LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Four former UNLV women's swimming standouts - Lorena Diaconescu (1998-2002), Katelyne Herrington (2010-14), Zsuzanna Jakabos (2008-09) and Raluca Udroiu (2001-05) - were selected to the Mountain West 25th Season Team, the league office announced Tuesday.
The MW 25th Season Teams were compiled by the 25th Teams Committee, comprising members from the league's 11 full-time institutions, to celebrate the conference's 25th season of excellence on and off the field. They will be announced at each Mountain West Championship during the 2023-24 season.
Diaconescu, who was inducted into the UNLV Hall of Fame in 2012, earned three consecutive Conference Swimmer of the Year awards from 2000-02 and still stands as the program record-holder in the 200 free (1:46.59). She earned All-America honors in 2000 when she came in fifth in the 200 free at the NCAA Championships and was honorable mention All-America in the same event the very next season. From 2000-02, Diaconescu three-peated in both the 100 free and 200 free, won back-to-back MW 500 free titles (2000-01) and claimed seven relay titles. A native of Bucharest, Romania, Diaconescu was also a two-time Olympian for her home country, swimming one individual and two relay events in the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta and three relays in the 2000 Games in Sydney. Her 4x200-meter free relay team just missed medaling in Australia, coming in fourth in the finals.
Jakabos, hailing from Pecs, Hungary, took home the MW Swimmer of the Year award in 2009 and has her name etched in conference history with the MW Championship record in the 400 IM (4:06.70). In the 2008-09 season, she was named an All-American in the 400 IM upon finishing eighth at the NCAA Championships. That same year, Jakabos swept the individual conference titles in the 200 IM and 400 IM while setting school records that continue to sit as the Rebels' all-time bests in each event. A five-time Olympian, she has represented her home country at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, the 2008 Games in Beijing, the 2012 Games in London and the 2016 Games in Rio in individual events, as well as in the 4x200-meter free relay from 2008 through the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Originally from Stockton, California, Herrington won back-to-back individual conference titles in the 100 fly from 2013-14 and holds the league's all-time and championship meet records (52.14) in the event. A two-time All-American, she received the recognition after placing 14th in the 100 fly at the NCAA Championships in 2012 and 11th in the same event at the 2014 national championship meet. Additionally, she contributed to a conference relay title in the 400 free relay during the 2012-13 season.
Udroiu is the only other Rebel to garner multiple MW Swimmer of the Year accolades, receiving the award in 2003 and 2005. Another native of Bucharest, Romania, she won six individual conference titles, including two consecutive in the 200 back (2002-03), two overall in the 100 back (2003; 2005), two in the 400 medley relay (2003; 2005) as well as one apiece in the 200 IM (2005), 400 IM (2002) and 200 medley relay (2002). Alongside Diaconescu, Udroiu competed in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney on the Romanian 4x100-meter medley relay team. She also qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 100 and 200 back in 2003.
MOUNTAIN WEST WOMEN'S SWIMMING 25TH SEASON TEAM
Genevieve Miller, Air Force
Brittany Aoyama, Boise State
Amber Boucher, Boise State
Emma Chard, Boise State
Abbey Sorensen, Boise State
Sam Wicks, Boise State
Breanna Fuller, Colorado State
Haley Rowley, Colorado State
Kristen Schneider, Colorado State
Athena Clayson, Fresno State
Teresa Baerens, Nevada
Yawen Li, Nevada
Mengjiao (Jojo) Mi, Nevada
Benedict Nagy, Nevada
Anika Apostalon, San Diego State
Mikaela Macklin, San Diego State
Klara Thormalm, San Diego State
Katelyn Weddle, San Diego State
Lorena Diaconescu, UNLV
Katelyne Herrington, UNLV
Zsuzanna Jakabos, UNLV
Raluca Udroiu, UNLV
Katelyn Blattner, Wyoming
Kelsey Conci, Wyoming
Maria Harutjunjan, Wyoming
