ATHLETES OF THE WEEK (Oct. 13 - Oct. 19)
San Jose State’s Heather Denman and Jo Thibodaux have been named Western Athletic Conference Swimmer and Diver of the Week, respectively, for the week of Oct. 13-19.
Denman, a freshman swimmer from Brookeville, Md. (Sherwood HS), was the top Spartan for the third straight week, finishing a perfect 6-0 in sweeping her three individual events over both UC Santa Cruz and Fresno State. She won the 200 butterfly in 2:06.90, with the next closest competitor more than three seconds behind her. The time was Denman’s best and kept her in ninth on the all-time Spartan list in the event. The sophomore later took her first 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley races of the season. Her performance helped SJSU to a 2-0 record on the week, improving the Spartans to 7-1 on the season in dual meets. This is the first career Swimmer of the Week honor for Denman.
Thibodaux, a sophomore diver from Alvin, Texas (Alvin HS), swept both 1 and 3-meter diving events in dual meets against UC Santa Cruz and Fresno State. She first posted a score of 259.00, her season best by 24.47 points, in taking the 3-meter event. The mark was the second best performance this season among WAC divers, and just 11 points shy of the NCAA ?B’ cut. She then won the 1-meter event with 228.80 points. This marks her second Diver of the Week honor this season.
Other swimming nominees: Nevada’s Margaret Doolittle won the 100 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley events at the Pacific Invitational to help the Pack to a third-place finish. Northern Arizona’s Rachel Foe took two individual second-place finishes as well as two relay second-place finishes in a 193-103 loss to Kansas. Fresno State’s Heidi Gjoen defeated UC Santa Cruz and San Jose State in the 100 backstroke in the first collegiate meet of her career.
Other diving nominees: Fresno State’s Kendra Weeks defeated UC Santa Cruz in the 3-meter diving event with a score of 177.5.
This Week in WAC Swimming- Two Western Athletic Conference teams will head to the Washington State Invitational this weekend to compete in the two-day meet. Fresno State is coming off loses to San Jose State and UC Santa Cruz. Idaho will see its first action of the season in Pullman. San Diego will also be in the pool as it heads to Los Angeles to take on UCLA on Sunday, Oct. 26.
FRESNO STATE COMPETES IN SWIMMING AND DIVING FOR FIRST TIME IN 5 YEARS ? Fresno State Athletics Director Thomas Boeh announced on Jan. 8 the addition of two women’s sports in a move that reflects the University’s continued commitment to Title IX compliance.
The announcement marks the return of women’s swimming and diving which last competed in the 2003-04 academic year. This addition comes after the recommendations of the Gender Equity Plan Task Force, a 13-member campus-community panel charged by the University President John D. Welty to develop a new five-year gender equity plan that will guide the university to maintain Title IX compliance in its athletics program. Jeanne Fleck was chosen to head up the program in the 2008-09 season.
WAC CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO SAN ANTONIO ? The 2009 edition of the WAC Championship returns to Palo Alto Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas. Nevada will look to defend its 2007 and 2008 titles in hopes of capturing its third straight WAC championship. The championship will be held Feb. 25-28, 2009.
WAC Championship Tickets:
All-Session Passes (includes all 10 sessions) are $30 for adults and $20 for children ages 18 and under.
Single-Session tickets will be available for purchase at the event (the pool will be cleared at the conclusion of each session). Prices are as follows:
Relays Wednesday evening $5
Prelims Adults $6, Children $4
Diving Adults $6, Children $4
Finals Adults $7, Children $4
WAC Championship Apparel:
Swimming & Diving Championship Apparel will be available online or for purchase at the event. Items available include t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts.
TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos
The Broncos earned their first dual victory of the season after a pair of wins against Air Force and Northern Colorado at the WAC Shoot-Out in Las Cruces. BSU’s Chelsea Lopus finished the WAC Shoot-Out with four wins and two school records. The Broncos next travel to San Jose to take on the Spartans in a WAC meet on Nov. 1.
Fresno State Bulldogs
The Bulldogs competed in their first meet after a four-year hiatus from the sport at UC Santa Cruz. The team lost duals to San Jose State and UC Santa Cruz but freshman Heidi Gjoen walked away with three victories, in the 100 and 200 backstroke. Fresno State travels to San Diego on Oct. 31 to take on UC San Diego and then San Diego State on Nov. 1.
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine
The Rainbow Wahine swam in their senior meet in preparation for the Big West Shootout. Hawai?i will have plenty of time for practice as the meet is set to start on Nov. 7, a little less than a month away. UH will look to capitalize on its third place finish in the WAC Championships last year.
Idaho Vandals
Idaho enters the season after its sixth place finish at the WAC Championships last year and returns just one senior in diver Amanda Morrow. The Vandals bring in nine freshmen to the 2008-09 season who will see their first action at the Washington State Invitational on Oct. 24-25.
Nevada Wolf Pack
Nevada placed third at the Pacific Invite posting a score of 515.5, behind Washington State and Oregon State. Senior swimmer Margaret Doolittle helped the Pack edge out Pacific and UC Davis in the five team meet. The Wolf Pack will see Washington State and UC Davis again in dual meets on Nov. 1 at home in Reno, Nev.
New Mexico State Aggies
New Mexico State finished the inaugural WAC Shoot-Out with a 3-2 record including wins over Northern Colorado, Air Force and Boise State. Freshman Maria Spies took first place and set the school record in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:17.44. The Aggies have a few weeks off as they prepare for dual meets against Rice and Houston in Houston, Texas on Nov. 6.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
NAU fell to 3-3 in dual meets after a 193-103 setback to Kansas last week. The Lumberjacks were under the previous pool records in three events, but were out-touched by Kansas each time. NAU is now an even 3-3 for the season in dual meet competition. While the Lumberjacks did not record any victories, there were five events in which they finished second and third. Junior Rachel Foe took two individual second-place finishes and two relay second-place finishes. NAU will take two weeks off before traveling to Albuquerque, N.M., to take on New Mexico and BYU out of the Mountain West Conference on Nov. 1.
San Diego Toreros
USD competed in its intrasquad meet in preparation for the Toreros’ first meet of the season this week at UCLA on Saturday Oct. 25.
San Jose State Spartans
San Jose State comfortably got past host UC Santa Cruz and Fresno State to improve to 7-1 on the dual season in Santa Cruz, Calif., on Saturday, October 18. Both opponents were competing in their season openers, with Fresno State re-introducing it’s program for the first time after a four-year hiatus. The Spartans’ only loss thus far has come at national powerhouse Stanford, last year’s third-place squad at the NCAA Championships, in their own opener on Friday, October 3. SJSU returns to the pool on Nov. 1 to take on WAC foe Boise State.