Swimmers fail to stay afloat against USC
By Daily Bruin Staff
Feb. 12, 2006 9:00 p.m.
A wave of melancholy rippled throughout the UCLA swimming team
and its fans as it was announced that USC had won Saturday’s
meet, 177-123.
USC’s “A” team inched past UCLA in the
200-meter medley relay, breaking away during the final 50 meters of
the race. USC’s Rhi Jeffrey outswam senior Kim Vandenberg in
the 200 free and then edged out Amy Thurman by less than a second
in the 50 meter free.
Coach Cyndi Gallagher believes one reason for the Bruins’
defeat had to do with an uneven playing field. USC sported
fast-skin suits, something Gallagher reserves only for important
meets such as the Pac-10 and NCAA Championships.
“That was their choice,” Gallagher said. “For
us, our agenda is just to get faster than we are now, and our
fastest is still coming.”
Even though UCLA was defeated, Gallagher says the team is lot
faster and a lot tougher than it was two weeks ago. Several
swimmers, including sophomore Nicolette Teo and junior Jeana
Fuccillo, posted season-best times, and junior Katie Arnold set a
new meet record with a time of 54.41 in the 100 back.
While the Bruin swimmers were disappointed to lose to their
cross-town rival, their spirits remained high due to this being
their last home dual meet.
Boosted by the band’s performance at the start of the meet
and the presence of friends and family in the energetic crowd, the
swimmers were pumped up from the beginning. Smiles and laughter
shared by swimmers and coaches could be clearly spotted throughout
the entire meet, which was also interspersed with various
boisterous Bruin chants from the swimmers.
“You can’t beat home meets, having your friends and
your family here and having everyone behind you and supporting
you,” Arnold said. “It’s awesome. You can’t
get it anywhere else.”
“We like to have fun,” Gallagher said, “The
band here was great. There are so many alumni here, some with their
babies. They’re parents and grandparents. It’s just a
fun environment, and that’s how we approach
everything.”
For the seven graduating senior swimmers and divers, this was
the final home meet. The only thought that raced through
Vandenberg’s mind as she swam her events on Saturday was that
it was her very last chance to compete in this pool.
“It’s my last dual meet,” Vandenberg, the 2004
U.S. National Champion, said. “I just give it 100% and have
fun with my teammates.”
After taking part in a multitude of chants with the
underclassmen, the senior swimmers bunched up in the pool to take
silly group pictures with their caps pulled over their noses.
“It was awesome and fun,” Gallagher said about the
meet.
DIVING: Despite UCLA’s strong showing, it was the
Trojans’ Canadian Olympic medalist who stole the show.
USC’s Blythe Hartley placed first in both the 1-meter and
3-meter events, knocking all of UCLA’s divers down a notch.
Paige Thompson, Sara Clark and Marisa Samaniego (not necessarily in
that order) placed after Hartley but before the remaining Trojans
in both events.
The team had conflicting feelings after the meet was over. Coach
Tom Stebbins thought the Bruins did very well, but were just unable
to overcome Hartley.
“She’s very good,” Stebbins said. “She
made some mistakes, and she’s still very good.”
Although his team lost, Stebbins would not go back and change
anything in terms of UCLA’s preparation.
“They were just better than us yesterday,” Stebbins
said, “I don’t think they’ll be better than us at
the (Pac-10 Championships).”
