Student-Athlete of the Week - February 19, 2007

Name: Ashley Vrieze
Sport: Women's Swimming
Year: Senior
Events: Backstroke, Freestyle

Ashley Vrieze, a senior backstroke and freestyle specialist out of Arcata, Calif., was the top individual performer for San Jose State University as the Spartans matched their best-ever finish at the Western Athletic Conference Women's Swimming & Diving Championship from a year ago, in fourth place. The four-day meet took place at the Palo Alto College Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas, February 14-17.

Vrieze didn't just break, but shattered school records in all three backstroke distances. Already holding the top San Jose State marks of all-time in the 50 and 100 heading into the week from earlier this season, Vrieze first improved the 50 standard from her 26.50 at Speedo Cup to 25.83 to open the 200 medley relay on the first night. The relay finished fourth in 1:45.55, a season best by over a second and a half.

Vrieze next broke the 100 backstroke mark during day three prelims, going 55.78 to lower her own 57.15 from Speedo Cup by almost a second and a half to gain the second seed in that night's finals. It was the first and only NCAA 'B' cut by a Spartan swimmer this season, as Vrieze got under the 56.10 standard, and also a qualifier for the USA Swimming National Championships in both the spring and the summer. She then swam 56.12 to finish second in finals and earn a silver medal and first-team All-WAC honors.

On the fourth and final day, Vrieze first narrowly missed lowering Alana Lella's school record in the 200 backstroke of 2:03.60, swimming a lifetime-best 2:03.66 to earn the fourth seed in evening finals. She left no doubt in that final, going all the way down to 2:02.55 for third place, a bronze medal and first-team All-WAC distinction.

Additionally, Vrieze produced back-to-back lifetime bests in the 50 freestyle on day two, racing 24.12 in prelims before getting under the 24-second barrier with a 23.97 for 10th place in evening finals, a mark good enough for eighth all-time at San Jose State. She also swam the second leg of the 200 freestyle relay that same night, turning in a lifetime-best relay split of 23.81 as the Spartans raced 1:35.60, the second-fastest in school history, to finish fourth. Vrieze led off the 400 medley relay to close the third night, with the Spartans finishing fifth in 3:52.66. The mark was fifth on the school's all-time list. Finally, Vrieze wrapped up a standout meet by helping the Spartans to fifth in the 400 freestyle relay in a season-best 3:30.40 as the second leg.

In all, Vrieze collected one silver and one bronze medal, a pair of individual first-team All-WAC honors, one NCAA 'B' cut, one USA Swimming National Championships qualifier, three school records, eight season-best times, eight lifetime-best times, 40 points in individual events and 116 more in relays for the competition.

Past 2006-07 Spartan Foundation Student-Athletes of the Week

August 28 - Jessie Shull - Women's Volleyball
September 5 - Tiffany Hall - Women's Cross Country
September 11 - Yonus Davis - Football
September 18 - Jennifer Sentfleben - Women's Volleyball
September 25 - Dwight Lowery - Football
October 2 - Adam Tafralis - Football
October 9 - Nicole Irwin - Women's Soccer
October 16 - Marissa Dayton - Women's Soccer
October 23 - Nicole Irwin - Women's Soccer
October 30 - Yonus Davis - Football
November 6 - Patrick Perry - Football
November 13 - Jessie Shull - Women's Volleyball
November 20 - Ashley Vrieze - Women's Swimming
November 27 - Waylon Prather - Football
December 4 - Christopher Owens - Football
January 2 - Alisha Hicks - Women's Basketball
January 8 - Lauren Mar - Women's Swimming
January 16 - Carlton Spencer - Men's Basketball
January 22 - Myosha Barnes - Women's Basketball
January 29 - Veronica Porte - Women's Gymnastics
February 12 - Deanna Lowry - Women's Water Polo
February 19 - Ashley Vrieze - Women's Swimming