UCLA women’s swimming team finds success at Minnesota Diving Invite
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 20, 2006 9:00 p.m.
At the Minnesota Diving Invite this weekend, the UCLA
women’s diving team got its first glimpse of the location of
the NCAA championships and a taste of the level of competition come
March.
“We’re really fortunate to compete against such
high-caliber teams so early in the season,” UCLA coach Tom
Stebbins said. “We really got a feel of the place and a feel
for the board there.”
Seniors Amanda Blong and Sara Clark and sophomores Marisa
Samaniego and Tess Schofield made the trip to represent the Bruins.
Stebbins specifically chose these four because each has had a great
deal of experience in such a high level of competition.
The Bruins faced 10 teams including host school Minnesota, as
well as Wisconsin, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Nebraska. If the
Bruins keep attaining high scores like they did this weekend and
continue to fine-tune their dives, they will be in great shape come
March.
“We took command of the things we had in play the entire
weekend,” Stebbins said. “We’re really starting
to develop a special dynamic.”
The Bruins kicked off the invite with the 3-meter competition. A
total of 35 divers competed in preliminary events, 16 moved on to
the semi-finals, and the top eight competed in the finals. All four
Bruins made it to the semi-final round, and Clark, Samaniego and
Blong advanced to the finals.
“It’s a different feeling being at such a big
meet,” Clark said. “There’s a ton of teams, a lot
of good people, a lot of cuts, and finals, and all of that creates
a whole different atmosphere.”
In finals competition, only Tennessee’s Lauren LeRoy was
able to top Clark, as Clark finished in second place with a score
of 286.65. Samaniego and Blong placed fourth and fifth
respectively.
On Saturday the invite resumed with the 1-meter event. Competing
against 32 other divers, the Bruins once again found themselves at
the top of the standings. Samaniego led the way, taking second
place with a score of 268.7. Blong finished just behind Samaniego
with a third place finish, and Clark followed in fourth.
Schofield closed out the Bruins’ successful weekend with a
victory in the tower event with a score of 259.9 on Sunday.
The Bruins will break from competition for over a week and then
head to the Texas Invitational Nov. 30 through Dec. 2.
