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Swim and dive works to adapt to schedule changes resulting from travel limits

UCLA swim and dive will not compete against No. 9 Stanford this weekend because of quarantine restrictions in Santa Clara County. Instead, its meet with No. 7 California will be split into two days. (Lillie Yazdi/Daily Bruin)

By Kyle Boal

Jan. 27, 2021 2:58 p.m.

This season has been about learning to pivot, according to coach Jordan Wolfrum.

UCLA swim and dive’s (1-0) upcoming meet in Santa Clara, California, versus No. 9 Stanford has been canceled because of travel and quarantine restrictions in the area. The Bruins were slated to compete Jan. 29 versus the Cardinal, but in the meet’s place, UCLA will split its meet against No. 7 California the following day into two days, with it now ending on Sunday.

Wolfrum explained the reason behind the cancellation.

“Right now, Stanford is unfortunately facing some county limitations in Santa Clara County that don’t allow us to go there or them to come here without facing a quarantine,” Wolfrum said. “Certainly, if that (restriction) gets lifted further down the road, we’ll explore the option (to reschedule the meet), but also to support them in getting some racing opportunities.”

While California’s stay-at-home order was lifted Monday, mandatory travel restrictions – which require those traveling from farther than 150 miles to Santa Clara County to quarantine for 10 days – remain in place.

But a last-second schedule change is something that UCLA is learning to deal with, given the unprecedented season circumstances, according to Wolfrum. The second-year coach said her team looks to make opportunities despite the unusual season chaos.

“Fortunately for us, we were able to land on two days of racing at Cal once we pulled out of that one date at Stanford,” Wolfrum said. “We were able to pivot, and that’s been the lesson of the season: learn to pivot.”

UCLA is coming off its first tri-meet of the season, competing against USC and Arizona in an untraditionally scored meet in which only swimmers’ individual event times were counted with no diving or scoring. The Bruins secured only one less event win than the Trojans, earning eight to USC’s nine.

Junior swimmer Ella Kirschke said the weekend will still be a great opportunity to compete against a top team.

“I think that honestly, our team is just really grateful for the opportunity to be able to go to NorCal and just get some racing in that’s against other teams in the Pac-12,” Kirschke said. “Even though Stanford didn’t work out, we’re gonna do a two-day meet against (California), who is still a great competitor.”

California will host USC on Friday and Saturday before turning its attention to UCLA later Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore swimmer Daniella Hawkins – a seven-time individual event winner – said the team knew there would be some turbulence with the season schedule.

“We’ve definitely come into this season knowing that there’s going to be situations like this that are unpredictable, and so we’ve just kind of prepared as though we are having a meet, and just going to practice with the attitude that it is a normal season, with normal competition,” Hawkins said. “So, when it’s suddenly canceled, we just move on to the next opportunity that we have and focus on what we can control, and that’s getting it done in the pool.”

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Kyle Boal | Sports senior staff
Boal is currently a Sports senior staff writer on the women's water polo beat. He was an assistant Sports editor on the gymnastics, rowing, swim and dive, men's water polo and women's water polo beats. Boal was previously a contributor on the men's water polo and women's water polo beats.
Boal is currently a Sports senior staff writer on the women's water polo beat. He was an assistant Sports editor on the gymnastics, rowing, swim and dive, men's water polo and women's water polo beats. Boal was previously a contributor on the men's water polo and women's water polo beats.
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