UCLA swim and dive loses to UCSB, aided Pac-12 win over Team USA
UCLA swim and dive started with low energy at UCSB and was not able to emerge victorious, even though they stepped up and raced better as the meet went on, coach Cyndi Gallagher said. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Kelsey Angus
Oct. 22, 2017 10:49 p.m.
UCLA swim and dive was undefeated all-time against UC Santa Barbara.
Until Saturday.
“It wasn’t the end result that I thought we’d do and it wasn’t the one I’d hope for,” said coach Cyndi Gallagher. “We were pretty much asleep the first half of the meet, and then I think they realized that they needed to stand up and race better and just enjoy the meet.”
The No. 21 Bruins (1-1) fell 137.5-123.5 to the Gauchos (1-1). Meanwhile, three swimmers competed on behalf of the Pac-12 at the USA Swimming College Challenge.
Against UCSB, UCLA secured five individual victories, though the Gauchos were the ones to take the meet.
“UCSB was racing fast today and they took advantage of how we didn’t have very much energy at the beginning of the meet,” said junior Emma Schanz. “UCSB just went for it at the beginning and it took us a little bit to get going and I just think that we need to learn to race each race like it’s at NCAA’s.”
Three of those individual victories came from freshman. Jennifer Lathrop won the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke, and Allison Goldblatt out-touched fellow Bruin MP Delisle by less than two-tenths of a second to win the 200-yard butterfly.
Schanz came in first in the 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley, winning by margins of more than four and three seconds, respectively.
Senior Katie Grover, junior Sandra Soe and sophomore Kenisha Liu competed in the USA Swimming College Challenge, a meet between the United States National Team and Pac-12 all-stars, instead of making the trip to Santa Barbara.
“I absolutely loved this meet, I think it was a really awesome idea, a really cool meet to put on,” Grover said. “We all compete against each other constantly but we don’t really ever get to know our opponents, so it was really cool to be on the same team for a weekend and take on Team USA.”
The Pac-12 won the match-up 326.5-286.5, and all three Bruins contributed points.
Soe and Grover posted fourth-place finishes in the 1000-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly, respectively. Liu’s highest finish of the weekend was in sixth place in the 200-yard individual medley.
“Everyone was almost relaxed with how fast we were going to go and everyone was kind of in the same boat like, ‘Hey, it’s really early in the season, we’re all working hard, let’s see how it goes,'” Grover said. “And that’s really how you should have your mindset every meet. Everyone’s working hard right now but it has to be how can I get my hand on the wall before somebody else.”
