Courtesy: SDSU Athletics
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State swim and dive program released its eagerly awaited 2023-24 schedule on Friday, as head coach Mike Shrader and the Aztecs seek their third consecutive Mountain West championship.
SDSU’s slate is highlighted by seven home competitions, featuring free admission for all spectators at Aztec Aquaplex.
In what is becoming an annual ritual, San Diego State lifts the lid on a new campaign when it pays a visit to the University of San Diego for a pentathlon meet on Friday, Sept. 15, starting at 1 p.m. PT.
The Aztecs will remain road warriors for their next six team events, starting with a dual meet at Cal Poly on Sept. 29, in San Luis Obispo, California. SDSU will stay on the Central Coast for a rematch with the Mustangs the next day, Sept. 30, in a double dual that also includes first-time opponent Fresno Pacific.
The Scarlet and Black resumes its road swing the following weekend in Malibu, where it will square off against Pepperdine on Oct. 5, before continuing its excursion with a jaunt to the Central Valley for the Chick-Fil-A Invitational, hosted by Fresno State, Oct. 6-7.
The Aztecs will endure a near six-week hiatus from competition before venturing to the Lone Star State for Texas A&M’s Art Adamson Invitational, Nov. 15-17, in College Station, Texas.
Select SDSU swimmers will venture to the East Coast for the Toyota U.S. Open Championships, Nov. 29-Dec. 2, in Greensboro, North Carolina, while Aztec divers remain close to home, traveling up the freeway for the Riverside Diving Invitational, Dec. 1-2.
With the holidays rapidly approaching, SDSU finally gets a break from its odyssey with a dual meet vs. fellow Mountain West member Air Force on Dec. 19.
As the calendar flips pages to a new year, the Scarlet and Black will entertain Cal State East Bay and Concordia-Irvine at Aztec Aquaplex in a double dual on Jan. 5 before playing host to Loyola Marymount, Alaska Fairbanks and conference rival Fresno State in a four-team competition on Jan. 9.
UAF will remain on The Mesa for a dual meet on Jan. 11, while SDSU divers head north to Los Angeles for UCLA’s Bruin Diving Invitational, Jan. 12-14.
Two dual meets on consecutive weekends await the Aztecs, who wrap up their regular-season home slate with respective encounters with Pepperdine (Jan. 19) and USD (Jan. 26).
SDSU divers will find themselves in the spotlight once again when they journey to the Grand Canyon State for the NAU Lumberjack Invitational, Feb. 2-4, in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The Mountain West Championships return to Houston, Texas, where the Aztecs look to defend their conference crown, Feb. 21-24, at CRWC Natatorium on the University of Houston campus. Last year, SDSU posted the best score in conference history with 1,638 points to capture the MW title for the fourth time in the last five seasons. For his efforts, Shrader earned the ninth Mountain West Swim Coach of the Year honor of his career.
Postseason competition ramps up the following month when Aztec divers return to Northern Arizona University for the NCAA Zone E Championships, March 10-12, in Flagstaff.
Shortly thereafter, SDSU’s pursuit of national glory continues for select qualifiers, March 20-23, when the NCAA Championships convene at Gabrielsen Natatorium in Athens, Georgia.
San Diego State will conclude its home schedule with a long course meet against USD on an unspecified date in April before beginning preparations for the U.S. Olympic Trials, set for June 15-23 in Indianapolis, Indiana.