UCLA swim and dive returns to competition despite changes in traditions
After having an unprecedented amount of time in the offseason for UCLA swim and dive, junior swimmer Claire Grover said the team is grateful for any opportunity to race, giving it their all every time they hit the pool. (Lillie Yazdi/Daily Bruin)
By Ricardo Garcia
Jan. 21, 2021 1:17 p.m.
Opportunity was the central theme for the Bruins as they began their pandemic-shortened season.
The UCLA swim and dive (1-0) kicked off its season with a 177-115 win over Fresno State (0-1) this past weekend, the swim team’s first competition since the Pac-12 championship meet 10 months ago.
“Every opportunity we’ve been getting to race, we’re putting it all in and giving it our all, and I think that’s all we can do,” said junior swimmer Claire Grover. “As cliche as it sounds, in all adversity there can be a lot of opportunity, and so I think we’re trying to do our best to really do that.”
While the Bruins are competing now, getting there took longer than usual. With the COVID-19 pandemic raging on and Los Angeles quickly becoming an epicenter in the United States, most of the UCLA teams’ seasons were delayed last summer through the end of 2020.
The steady presence of coach Jordan Wolfrum has kept the Bruins’ mindset in the right place during the return to competition, according to junior swimmer Delaney Smith.
“This year, especially with how hard it’s been with COVID-19, (Wolfrum has) been great with keeping us inspired about qualifying for different meets and keeping our goals in mind,” Smith said.
For some swimmers like sophomore swimmer Gabby Dang, keeping a specific goal in mind has not been easy, especially knowing that even as the season resumes, there is still some uncertainty moving forward.
“Before we were even told that we were going to race last weekend or this weekend, there was so much up in the air,” Dang said. “So it was hard motivational-wise, to kind of keep pushing, because we’re still training the same, but without a … specific end goal.”
Yearly traditions were also limited by attendance restrictions at the meets because of COVID-19 protocols. Limited to appearing over a Zoom call this past weekend, parents were not allowed to attend the pre-meet ceremony at Spieker Aquatics Center.
According to Wolfrum, Fresno State’s swimmers brought congratulatory cards for this year’s UCLA senior class.
“They don’t get the senior year they deserve, and I think that that group is losing or has lost a great deal of what should be their senior experience,” Wolfrum said. “So we wanted to make sure we at least acknowledged that.”
Even with the return to action, the team had spent an unprecedented amount of time away from the pool, spanning from the initial cancellation of the NCAA Championship meet last March to the team’s return to practice in October.
“Normally we would’ve been training all the way through there,” Wolfrum said. “This whole season has been different in terms of strategizing, work, volume and intensity of work and when to do the right amount of work, and so it’s different for our sport.”
Grover said the changes in workload haven’t phased her, even with the extended offseason and COVID-19 protocols.
“I’ve always had a really simple routine when it comes to training or racing,” Grover said. “But this year, with everything and COVID-19, I’ve really learned to just take advantage of every single moment I get.”
