UCLA gets pumped to defeat “˜SC on Saturday

  ROSETTE GONZALES Sophomore Cathy Coler
swims the butterfly in the individual medley earlier this
season.

By Regina Yeh
Daily Bruin Contributor

The swimming and diving teams crowded the seats before the pool
on Wednesday afternoon after another intense practice in what was
called “Beat ‘SC Week.”

Sue Enquist, the softball head coach, stood before the team,
while the swimming and diving coaches remained silent on the
side.

Disregarding the technical differences between softball and
swimming, Enquist proceeded to address each athlete about the
overruling world of sport.

“In our world we always say, “˜Never look left, never
look right.’ That is your world. Who cares who’s on
your left and right,” Enquist said. “Everybody does
their personal best on Saturday. You beat them.”

On Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. with diving, followed at 1 p.m.
by swimming, the competition against the Trojans begins at the
Sunset Recreation Center.

Enquist compelled her audience with a powerful speech, marking
the cohesiveness of the team and the individualism of swimming.

“Champions are made Monday through Friday,” she
continued. “Everyone should have the expectation of getting
something back for all of their preparation. This Saturday is
payday.”

In the past two years, No. 9 USC has overtaken No. 11 UCLA in
both their dual competitions. In response to that, both swimmers
and divers have made the best out of “Beat ‘SC
Week” with intensive training and inspiration from
coaches.

“We’re all getting pumped up for the meet,”
junior swimmer Jeannette Nieto said. “We’re going to do
the work together and control the gut feelings of excitement and
butterflies to reach our individual standpoints.”

The rivalry between the two schools only intensifies throughout
the rest of the week.

“This week, every day, we’ve been getting more and
more pumped up about our competition against USC,” junior
swimmer Sarah Clark said. “It’s a feeling of revenge,
and as a junior I understand the rivalry between us. We need to
beat them. We’re going to strive to do our personal best, and
to kill Troy.”

After the last words are spoken, the athletes, still slick with
chlorine water and wearing yellow caps with “Beat USC”
printed in blue, applauded coach Enquist and cheered as a team in
anticipation of Saturday.

“You are prepared,” Enquist said. “You know in
your heart and your mind you deserve a payoff on Saturday. Because
whatever you think, you’re right. Everybody’s going to
shoot for her personal goals. And through that, you beat
them.”

This will also be the last meet before the Pac-10 Championships
and will prove to be more than a settling of rivalries, according
to diving coach Tom Stebbins.

“We’ve developed a lot of consistency so far, and
we’re looking forward to the challenge of repeating as
division champions,” Stebbins said.

On Saturday, UCLA will contend swimming speed and diving skill
against USC. Setting aside the small details of nervous butterflies
or former USC defeats, the team will take heart in the words of a
softball coach and try to lay claim over their personal
territory.