UCLA swim and dive falls to Stanford, Cal in consecutive losses
Sophomore Annika Lenz didn’t allow herself to become intimidated by facing highly ranked Cal and Stanford. (Hannah Ye/Daily Bruin)
By Kathryn Gallo
Feb. 2, 2015 1:31 a.m.
The UCLA swim and dive team traveled to Northern California this past weekend to take on two of its toughest opponents yet.
On Friday, No. 17 UCLA faced off against No. 2 Stanford at the Avery Aquatic Center. The Cardinal proved too much of a challenge for the Bruins, as the team fell 151-92 to its conference opponents. The next day, the team was back in the pool facing No. 3 Cal at the Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley. Despite victories in both diving events, the Bruins came out with another loss, falling to the Bears 184-113. After this weekend, the Bruins now stand 7-3 overall in dual meets and 3-3 against Pac-12 schools.
Sophomore diver Annika Lenz said she knew Cal and Stanford would pose a difficult test for the team, but she did not let that threat change her game plan.
“I just try to approach every school the same,” Lenz said. “I focus on my dives and doing what I need to do to make my dives the best they can be. I try not to focus on the other divers.”
Lenz’s focus was where it needed to be on Saturday as she led UCLA against Cal, winning both of the meet’s diving events. The only other first-place finish for the Bruins that day came from junior swimmer Allison Wine, who recorded a time of 1:01.78 in her 100-yard breaststroke victory.
Friday’s meet against Stanford also ended with some standout performances despite the end result. Junior swimmer Katy Campbell completed the long-distance double with a first-place finish in both the 500-yard and 1000-yard freestyle. Finishing just behind Campbell in both races was sophomore swimmer Michaela Merlihan, who posted career-best times in each event, finishing with a time of 10:06.40 in the 1000-yard freestyle and 4:55.25 in the 500-yard freestyle.
Although this marks the first time this season that the Bruins have finished with consecutive losses, there was an upside coming out of this meet. With Pac-12 conference play and NCAAs coming up in the next two months, the team had the opportunity to see what it will be like to swim against the top-ranked schools that it will face in the championships. As Lenz said, competing against them now means the team will know what to expect.
“It’s good practice,” Lenz said. “We’ll know how to deal with them, and we’ll know how to handle the pressure better.”
The Bruins will finish their regular season this upcoming Friday, when they make the trip to USC to take on the No. 14 Trojans.
Compiled by Kathryn Gallo, Bruin Sports contributor.
