By Jonathan Hawkins
The San Diego State women”s swim team came to town for the first time ever only to be welcomed with a 150-91 bludgeoning by the BYU women”s swim team Friday night.
Junior All-American Cortnee Adams led the way for the Cougars winning the 50-yard freestyle and anchoring the 400-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle relays. Her 23.68 time in the 50 free is the fastest time in the Mountain West Conference this year.
Along with Adams, sophomore Tamber Covington, and junior Heidi Lietz also led the Cougars. Covington won the 200-yard breaststroke and the 400-yard individual medley stuffing two more wins under her swim cap for the season, while Lietz posted a win in the 100-yard freestyle.
“I try to get out there and win every time,” said Covington. “I hate to lose.”
The divers came through huge for the Cougars placing first and second in both the 1- and 3-meter events.
However, swimming a back-to-back meet was fatiguing for the women. Facing No. 20 University of Pacific on Saturday, the Cougars didn”t have it in them to pull this meet out, losing 135-102.
But head coach Stan Crump felt good about the women”s efforts. “Lots of our kids and our relays had season best times today,” he said. “Nichole Burrows had her lifetime best time in the 100 free.”
Meanwhile, after a week of rest the men came out and mopped up the University of Pacific, 135-62. Junior”s Jeff Mason and Gary Tan, and sophomore Brian Sorensen led the team to a decisive victory.
Mason led the BYU charge to the top four spots in the 100 free, while Tan finished first in the 200 IM and Sorensen won the 50 free. Sorensen posted a season best at 21.02.
“We”re swimming really well for this time of the season,” said Mason. “Most guys are swimming ahead of pace.”
While the men didn”t use their diving points for the meet, the women used their points to get close but still came up short.
Without a diving team to compete against, the women swept the event led by junior Kelli Einfeldt and senior Tessa Clark.
After a week off for Thanksgiving, both Cougar swim teams will be back in action at the Speedo Cup in Longbeach, Calif.
