Feb. 26, 2011
OKLAHOMA CITY — It’s possible the biggest winner for the New Mexico Lobos at the Mountain West Swimming and Diving Championships didn’t even get wet.
Not unless Abel Sanchez, the Lobos’ diving coach happened to be standing too close to the water when one of his divers sliced into the deep.
Sanchez was recognized Saturday at the league’s Women’s Diving Coach of The Year at the MWC’s annual meet. The Lobos divers — Aubrey Bush, Ashlee Erickson, Melissa Bollig, and Megan Harper — from top to bottom probably were the most formidable in the Mountain West all season.
Bush, the 2010 MWC champ on the platform, took runner-up honors this weekend losing to Kwan Ling Ku of Utah. Bush, who had rolled out an impressive score of 267.40 in the prelims, scored .232.65 in the final to lose out to Ku’s total of 239.95.
In the women’s 3-meter dive, the Lobos finished fourth, fifth and sixth behind Erickson, Bush and Bollig. Harper finished eighth. Bush, Bollig and Harper went fifth, seventh and ninth repsectively off the 1-meter board.
The 16th-ranked UNLV men won their seventh consecutive MWC title while on the women’s side No. 24 San Diego State won the program’s first-ever MWC women’s championship Saturday night at the Oklahoma City Community College Aquatics Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The UNM women finished in the eighth spot with 247 points to finish ahead of Air Force with 141 points.
BYU senior Rachel Grant and San Diego State freshman Kelly Marquenie shared Women’s Swimmer of the Year honors, while SDSU junior Kristen Meier was voted Women’s Diver of the Year. San Diego State head coach Mike Shrader was named Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year.
The Lobos’ best event on Saturday was the 1650 freestyle where Jennifer Burgess finished 10th, Monica Dudley finished 14th and Maria Dudley finished 17th,SDSU’s Marquenie earned three individual gold medals in her first MWC Championship meet, shattered the league’s all-time record in the 1650 freestyle.
2011 MWC WOMEN’S AWARDS
Swimming Coach of the Year: Mike Shrader, San Diego State
Diving Coach of the Year: Abel Sanchez, New Mexico
Swimmers of the Year: Rachel Grant, Sr., BYU; Kelly Marquenie, Fr., San Diego State
Diver of the Year: Kristen Meier, Jr., San Diego State
Senior Recognition Award: Natalie Edge, Utah