SAN ANTONIO, Texas - San Jose State won its second consecutive Western Athletic Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championship on Saturday night at the Palo Alto College Aquatic Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The Spartans finished the meet with 695 points, followed by Northern Arizona with 688. The Spartan's seven point margin of victory made for the closest WAC meet in history. Denver finished the meet third with 631.5 points and Idaho came in fourth with 409 points. New Mexico State (331.5), Northern Colorado (289), North Dakota (230), CSU Bakersfield (188) and Seattle U (144) rounded out the final standings.
Denver sophomore Samantha Corea earned WAC Swimmer of the Year honors, breaking conference records in the 100 and 200 backstrokes. Idaho junior Paige Hunt was named the WAC Diver of the Year. San Jose State head coach Sage Hopkins earned the WAC Coach of the Year award, while Northern Arizona's Nikki Huffman was voted Diving Coach of the Year. Northern Arizona's Ellie Morrissey was awarded Freshman of the Year.
In the first race of the night, Northern Arizona's Kendall Brown won the 1650 freestyle with a time of 16:31.73, almost two seconds faster than last year's winning time. Denver's Tyra Rooney was second followed by Brown to the podium with a 16:41.00 to win the silver. NAU's Caitlin Wright, swimming in the third of four final heats, hit the wall in 16:41.68 to climb up to bronze.
For the second straight day, Denver's Samantha Corea set a new WAC record. This time Corea swam a 1:53.31 to win the 200 backstroke, besting the old record of 1:53.68. North Dakota's Veronica Mendon won her second individual medal with a time of 1:57.30 to finish second. Third-place went to Fi Connell of NAU, who swam a time of 1:57.38. Just missing out on the podium was New Mexico State's Terrin Seaver with a time of 1:59.15 to finish fourth. The top four all set NCAA B cut times.
NAU's Morrissey stormed to the top of the podium with a time of 49.22, setting a new 2013 WAC best in the 100 freestyle. Last year's champion, SJSU's Marisa DeWams, finished second in 49.87. Her Spartan teammate, Kiley Foster swam a 49.93, good enough for a third-place finish. All three times qualified as NCAA B cuts.
New Mexico State's Jessica Legge improved on her 2012 bronze medal in the 200 breaststroke, claiming gold in this year's edition of the race. Her time of 2:12.37 set a new 2013 conference best time. Northern Arizona's Jordan Burnes scored her second medal of the meet, making it silver this time around with a time of 2:14.13. Gina Riggle of Northern Colorado finished third with a time of 2:15.85 and DU's Maddie Eyolfson placed fourth with a 2:15.92. All four times were within the 2:15.99 mark to earn NCAA B cuts.
Idaho's Jamie Sterbis finished atop the 200 butterfly medal stand with an NCAA B cut time of 1:58.57. A pair of SJSU Spartans finished in second and third. Ashlyn Acosta gained her second individual medal of the meet with a NCAA B cut time of 1:59.03. Last year's silver medalist, Julia Craddock came in third with a time of 1:59.61 to take bronze.
Northern Arizona picked up their second diving gold of the meet in the platform event. Gwen Smithberg posted a score of 261.10 to take the completion. SJSU's Amy Kilby recorded a score of 237.85 to finish in second and Idaho's Hunt finished third with 234.30 points.
Denver's 400 freestyle relay team of Corea, Morgan Mullenix, Zoe Huddleston and Drew Matthews closed out the meet in golden fashion, winning the relay with a time of 3:22.68. Idaho swam to a second-place finish with a time of 3:23.50. NAU won the bronze with a time of 3:23.85.
Friday
The University of Denver swam to three gold medals in Friday's finals, but it was the Spartans of San Jose State who left the Palo Alto Aquatic Center atop the team standings. SJSU finished the third day of the WAC Swimming & Diving Championships with 503 points.
Northern Arizona sits in second with 444 points and Denver currently has a steady hold on third with 415.5 points. Idaho comes in fourth after the nights events with 281 points. New Mexico State (236.5), Northern Colorado (204), North Dakota (174), CSU Bakersfield (174) and Seattle U (105) complete the standings going into the final day of the meet.
Denver's Alex Suppan began the night's festivities with the Pioneers' first gold medal in the 400 IM. Suppan clocked a time of 4:12.88, setting a new DU school-record and a new 2013 WAC-best mark. SJSU's Julia Craddock took the silver, hitting the wall in 4:16.47. Northern Arizona's Kendall Brown won the bronze with a time of 4:17.46, just ahead of teammate Rachel Palmer, last year's champion, with a time of 4:18.36. DU's Bridgette McNally turned in a time of 4:19.34 to place fifth. The top five finishers all swam NCAA B cut qualifying times.
The Pioneers earned their second gold of the night with Samantha Corea's winning swim of 53.20 in the 100 butterfly, a new DU record. San Jose State's Ashlyn Acosta finished in second with a time of 54.01. Both Corea and Acosta's times qualified as NCAA B cuts. DU's Drew Matthews helped add to the Pioneers point total with her time of 54.80, placing third on the podium.
In the 200 freestyle, it was Idaho's Rachel Millet with the fastest time of 1:47.87. Millet earned her second gold medal of the night, notching a NCAA B cut time and setting a new Idaho school record in the process. The Spartan's Marisa DeWames finished in second with a time of 1:48.53 and NAU's Emma Lowther placed third with a time of 1:49.17.
Three NCAA B cut times were set in the finals of the 100 breaststroke on Friday night. New Mexico State's Jessica Legge set a WAC 2013 best with a time of 1:01.49 matching her preliminary time set in the morning heats. Seattle U's Kevlyn Richards raced to the Redhawks first podium finish of the night, finishing second with a time of 1:01.95. The Lumberjack's Jordan Burnes won the bronze with a time of 1:02.04.
Denver's Corea set a new 100 backstroke school-record, for the moment, with a time of 53.13, for her second gold of the night. Northern Arizona's Fi Connell swam to the silver with a time of 54.24. North Dakota's Veronica Medon won UND's first individual medal of the night with a bronze medal time of 55.01. All three top times made NCAA B cut marks.
The 400 medley relay closed out Friday's portion of the championships. NAU's team of Connell, Burnes, Palmer and Ellie Morrissey swam a new 2013 WAC best time of 3:38.69 on their way to the gold. Denver's team, led by Corea, finished in second with at time of 3:40.50. Corea's lead leg on the backstroke set a new WAC record time of 52.92, besting the old record set in 2011 by Idaho's Shana Lim (53.00). SJSU placed third with a time of 3:41.06.
Action concludes tomorrow at the Palo Alto College Aquatic Center with the 1,650 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 backstroke and the 400 freestyle relay. Prelims begin at 11:00 a.m., the first three heats of the 1650 free begin at 4:00 p.m. and the finals start at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday
San Jose State and Idaho each won two events on the night, but it is Northern Arizona with the lead after the conclusion of day two of the WAC Swimming & Diving Championships.
The Lumberjacks hold a slight edge over SJSU leading with 295 points. The Spartans sit in second with 289 points, while Denver is third with 213.5 points. Idaho (171), New Mexico State (144.5), Northern Colorado (122), North Dakota (111), CSU Bakersfield (91) and Seattle U (60) close out the day two standings.
The night began with Denver's Bridgett McNally winning the 500 freestyle by almost a two second margin over the second-place finisher. McNally hit the wall in 4:48.53, ahead of Northern Arizona's Emma Lowther who finished with a time 4:50.31. Lowther earned silver for the second consecutive year. McNally's time broke the WAC season mark of 4:51.18 set by Lowther in her preliminary race. San Jose State's Amy Friedhoff took the bronze with a time of 4:50.80.
In the 200 IM, Idaho's Rachel Millet swam away from the competition. In her preliminary swim, Millett set a new Idaho school-record with a 2:00.37. In the finals she was just off her pace, finishing with a 2:00.39. Northern Arizona's Ellie Morrissey claimed the silver with a time of 2:01.00. Bronze was awarded to Denver's Alex Suppan, turning in a time of 2:01.07. The top four finishers all swam NCAA B cut times. SJSU's Julia Craddock rounded out the pack with a time of 2:01.08.
San Jose State's Marisa DeWames won the 50 free for the second-straight year. Her time of 22.61 was ahead of her preliminary time of 22.70, setting a new 2013 WAC-best mark. Fellow Spartan Kiley Foster was second with a time of 22.78. Both times exceeding the NCAA B cut mark. NAU's Morrissey found her second podium of the night with a third-place finish.
Idaho's Page Hunt walked away with the gold in the 3-meter diving event. She scored a 319.05 to take the event over NAU's Kristy Ardavanis, who scored a 308.40 for her second diving medal of the meet. San Jose State's Amy Kilby totaled a score of 298.95 to win the bronze.
San Jose State continued its dominance in the relay events. The Spartans team of DeWames, Julia Craddock, Erika Harvey and Kiley Foster finished just off a new WAC Championship meet record with a time of 1:30.92, helping the Spartans claim victory in all three relays contested at this point. Denver finished in second with a time of 1:32.20 and North Dakota earned its spot on the podium with a time of 1:33.04.
Action continues tomorrow at Palo Alto Aquatic Center in San Antonio, Texas with the 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke and 400 medley relay. Prelims begin at 11:00 a.m. and the finals start at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday
The 2013 Western Athletic Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championship kicked-off the day with the 200 medley relay that came down to a thrilling finish.
San Jose State out-touched Northern Arizona, hitting the wall in 1:40.08, just ahead of the Lumberjacks' time of 1:40.99 set in the first heat. The Spartans team of Michaela McLean, Darcie Anderson, Ashlyn Acosta and Marisa DeWames finished just off the pace of the WAC record of 1:39.98, set by SJSU in 2012. Denver turned in a time of 1:41.42 to take third.
Northern Arizona jumped on the board in the 1-meter diving finals. The Lumberjacks scored three divers in the event, including the gold and bronze positions on the podium. Kristy Ardavanis led the way with a score of 291.10. Idaho's Paige Hunt was the final diver of the night, but could not push past Ardavanis, finishing second with 284.10 points. NAU's Chelsea Jackson recorded a total of 270.70 to finish third. Finishing the scoring for NAU on the 1-m board was Gwen Smithburg, posting a 268.55, placing her fifth.
In the only other race of the day, San Jose State outlasted the nine-team field to claim the gold in the 800 freestyle relay. The team of Amy Friedhoff, Julia Craddock, Erika Harvey and Kiley Foster raced to a 2013 WAC best time of 7:15.39, shattering the previous mark of 7:26.44. NAU finished second (7:17.93) and Denver finished third (7:21.53).
After one day of competition, Northern Arizona leads with 118 points. SJSU holds down the second spot with 101 points and Idaho follows in third with 91 points. New Mexico State (80), Denver (71), Northern Colorado (65), North Dakota (51), CSU Bakersfield (50) and Seattle (36) round out the first day's standings.
Preview
Action continues tomorrow at Palo Alto College Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas with the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 3-meter diving and the 200 freestyle relay. Prelims begin at 11:00 a.m. and the finals start at 6:30 p.m.
The 2013 WAC Swimming & Diving Championships get underway in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 27 - Mar. 2. Over the four days, nine teams will compete for the conference championship at Palo Alto College Natatorium.
The championship begins Wednesday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. CT, the 1-meter diving prelims. The first finals events will begin in the evening session on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. CT, with the 200 medley relay, 1-meter diving and 800 freestyle relay.
The WAC will be streaming the finals of all four nights. Viewers can sign up by visiting www.WAC.tv . Viewers that sign up, will be able to watch Wednesday relays for free. The remaining three nights can be viewed for a subscription of $5.95 per night or a full championship package can be purchased for $9.95.
| Day 1 Prelims - Wednesday, 1:00 p.m. (CT)
|
| 1-Meter Diving |
Day 1 Finals - Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. (CT)
Live Results | Diving | Watch Live |
| 200 Medley Relay |
| 1-Meter Diving |
| 800 Freestyle Relay |
Day 2 Prelims - Thursday11:00 a.m. (CT)
Live Results | Diving |
| 500 Freestyle |
| 200 IM |
| 50 Freestyle |
| 3-Meter Diving |
Day 2 Finals - Thursday, 6:30 p.m. (CT)
Live Results | Diving | Watch Live | Photos |
| 500 Freestyle |
| 200 IM |
| 50 Freestyle |
| 3-Meter Diving |
Day 3 Prelims - Friday, 11:00 a.m. (CT)
Live Results |
| 400 IM |
| 100 Butterfly |
| 200 Freestyle |
| 100 Breaststroke |
| 100 Backstroke |
Day 3 Finals - Friday, 6:30 p.m. (CT)
Live Results | Watch Live |
| 400 IM |
| 100 Butterfly |
| 200 Freestyle |
| 100 Breaststroke |
| 100 Backstroke |
| 400 Medley Relay |
Day 4 Prelims - Saturday, 11:00 a.m. (CT)
Live Results | Diving |
| 200 Backstroke |
| 100 Freestlye |
| 200 Breaststroke |
| 200 Butterfly |
| Platform Diving |
| 400 Free Relay |
| 1650 Freestyle |
Day 4 Finals - Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (CT)
Live Results | Diving | Watch Live | Photos |
| 1650 Freestyle (Final Heat) |
| 200 Backstroke |
|
100 Freestyle
|
| 200 Breaststroke |
| 200 Butterfly |
| Platform Diving |
| 400 Freestyle Relay |
GENERAL INFORMATION
Location
Palo Alto College Natatorium
1400 W. Villaret Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78224
Dates
February 27- March 2, 2013
Live Results
Results will be posted following every heat on the WAC's website.
WAC.TV
All four finals sessions will be available via live streaming on WAC.tv.
Click here for more information and to sign up.
Tickets
All-Session Passes (includes all 10 sessions) are $35 for adults and $25 for children ages 18 and under.
Single Session prices are as follows:
Wednesday evening relays : Adults $7, Children $5
Prelims : Adults $7, Children $5
Diving : Adults $7, Children $5
Finals : Adults $8, Children $5
Parking
Fan parking is free of charge at the Palo Alto College Natatorium.
San Antonio
For more information regarding all that the city of San Antonio has to offer, please click on the links below to visit the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau .
• Lodging
• Dining
• Area Map
• Local Entertainment and Attractions