ARLINGTON, Texas – Northern Colorado’s Saana Liikonen and Northern Arizona’s Maggie Wesche have been named the Western Athletic Conference Women's Swimmer and Diver of the Week, for the competition week ending on Oct. 25. UNLV’s Adnan Beji and California Baptist’s Gael Jimenez have been named the Western Athletic Conference Men’s Swimmer and Diver of the Week, for the competition week ending on Oct. 25.
Liikonen, a junior from Lahti, Finland, helped lead her squad to three relay titles to go along with three titles of her own. Liikonen was a part of the 200-medley relay (1:45.46) and the 400-freestyle relay (3:35.41) which won first place against Utah Tech. She went on to win first place in the 50-freestyle (24.28) and 100-freestyle (53.44) races in the same meet. Against Wyoming she finished first in the 200-freestyle (1:55.77), second in the 50-freestyle (24.82) and third in the 100-freestyle (53.57). Liikonen was also part of the 200-freestyle relay team that placed first with a time of 1:36.80.
Wesche, a freshman from Flagstaff, Arizona, competed in her first meet as a Lumberjack, placing third on the 1m boards with a NCAA qualifying score of 272.25 and placed second on the 3m boards with an NCAA qualifying score of 297.83.
Beji, a sophomore from Tunis, Tunisia, helped the Rebels to a pair of double dual meet splits, including two wins over Denver including being unbeaten over the week in the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke. Beji placed first in the 100 breaststroke in UNLV’s season opener vs. Toronto and Denver. Beji went on to win the 200 breaststroke in the Scarlet & Gray’s double dual vs. California Baptist and Denver.
Jimenez, a freshman from, set a new 3-meter program record and won the event and took second to another CBU diver in the 1-meter. Also hit the NCAA Zone qualifying marks in both events.
2022 TicketSmarter WAC Women’s and Men’s Swimming and Diving Weekly Awards
Women's Swimmer of the Week
Saana Liikonen, Jr., Northern Colorado (Oct.26)
Women's Diver of the Week
Maggie Wesche, Fr., Northern Arizona (Oct.26)
Men's Swimmer of the Week
Adnan Beji, So., UNLV (Oct.26)
Men's Diver of the Week
Gael Jimenez, Fr., California Baptist (Oct.26)