Teams: UC Davis vs. Fresno State
Record: Aggies, (5-2); Bulldogs, (1-3)
Where: Schaal Aquatics Center – Davis, Calif.
When: Saturday at 1p.m.
Who to Watch: Though it is only Liliana Alvarez’s first quarter at UC Davis, the San Anselmo, Calif. native has made an immediate impact.
Alvarez came in first in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke in Sunday’s dual meet.
“She has an exciting outlook on things,” coach Barbara Jahn said. “Everything is fresh and new for her. She’s a really upbeat, hard worker.”
A dogged and competitive athlete, Alvarez pushes her teammates constantly.
“Lily is always challenging other breaststrokers,” Jahn said. “She and Morgan Lee had a really good run where they were both pushing each other.”
Did you know? Fresno State’s team was recently reinstated after it had been cut from the ICA program for over a decade. This means that at the Division I level of competition, they are a relatively new team. Coach Jahn said that their coach has done a good job of re-building Fresno State’s program.
“They are getting better each year,” Jahn said. “They have some quality swimmers.”
Preview: The Schaal Aquatics Center will be splashing this weekend as the Aggies dive into the last home meet of fall quarter.
The event this weekend is another stepping stone on the way to more competitive meets and invitationals later this season.
“We’re not resting,” Jahn said. “We are just training right through it. At least the weather is supposed to be good.”
Though Fresno State lacks a strong base in their program, they have some fierce swimmers that will pose a challenge for the Aggies.
“I hope that our depths will pay off,” Jahn said. “Individually, we will be challenged.”
The Aggies plan to lead in points with their strong base of excellent swimmers even if they don’t win first place in all events.
Jahn is hoping for a big home crowd to back the Aggies as they go for the win.
– Caleigh Guoynes
