San Diego State vs Pepperdine (Women)
- Friday, January 13, 2023
- San Diego, Calif.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
- Team Score: SDSU 139.5, Pepperdine 131.5
Courtesy: SDSU Athletics
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State swim and dive program recorded its 49th consecutive dual-meet victory on Friday after defeating Pepperdine at Aztec Aquaplex to highlight the team’s Senior Day festivities.
Pending the completion of this weekend’s events at the UCLA Bruin Diving Invitational, where the head-to-head results between the Aztecs and Waves will be factored into their final dual meet score, SDSU currently maintains a 134.5 to 104.5 advantage over Pepperdine after 14 completed swim events in its home pool.
The Aztecs logged the fastest time in 14 of those races, winning nine, to raise their record to 13-0 on the season. As a result, SDSU has not dropped a dual meet since Jan. 8, 2018, a span of over five years.
Update (1/15/23): After factoring in results from the Bruin Diving Invitational, held Jan. 13-15 in Los Angeles, the Aztecs’ victory margin in their win over Pepperdine at home on Jan. 13 was tabulated as 139.50 to 131.50.
Following a special ceremony prior to the meet, the Scarlet and Black wasted no time getting down to business, capturing the first three spots in the 200 medley relay.
Fittingly, the senior quartet of Jeannette King, Kristina Murphy, Lizzie Menzmer and Evonne Stehr completed the race with a winning time of 1:45.02, while the foursome of Riley Tapley, Meredith Smithbaker, Alex Roberts and Alyssa Schiller clocked in at 1:45.47 to place second.
In addition, the combo of Abby Storm, Moa Bergdahl, Mai McKenna and Avery Turney took third at 1:46.60, with their result counting as an exhibition.
Individually, Menzmer, Gebhardt and Murphy posted the fastest time in two races each, while Tapley, Turney, Paige Mitchell, Christiana Williams and Jessie McMurray each claimed event crowns.
Mitchell emerged victorious in the 1000 freestyle with a time of 10:41.47, while Emily Allen (11:06.04) overtook the Waves’ Ellie Hendren down the stretch to finish second.
Shortly thereafter, Murphy was triumphant in the 200 freestyle, thanks to a season-fast clocking of 1:52.61, while Wilma Johansson was second with a time of 1:54.88, followed by Lyndsey Wehr’s third-place effort at 1:58.55.
SDSU continued its dominance in the 100 backstroke, as Tapley (55.45) outlasted teammate Alex Roberts (55.76) in an exciting finish, while Stehr (57.03) placed third just ahead of McKenna (57.35), with the latter’s time scored as an exhibition.
The 100 breaststroke also featured a dramatic conclusion, as Williams (1:03.04) edged Bergdahl (1:03.86) for the crown, while Smithbaker was third after touching the wall at 1:04.06.
Moments later, Gebhardt crafted a winning performance in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:06.34, while Emily Tenczar clocked in at 2:09.24 to finish second.
The Scarlet and Black gave the partisan gathering another nail-biting finish in the 50 freestyle, as Menzmer (23.82) stretched past Turney (23.92) at the wall for the victory, while King (24.67) tied for third in the race.
Turney would not be denied in the 100 freestyle, however, as she recorded a winning time of 51.52 to claim the title, while Wehr (52.94) edged Johansson (53.02) for second.
The Aztecs show no signs of letting up in the 200 backstroke, where McKenna was victorious with a swim of 2:01.13, while Roberts finished in the second spot at 2:03.38.
SDSU also won the final five races of the day, with those results counting as exhibitions.
McMurray logged the fastest time in the 200 breaststroke after clocking in at 2:24.76, while Gebhardt (5:17.73) duplicated the feat in the 500 freestyle, edging Mitchell (5:17.86) in another thrilling finish.
The Aztecs also flashed their talent in the 100 butterfly, where Menzmer (56.06), Johansson (56.53), Tapley (56.67) and Tenczar (58.74) posted the four fastest swims of the event.
Similarly, SDSU’s depth was on display in the 200 individual medley, where Murphy (2:02.66) touched the wall just ahead of McKenna (2:02.69), while Williams (2:11.70) and Stehr (2:12.40) followed in succession.
Appropriately, Aztec seniors enjoyed one more shining moment at home, as the team of Gebhardt, Menzmer, Tapley and Mitchell notched the fastest time in the 200 freestyle relay with a clocking of 1:38.32 to edge the foursome of Schiller, Turney, Tenczar (1:38.57).
San Diego State swimmers will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 27, when they battle the University of San Diego in a road dual, starting at 2 p.m. PT.
Bruin Diving Invitational – Day One Results
Aztec senior Ximena Lechuga Gonzalez led the Scarlet and Black delegation during the first day of competition at the UCLA Bruin Diving Invitational at Spieker Aquatics Center in Los Angeles, California.
Lechuga Gonzalez finished 13th in the finals of the 3-meter springboard with a cumulative score of 527.05 points after compiling 255.35 points in the preliminaries.
The SDSU contingent also included Valentina Lopez Arevalo, who placed 21st in the preliminaries with 241.30 points, followed by Summer Westmoreland (33rd, 220.40 pts), Emma Duggan (39th, 211.65 pts), Taylor Konopacke (41st, 209.00 pts), Olivia Zamudio (T-44th, 207.60) and Jules Harrison (61st, 171.65 pts).
The Bruin Diving Invitational resumes on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. PT with the preliminary round of women’s platform event.
Courtesy: Pepperdine Athletics
MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine women’s swim and dive program competed in multiple places on Friday, as swimmers visited San Diego State for a dual meet while the divers took their talents to Los Angeles for the Bruin Diving Invite hosted by UCLA.
MEET RECAP
Facing an SDSU team that was undefeated on the season, Pepperdine performed well on the second day of a back-to-back. Charli Sunahara (Chino, Calif./Ruben S. Ayala HS) took second in the 200 breast with a 2:25.09 showing just one day after winning that event against Fresno State.
Alexandra Browne (Arlington, Va./Washington-Liberty HS), Anna Ryan (Alamo, Calif./Monte Vista HS), Maddie McLeay (Omaha, Neb./Millard North HS) and Jenna Sanchez (Highland, Calif./East Redlands Valley HS) crossed the finish line third in the 200 free relay (1:40.71). Additional third-place finishes included Ellie Hendren (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista HS) in the 1000 free (11:08.45), Eleanor Mashkovich (Calabasas, Calif./Westlake HS) in the 200 fly (2:14.48), Browne in the 50 free (24.67) and the 200 breast (2:30.90), Kylie Taylor (Eugene, Ore./Churchill HS) in the 200 back (2:09.94) and Lexi Haymart (El Dorado Hills, Calif./Ponderosa HS) in the 500 free (5:20.19).
San Diego State currently leads the dual meet 134.50-104.50, but the diving scores from Friday and Sunday will be factored into the meet score. The overall meet score will not be final until Sunday.
In Los Angeles, three Waves competed in the 3-meter prelims: Amanda Wong (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS), Delainey Pisaruk (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle HS) and Bri Cannon (Katy, Texas/Katy HS). Wong paced the Waves, taking 31st with a cumulative score of 225.65. Pisaruk and Cannon placed 55th and 66th with scores of 186.40 and 134.35, respectively.
QUOTABLE
Diving coach Monique Demaisip said: “Today’s 3-meter event was the largest event of the season and to date for our divers. There were around 70 participants in the event today, so this was great preparation for championship meets like conference and NCAA Zones. We showed off some new dives today (Bri Cannon competed 205b for the first time ever and Amanda Wong did 405c for the first time in competition this season. I’m seeing the results of our winter training camp in action, and am looking forward to the second day of competition in the 1-meter on Sunday.”
NEXT UP
Pepperdine divers are in action again on Sunday for the second day of the Bruin Diving Invite. The full squad will return to Malibu to face San Diego and Loyola Marymount on Friday and Saturday, January 20 and 21. Friday’s meet begins at 2 p.m., while Saturday’s start time is 9:30 a.m. Both days will be streamed on the WCC Network.
FOLLOW
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