Photo Credit: San Jose State Athletics<\/p>\n
BAKERSFIELD – The San Jose State swimming and diving team improved to 6-0 in dual meets this season, winning seven events to top California State University – Bakersfield this afternoon in Bakersfield.<\/p>\n
San Jose State University swimmers Morgan McCormick and Riley Spitser and diver Cari Reiswig were multiple-event winners and combined to take first places in seven events leading the Spartans to a 199.5-97.5 win over CSU Bakersfield in a non-conference women’s swimming and diving dual meet.<\/p>\n
McCormick, a freshman from Golden, Colo., was the meet’s top only three-time individual winner with first-place finishes in the 100 and 200 backstrokes and the 200 individual medley in the Spartans’ first competition since the Arena Invitational before Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n
Spitser stretched her individual-event winning streak to nine races in a row since mid-October, with victories in the 500 and 1,000 freestyles. The sophomore from San Diego also swam the anchor leg on the Spartans’ 200 freestyle relay to conclude the meet.<\/p>\n
“This was a good performance. We haven’t competed since mid-November. We were a little rusty,” said San Jose State head coach Sage Hopkins about his team that won 13 of the 17 events and tied for first in the 50 freestyle. The Spartans upped their dual meet record to 6-0.<\/p>\n
“There were some very encouraging things – our turns and our walls. We made them a big priority the last six weeks.”<\/p>\n
Reiswig, a freshman from Galt, Calif., took first in the 1 and 3-meter diving events.<\/p>\n
Dominique Yoder in the 100 breaststroke, Kayla Nakamoto in the 200 butterfly, Amanda Buxbaum in the 200 breaststroke, Michaela McLean in the 100 butterfly and the Spartans’ “A” relay teams in the 200 medley and 200 freestyle touched first in their respective events. San Jose State’s Taylor Solorio tied for first in the 50 freestyle.<\/p>\n
CSU Bakersfield’s loss left the Roadrunners with a 3-4 dual meet record.<\/p>\n
San Jose State continues a busy weekend of action Saturday, January 3, at the USD Relay Meet. The Spartans, Boise State and host the University of San Diego are competing. First relay race starts at 11:00 a.m.<\/p>\n
While the San Jos\u00e9 State Spartans swam to a big win over CSU Bakersfield on Friday morning, the Roadrunners got some good news in the strong return of one of their top swimmers, Michaela Paige (Jr., Lompoc, Calif., Cabrillo HS). After a five-week training camp, the \u2018Runners lost to SJSU 199.5-97.5, but Paige\u2019s quick swims proved her to be back to normal health which will benefit CSUB in the long run.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is certainly nice to have Michaela back,\u201d said Chris Hansen, Bakersfield\u2019s Director of Swimming. \u201cShe went 1:51.45 in the 200 free and that\u2019s her best of the season and will probably rank her in the top three or four in the WAC right now. That\u2019s what she was doing this time last season to prepare her to go 1:47 at the end. It\u2019s nice to see her do it so that\u2019s great news.\u201d Not only did Paige drop her best 200 free time this season by almost three seconds, she managed to leapfrog herself from just outside the Top 20 in the Western Athletic Conference to record the third best WAC time this season. The junior will need to ride this momentum if she plans to move out of second-place all-time for the ‘Runners and break Loni Burton’s school record of 1:47.10.<\/p>\n
Paige would go on to the lead CSUB with a second-place finish in the 500 free (5:06.92), but was not the only \u2018Runner who had a successful day. Lauren Kaufman (Sr., Renton, Wash., TCU) sprinted her way to a win in the 50 free with a time of 24.29, while Paola Hernandez (So., Lompoc, Calif., Cabrillo HS) picked up a rare split-win as she and SJSU\u2019s Taylor Solorio tied in the 100 free (52.44). The sophomore would go on to earn second-place finishes in a couple of off-events as well: 100 fly (57.47) and 100 back (58.17). Finally, Delise Batiza (Sr., San Ramon, Calif., Oregon State) missed her season best time by just over one second in the 1000 free with a second-place finish and a time of 10:32.40.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are in training camp, so, we are really tired,\u201d said Hansen. \u201cI kept trying to tell the team that you might be tired, but you\u2019re going to be stronger. Paola and Michaela were great today. Dylana\u2019s 200 breaststroke was amazing today. Delise swam well today. This is faster than I thought we\u2019d be able to swim after five weeks of training camp. I\u2019m psyched, really!\u201d Milobar’s 200 breast time of 2:24.52 is less than a second off of her season-best time in the event.<\/p>\n
While Cari Reiswig of SJSU picked up 18 points with wins on both boards, the Roadrunner divers also impressed Hansen: \u201cI was pleased with Carlee Burks leading the divers to 2-3-4 finishes. Last year, there were meets that we lost because of diving and now we go into every meet saying \u2018Thank God we have it\u2019 because they are the reasoning we are winning some meets.\u201d Burks (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Centennial HS) finished second in both events for the \u2018Runners, scoring 243.68 points on the 1m board and 249.23 for the 3m.<\/p>\n
The Roadrunner women will rejoin the men next week as the two squads get set to host another meet. On Jan. 6, the men will face off in a dual against UNLV, a tough WAC foe, while the women will host UNLV and Fresno State in a non-conference tri meet. The first event is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Tuesday here at the Hillman Aquatics Complex, so, come on out and support the \u2018Runners. Don\u2019t forget to bring donations for the Operation Gratitude Collection Drive, hosted by CSUB Swimming and Diving.<\/p>\n