

FINAL TEAM SCORES

1. San Diego State – 1463.5
2. Nevada – 1015.5
3. Wyoming – 903
4. UNLV – 875.5
5. Colorado State – 830.5
6. Fresno State – 810
7. Boise State – 807
8. New Mexico – 625.5
9. San Jose State – 490
10. Air Force – 389.5

AWARDS

• Swimmer of the Meet: Klara Thormalm (San Diego State)
• Diver of the Meet: Melissa Mirafuentes (Wyoming)
• Freshman of the Meet: Athena Clayson (Fresno State)

The San Diego State Aztecs took their 2nd conscutive Mountain West Conference title last night, accumulating the highest score in MWC Championships history (1463.5 points). The Aztecs also claimed the Swimmer of the Year award, with Klara Thormalm scoring a meet-leading 96 individual points. Thormalm made it a perfect run last night, winning her 3rd event of the meet. She took the 200 breast with a 2:08.30, breaking the Mountain West Champs record, Mountain West Conference reocrd, and San Diego State school record. The previous MW record was held by Nevada alum Yawen Li at 2:08.49 from 2015. Thormalm swam an excellent race, splitting 28.76, 32.61, 32.99, and 33.94 respectively by 50.

Klara’s sister Alma Thormalm led off the Aztecs 400 free relay with a field-leading 48.57, and was followed by Klara Thormalm in 49.14, putting San Diego State in the lead by 3.5 seconds at the halfway mark. SDSU wa brought home by Mia Ryan (49.61), and McKenna Meyer (49.92), touching the wall in a final time of 3:17.24, breaking the San Diego State school record by 2 seconds. Alma Thormalm swam slightly faster than her lead-off leg on the relay to win the individual 100 free. Thormalm swam a 48.55 to win the event, clocking a personal best and the 4th fastest time in conference history.

Fresno State freshman Athena Clayson, who was named Freshman of the Meet, won the 200 backstroke on Day 4 with a time of 1:55.58, setting a new personal best. Clayson beat out Wyoming’s Katelyn Blattner on the final 50, splitting 28.39 to Blattner’s 29.16 (1:56.13 final time for Blattner). Fresno started out the session hot, as they also took the first event of finals, the 1650 free. Junior Darina Khisiamova swam a 16:43.41 to take take gold.

Fresno State picked up yet another win on the session in the 200 fly, where senior Kimberly Harbert won a squeaker against New Mexico freshman Nicholle Toh. Toh got out a slight early lead, hitting the 100 mark in 56.35, with Harbert in tow at 56.62. Harbert held on better, however, coming home in 1:01.42, compared to Toh’s 1:01.97. Harbert won the race with a final time of 1:58.04, Toh was 1:58.42.

Wyoming’s Melissa Mirafuentes, who went on to win Diver of the Meet, took women’s Platform diving in a 1-2 punch for Wyoming. Mirafuentes tallied up a final score of 324.10, easily taking the top spot, with teammate Karla Contreras taking 2nd with a score of 302.80.