Student-Athlete of the Week - February 25, 2008
Brie Marhenke
Name: Brie Marhenke
Sport: Women's Swimming
Year: Senior
Events: Free, Fly
On the meet’s first night on Wednesday, February 20, the senior co-captain swam the freestyle anchor leg of the 200 medley relay that placed third for bronze medals in a school-record time of 1:44.58. Lauren Mar, Caitlin Macky and Tarolyn Robertson swam ahead of Marhenke on the relay.
On the first full day, Marhenke won the 50 freestyle, as she had done at the 2006 WAC Championship to become the first individual WAC swim champion in program history. She first raced a season-best 22.88 to win the eighth and final heat of morning preliminaries as the top seed heading into the event. The mark was the first NCAA B’ cut of the meet, and Marhenke’s third this season. The native of Carmichael, Calif., sprinted 22.65, again a season best and NCAA B’ cut, to earn the gold medal in evening finals.
For the last event of the night, Marhenke then led off the victorious 200 freestyle relay in a split of 22.70. With Mar, freshman Meghan McCurley and Robertson swimming behind her, the foursome timed a school-record 1:33.76, leading virtually from start to finish and duplicating the Spartans’ WAC title in the event from 2006.
Marhenke posted the 10th-best preliminary time in the 100 butterfly on the third morning, falling .01 seconds short of her season best in 58.29. She placed second in the consolation final and 10th overall after swimming a season-best 57.55 in evening finals. In the 400 medley relay to close the evening, she swam a 50.06 freestyle anchor split as San Jose State rallied from as far back as sixth at one point in the race, to place third in a season-best 3:50.04 for bronze medals and second-team All-WAC honors. Mar, Macky and Robertson were also on the relay, which ranks fourth all-time in school history.
On the fourth and final day of the meet, Marhenke sprinted to a season-best 50.34 in preliminaries of the 100 freestyle as the top seed heading in, the best mark of the morning, another NCAA B’ cut and just .04 off her own school record. She improved that to a school-record 50.23 in winning the championship final at night, duplicating her double in the sprint freestyle events from the 2006 WAC meet.
In her final race of the championship, Marhenke led off the first-place 400 freestyle relay in a 50.33 split, with Julia Koch, Mar and Robertson following her. San Jose State led almost entirely from start to finish, timing a season-best 3:27.03 to take the top spot on the medal stand for the first time in program history in the event. The mark ranks third all-time in the school record book.
In all for the four-day meet, Marhenke’s haul included four gold medals, two bronze medals, four first-team All-WAC and two second-team All-WAC awards, four NCAA B’ cuts and three school records.
Past 2007-08 Spartan Foundation Student-Athletes of the Week
August 27 - Jennifer Senftleben, Women's Volleyball
September 4 - Nick Cukar, Men's Soccer
September 10 - Keri Anglin, Women's Volleyball
September 17 - Ismael Ibarra, Men's Soccer
September 24 - Adam Tafralis, Football
October 1 - Matt Castelo, Football
October 8 - Brie Marhenke, Women's Swimming
October 15 - Kristal Tsukano, Women's Volleyball
October 29 - Kelly Crow, Women's Volleyball
November 12 - Stephan Stallworth, Men's Golf
November 19 - C.J. Webster, Men's Basketball
November 26 - Adam Tafralis, Football
December 3 - Natalie White, Women's Basketball
December 10 - Brie Marhenke, Women's Swimming
December 17 - Natalie White, Women's Basketball
January 1 - Justin Graham, Men's Basketball
January 7 - Caitlin Macky, Women's Swimming
January 14 - C.J. Webster, Men's Basketball
January 28 - Kendra Adama, Women's Water Polo
February 4 - Veronica Porte, Women's Gymnastics
February 11 - Silvana Dukic, Women's Tennis
February 18 - Raylyn Cardeno, Women's Gymnastics
February 25 - Brie Marhenke, Women's Swimming