San Jose State vs. Cal State Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, California, January 3. SAN Jose State University won 10 of 16 events, including a pair of individual triumphs by sophomore standout Heather Denman, in starting the 2010 calendar year with a 160-135 defeat of Cal State Bakersfield in a women’s swimming and diving dual meet at the Hillman Aquatics Center on Saturday, January 2.

With the result, San Jose State improves to 5-3 on the season. Cal State Bakersfield, in the final year of a five-year reclassification process from the NCAA Division II to Division I, drops to 1-4. Fifth-year Spartan leader Sage Hopkins, a 1997 graduate of CSUB, where he was a seven-time All-American, moves to a still-perfect 6-0 all-time against the ‘Runners as a head coach.

Spartan swimmers took first-place points in each of the first six events to trot out to a comfortable 77-33 advantage, and cruised from there.

In addition to Denman’s double-win effort in the 200 butterfly (2:06.86) and in her 200 individual medley season debut (2:08.79), junior tri-captain Kirsten Trammell touched first in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.28) and aided in both relay victories. She also placed second in her first 100 fly of the season, in 1:00.38. Denman swam butterfly on the third-place ‘B’ 200 medley relay.

The junior ‘A’ foursome of Meghan McCurley, Trammell, Rudie Guerrero and Ashley Ladd went 1:52.54 to start things off in winning fashion in the meet-opening 200 medley relay.

That was followed in succession by first-place swims from sophomore Megan Mills in the 1000 free (10:54.43), junior Julia Koch in the 200 free (1:59.62), Guerrero in the 100 back (1:00.41), Trammell and Denman. Kiley Foster, a true freshman out of Alta Loma, Calif., later notched the first individual dual-meet victory of her college career by sprinting 53.41 in the 100 free.

Caitlin Macky led the only 1-2-3 sweep for the Spartans on the day in her collegiate distance freestyle debut, timing 5:15.57 to beat out Mills (5:18.06) by over two seconds, as well as fellow junior Ashley Krisman (5:27.05).

Denman in the 200 IM, and Trammell, Macky, freshman Marisa DeWames and junior Julie Wynn in the 400 free relay (3:39.00) rounded out the Spartan winners. Trammell’s 100-yard lead leg of 56.39 was a career best.

“We were very pleased with how we swam today,” said Hopkins. “We shifted some people around, into some events that they normally don’t get a chance to swim. We were eager to see how they responded in swimming events that aren’t typical for them. It was a great team performance.”

Sophomore Kristin Yamaguchi, freshman walk-on Megan Lomazzi, Denman and senior tri-captain Erin Garcia timed 1:54.99 as the third-place ‘B’ medley relay. Mills joined the freshman trio of Julia Craddock, Elana Faria and anchor Foster for a third-place finish as the ‘B’ 400 free relay (3:43.96).

Trammell (1:00.38) and senior tri-captain Hannah Tringham (1:00.70) placed 2-3 in an extremely close 100 fly, behind Cal State Bakersfield junior Stephanie Donnelly (1:00.15).

Donnelly was the only ‘Runner with a pair of individual wins, taking first in the 200 back (2:10.19) as well. Senior and fellow Canadian Victoria Kreutz, who dove for the Spartans as a freshman in 2006-07, won the three-meter event with the only NCAA ‘B’ standard of the afternoon, a score of 279.15 points.

Amy Kilby, a true freshman out of Oklahoma City, Okla., placed second for San Jose State behind Kreutz on the three-meter springboard (225.90) and third from one meter (232.87).

The Spartans continue further south on Saturday afternoon, to San Diego, Calif., where they will spend the next three nights and take part in the University of San Diego Relay Invitational at USD’s Sports Center Pool on Sunday, January 3. San Jose State is scheduled to swim against the host Toreros of USD, a fellow Western Athletic Conference competitor, and Tulane University of New Orleans, La., and Conference USA, beginning at 12:00 p.m.

“We are excited to get down to San Diego,” concluded Hopkins. “We look forward to the racing down there, with a lot of good opportunities for each of our swimmers to take part in multiple events, and a chance for Amy (Kilby) to get some good diving competition in as well. We are looking for them to compete as hard as they can in each event. It should be a lot of fun.”

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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