COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West announced Tuesday the swimming & diving annual accolades as voted on by the leagues nine head coaches. San Diego State earned three of the four honors and Nevada garnered one.
San Diego State’s Alex Roberts was tabbed the MW Swimmer of the Year, while the program’s head coach, Mike Shrader, was selected as the MW Swimming Coach of the Year and diving head coach, Roland McDonald, was named the MW Diving Coach of the Year. Nevada’s Melissa Mirafuentes was voted the MW Diver of the Year.
SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
Alex Roberts, Sr., San Diego State
At the 2024 Mountain West Swimming & Diving Championships, Roberts earned All-MW honors in the 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard medley relay. The senior posted a career-best as well as Aztec program and Mountain West record in the 200-yard back with a time of 1:52.76 in Athens, Georgia, at the 2024 NCAA Championships, lowering her own mark set at the 2023 Mountain West Championships. The personal-best would earn the senior a 19th-place finish at NCAAs, the highest finish of the seven MW student-athletes to compete at the national event.
DIVER OF THE YEAR
Melissa Mirafuentes, Sr., Nevada
Mirafuentes was a top-four finisher for the Wolf Pack in the 1-meter springboard and placed second in the 3-meter springboard and third on platform at the Mountain West Championships in February. She also was named an MW all-conference member. She was the lone MW qualifier for the 2024 NCAA Diving Championship, and one of 10 divers in the country to qualify in all three events. At NCAAs, the senior finished 22nd in the platform with a score of 225.30. She also placed 42nd on the 3-meter with a score of 241.05 and 46th on the 1-meter with a score of 225.3.
SWIMMING COACH OF THE YEAR
Mike Shrader, San Diego State
In his 17 seasons at the helm for the Aztecs, Shrader earned his 10th MW Swimming Coach of the Year honor and third consecutive (2009, ’10, ’11, ’13, ’14, ’19, ’20, ’22, ’23). He led the Aztecs to their third consecutive and eighth overall Conference title. Guided two SDSU swimmers to the NCAA Championships this year, Roberts and Christiana Williams.
DIVING COACH OF THE YEAR
Roland McDonald, San Diego State
McDonald finished his 11th year as the head diving coach for the Aztecs and was selected for the third time as the MW Diving Coach of the Year (’19, ’20). Had two divers finish in the top-three at the 2024 MW Championships and named to the All-Conference Team in all three events. Valentina Lopez Arevalo was named MW Swimming & Diving Championships Diver of the Meet and seven of his divers competed at the NCAA Zone E Championships.
