The San Diego State swim and diver program is nearing its fourth consecutive Mountain West Championship title after impressive showings on the third day of the 2025 Mountain West Championships held at the CRWC Natatorium on the University of Houston campus.
After day three of the championships, the Aztecs maintained their lead with 837 points, extending their advantage over second-place UNLV, which had 797 points. Nevada trailed far behind with 701 points, followed by Fresno State with 657 points and Washington State with 636 points.
On Friday, the Aztecs triumphed, capturing one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals, along with recording seven NCAA "B" cut times. The day kicked off spectacularly with the Aztecs winning the 200 freestyle relay, where the quartet of Alli Mann, Kaydence Bispo, Abby Storm, and Meredith Smithbaker claimed victory with a swift time of 1:29.68. This victory not only secured them the top spot but also set a benchmark as the seventh-fastest time ever recorded for the program, eclipsing the NCAA "B" cut standard.
Wilma Johansson also made headlines with her record-breaking swim, clocking in at 1:46.24 for the 200 freestyle, which earned her second place and similarly met the NCAA "B" cut standard. Bispo secured seventh place after recording 1:49.66, having previously registered her season-best time of 1:48.24 during the preliminaries.
Meanwhile, the 100 breaststroke finals saw Bergdahl finish third, amassing a career-best time of 59.55 which now ranks third on the program's all-time charts and also surpassed the NCAA "B" cut standard. Christiana Williams represented the team from the seventh position with her time of 1:01.44.
Storm wasn't done either, as she snagged another podium position, finishing third in the 100 backstroke finals with her time of 52.96. She narrowly held off teammate Roberts, who finished fourth at 53.02. Both times qualified for the NCAA "B" cut criteria.
Earlier, Roberts showcased her skills as well, earning fourth place with 53.05 during the 100 butterfly finals. The Aztecs also had Grace Mering achieving sixth place for the 400 individual medley with her collegiate-best time of 4:16.74, which is also the seventh-fastest time recorded for the team.
Additional notable performances came from Charlotte Sevin, who reached the consolation finals after finishing second with her career-best time of 54.09 for the 100 fly, just edging out Mann, who clocked 54.13, though she logged her season-best time during the preliminaries with 54.00.
With the Mountain West Championships set to conclude on Saturday, excitement builds as the finals will feature the 1650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 400 freestyle relay, as well as the platform-diving final. Preliminaries are scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. CT/8:30 a.m. PT, with finals set to begin at 6 p.m. CT/4 p.m. PT. Interested fans can find links to streaming video and live results on GoAztecs.com.
The collective efforts of the Aztecs over the last three days have put them firmly at the top, but with only one final day remaining, the competition remains fierce. Every swimmer will be eager to perform as they push for titles and pursue personal bests, whilst team strategy plays a pivotal role within the championship's final outcomes.
Team standings after day three reflect the potential for dramatic shifts as the Aztecs aim to cement their championship legacy by outpacing their competitors before the event concludes.
With the competition's intensity rising, fans and participants alike are left on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting the chance to witness which team will emerge victorious by the end of the 2025 Mountain West Championships.