Up-and-down contributions sink UCLA swim and dive to Utah for 1st time in 12 years
Members of UCLA swim and dive stand on the starting blocks before diving into a relay race at Spieker Aquatics Center. (Nicolas Greamo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Alexandra Crosnoe
Jan. 13, 2025 9:33 p.m.
This post was updated Jan. 14 at 8:58 p.m.
The Bruins’ 12-year winning streak against a former Pac-12 foe is over.
No. 24 UCLA swim and dive (3-2) met UC Santa Barbara and Utah in Salt Lake City on Saturday. The Bruins handily defeated the Gauchos 185-103 but came up short against the Utes 158-142, marking their first-ever loss against the program since the two teams began competing in 2012.
Despite splitting the meet, the Bruins boasted seven first-place finishes – the most of all three teams. Junior Rosie Murphy was UCLA’s top swimmer, earning three of those seven top spots. On top of her wins in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley, Murphy’s 1:59.98 victory in the 200-yard backstroke made her the only competitor to race below two minutes.
UCLA swept the breaststroke events, with seniors Eva Carlson and Ana Jih-Schiff winning the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke in 1:03.28 and 2:15.31, respectively – putting up 40 points for UCLA.
Graduate student Emma Harvey showcased her versatility throughout the meet, placing second in the 100-yard freestyle with a 51.51 time and the 100-yard butterfly with a 55.84 mark – missing the top spots in both by less than a second.
The Bruins also earned first and second place in their only two relays. Carlson, Harvey, Jih-Schiff and junior Fay Lustria won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:40.64, while sophomore Sarah Bennetts, redshirt junior Gizem Guvenc, Harvey and Jih-Schiff took second in the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:33.75.
UCLA divers also found success, with junior Eden Cheng – a 2020 Tokyo Olympian – taking first in the 3-meter dive and fourth in the 1-meter. Senior Maya Salvitti trailed behind Cheng, earning fourth in the 3-meter dive and fifth in the 1-meter.
Despite standout contributions from Murphy and Cheng, several typical standout swimmers from the Bruins – particularly freestylers such as senior Paige MacEachern and Guvenc – added time during individual events that led to costly point deductions. Before the meet, head coach Jordan Cordry noted that Utah’s campus, which sits nearly 4,700 feet above sea level, can often be a difficult place to race because of the altitude.
The Bruins also competed amid devastating fires across Los Angeles, which have prompted the cancellation of classes at UCLA and destroyed more than 40,000 acres of land as well as more than 12,000 structures – including sophomore diver Laura Fisher’s home, according to the team’s Instagram.
Next weekend, the Bruins will travel north of Westwood to face a pair of top-ten teams – No. 10 California and No. 3 Stanford.
