UCLA swim and dive to host formidable Pac-12 teams
The UCLA swim and dive team will look to improve on its mark against the “big three,” which includes Stanford, Cal and USC, this year after falling to all three of those teams last year.
By Sari Zureiqat
Jan. 16, 2014 12:07 a.m.
At this point last year, UCLA swim and dive held a win streak in dual meets.
But when Feb. 1 hit, the Bruins fell to both Stanford and California – and two weeks later, USC – all by a spread of 30 points or greater.
Until UCLA faces these top-five ranked teams again this year, the strength of the team will be difficult to determine.
This season, UCLA nears Feb. 1, looking less formidable than it did last season. The team heads to Washington State with a 6-1 record, having lost to Arizona by a two-point margin. Last year, the Bruins narrowly claimed a victory against the Wildcats because of opponent disqualifications, but this year, without the same complications, they could only come close – but not close enough for a win.
Directly following this weekend’s meet, UCLA is slotted to race the “big three” yet again. Stanford, Cal and USC hold strong positions in the Pac-12 compared to UCLA’s No. 16 ranking, but the Bruins may have an ever-so-slight advantage in the fact that they will take on all three teams in the comfort of the Spieker Aquatics Center.
Luckily, this season’s freshmen have already left an impact on the team, with Linnea Mack setting the school record in the 100m backstroke in December’s Texas Invitational. The team’s older swimmers have only kept the momentum going, setting school records in the form of relays. Recently, senior swimmers Ting Quah and Kathryn Murphy each won two events in UCLA’s meet against Utah, a competition that the Bruins won by roughly a 20-point margin.
As for this weekend, swim and dive is set to face the Washington State Cougars in a meet the players said would be “out of (their) comfort zone.”
Compiled by Sari Zureiqat, Bruin Sports senior staff.
