Fresno State vs. San Jose State

SAN JOSE, California, February 7. THE San Jose State University women's swimming and diving program celebrated Senior Day and won 15 of 16 events in defeating Western Athletic Conference foe Fresno State, 177-103, in a dual meet at The Aquatics Center on Saturday, February 7.

San Jose State improved to 16-1 in dual meets with a 16th consecutive victory in the regular-season finale for both sides. The Spartans did not drop a dual since a season-opening loss at No. Stanford in October, and end the year with the best overall dual record in program history. In doing so, they also went undefeated against league opposition in a program first, compiling a perfect 8-0 ledger against WAC squads. Fresno State moved to 0-8 in its first season back as a women's swimming and diving program since being cut following the 2003-04 campaign. The Spartans had already topped the Bulldogs twice this season in a pair of neutral-site meetings.

The meet began with the three-meter diving event following special introductions of fourth-year Spartan seniors Beste Erener, Lauren Mar, Katey Nelson and Tarolyn Robertson. The quartet each earned multiple all-conference honors, as well as past academic all-conference distinction.

In that three-meter event, freshman Jessica Holden (244.65) and sophomore Jo Thibodaux (241.13) produced a 1-2 finish for the Spartans for the early 13-6 advantage. Holden, out of Fair Oaks, Calif., later completed her second collegiate dual sweep with a victory on the one-meter springboard (221.48). Thibodaux was third with a score of 192.60 points.

Fourth-year Spartan head coach Sage Hopkins continued his tradition of a senior relay to kick off the swimming portion of the Senior Day meet, with the San Jose State foursome rewarding him with a dramatic, come-from-behind victory in the 200 medley relay. Nelson's season-best lead 50-yard backstroke leg of 29.15 was a season best, but after Erener's 50 yards of breaststroke (32.13), and tri-captain Robertson's 50 of butterfly (26.58), the Spartans trailed the Fresno State ‘A' by over one and a half seconds, at 1:27.86 to 1:26.16. Mar hit the water and seemingly had the Bulldogs' Dede Torres at the 25-yard turn, ultimately winning it for the Spartans, 1:51.02-1:51.40.

Mar added individual wins in the 100 back (57.58) and 50 free (24.44), while Erener easily took the 200 fly (2:11.29) as the only Spartan entrant, ahead of the first break. The duo completed perfect afternoons as members of the first-place 200 free relay to conclude the meet, with Erener, Mar and Nelson leading things off, and sophomore tri-captain Ashley Ladd holding off the opposition by over two seconds in 1:41.97. The race marked rare sprint freestyle appearances for Erener and Nelson, with Erener timing an opening 50-yard split of 26.50.

In addition to Holden and Mar, two other Spartans posted a pair of individual event victories, with Amy Friedhoff in the 200 free (1:56.24) and 500 free (5:12.28), and sophomore tri-captain Kirsten Trammell in the 100 breast (1:07.15) and 200 IM (2:09.25). Other San Jose State wins came via Julia Koch in the 1000 free (10:46.63), Daphne Yeung in the 100 free (53.65), Caitlin Macky as the only Spartan entrant in the 200 breast (2:25.24), and Hannah Tringham in the 100 fly in a lifetime-best 59.12. Yeung's mark was just .28 seconds off her best.

Individually, Nelson was second in the 200 back (2:07.69) and third in the 100 back (1:01.29). Junior San Jose native Erin Garcia raced a lifetime-best 1:07.70 for second-place in the 100 breast, with Yeung going a collegiate-best 1:09.97 for fourth. Macky went 1:03.07 over 100 yards in her first collegiate backstroke race. Kristin Yamaguchi, a freshman walk-on, timed 11:01.98 for second-place in her first collegiate 1000 freestyle race. Fellow freshman Megan Mills sprinted 26.08 for second-place in her first collegiate appearance in the 50 free. In her first college 200-yard individual medley race, Rudie Guerrero had the third-fastest time of 2:13.26.

San Jose State had a 1-2-3-4 sweep in the 100 back and 100 free, and a 1-2-3 performance in the 100 fly.

Heidi Gjoen, a freshman from Oslo, Norway, was the individual highlight for Fresno State. She was the lone Bulldog first-place finisher, timing 2:05.34 in the 200 back, while adding a runner-up efforts in the 200 free (1:57.22) and 200 IM (2:11.92).

San Jose State and Fresno State now have 17 days remaining to prepare for the 2009 WAC Championship in San Antonio, Texas, February 25-28. The Spartans will travel to Texas on Monday, February 23, and aim at minimum for the first top-three finish in program history.

Special thanks to San Jose State for contributing this report.

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