The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America named seven members of the San Diego State swimming and diving team to the All-American team this week.
The association’s board adjusted the selection criteria for each division. They made the decision due to the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships during the coronavirus pandemic.
The honor, usually reserved for the top eight finalists at the national championship, results in first-team recognition. This year, all relays achieving ‘A” standards, individuals selected for the NCAA championships and divers entered in uncontested events from Zone Diving Qualification meets received All-American recognition.
The Aztec honorees include the 2020 Mountain West Swimmer of the Year Klara Thormalm, for her performances in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke and 200 medley relay.
Five swimmers and one diver joined Thormalm, a junior, in receiving the honor:
- Elli Ferrin, in the 200 medley relay
- Sammy Geyer in the 100 breaststroke
- Ximena Lechuga Gonzalez in the 1-meter and 3-meter dives
- Morganne McKennan in the 100 breaststroke
- Alma Thormalm in the 200 medley relay
- Courtney Vincent in the 100 butterfly and 200 medley relay
Ferrin, Alma and Klara Thormalm and Vincent collected their honors on the Aztecs’ 200 medley relay team, swimming a NCAA ‘A’ cut time at the 2020 Mountain West Championships. Their gold-medal performance set new conference championship and overall Mountain West records.
Their time of 1:36:30 set a SDSU record.
In addition, Geyer, McKennan and Klara Thormalm swept the podium in 100 breaststroke at the Mountain West Conference Championships.
Lechuga Gonzalez, the lone Aztec diver to earn All-American honors, did so by qualifying for the 2020 NCAA Championships with her seventh and fourth-place efforts at the Zone E Diving Championships.
She also was the only diver from the conference to qualify for the championships from both heights.
– Staff reports