Lobos Battle Tough but Fall Short in Thrilling San Diego Showdowns

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Lobos, competing without a few of their usual top performers due to the holiday period, suffered defeats in two narrow dual contests in San Diego, falling 165-126 to the three-time reigning Mountain West champions, San Diego State, and losing 155-144 to Pepperdine.

The defeat against Pepperdine represented the closest UNM has come to achieving victory in a standardized 16-event dual contest against a Division I school since their triumph over New Mexico State 194-106 on January 25, 2020, prior to the 2020-21 season which was canceled due to COVID.  The 144 points scored was also the highest against a Division I institution since the NMSU matchup in 2020.

The Lobos managed to secure event victories in the 100-yard butterfly, as Sophia Corder claimed first place with a time of 57.65, marking her second-best performance of the season. Layni Andrle finished in third for that same event with a time of 59.70.

Moreover, the relay team consisting of Jordan Foster, Katy McCarter, Andrle, and Corder won the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:36.18.  Corder competed in that event in place of Arianna Stokes, one of several Lobos who missed the competition while returning to Albuquerque from overseas for the holidays.

Paige Lyons and Eryn Quirsfeld nearly posted season-best times in the 1,000, with Lyons finishing at 11:06.28, about five seconds shy of her best, and Quirsfeld at 11:17.06, just 0.05 from her personal top time.

McCarter secured a close second in the 100-yard back with a time of 57.74, while Linda Franco placed fourth in the 50-yard free but achieved a season-best time of 24.19. Foster’s time of 2:27.79 earned her third in the 200-yard breast, just half a second off her best result of the year.

The 500-free may have been UNM’s strongest swimming event, as UNM placed second, third, fifth, and sixth.  Brynn Quintana finished second at 5:17.20 in her debut of the event this season, while Francesca Benavidez took third at 5:19.01, improving over five seconds from her previous personal best.

In the diving portion, Isabella Gomez and Alice English once again claimed the top two positions for UNM, with Gomez finishing second in the 3-meter with a score of 276.05 and third in the 1-meter with 249.80.  English ranked fifth in the 1-meter at 231.35 and sixth in the 3-meter with 245.60.

New Mexico will now take a break until a two-day double dual meet on Friday and Saturday, January 17 and 18, as UNM travels to USAFA, Colorado to compete against Air Force and Colorado State.