Thursday, November 6, 1997
Returning All-Americans power team
SWIMMING: Experience pays in season opener against UC San
Diego
By Stephanie Chan
Daily Bruin Contributor
Graduation is a positive event for most UCLA students and
especially for the swimming and diving team, but for a whole
different reason. With no losses to graduation, the Bruin swimmers
and divers look to build the 1997-98 season on a platform of
experience. This year the team boasts eight returning
All-Americans.
This experience proved potent in the Bruins’ season opener
against the UC San Diego on Oct. 24. Senior All-American Jill
Jenkins led UCLA’s 12 of 15 first-place finishes with four, while
All-Americans sophomore Keiko Price and senior Lindsey Etter each
captured two.
Price and Etter also were impressive and captured medals at the
World University Games this summer. Price left Italy with a gold as
a member of Team USA’s 400 meter freestyle team, and Etter earned a
silver on Team USA’s 400 meter relay squad.
"They now believe they can compete with anyone in the world, and
if they believe they can, they will,"said UCLA head coach Cyndi
Gallagher.
Rose Huelskamp and Tracy Wilcox led the diving spectrum with
first-place finishes on the three-meter and one-meter boards
respectively. The final score was UCLA 188, San Diego 109.
UCLA will head up to UC Santa Barbara for their first road meet
this Friday. In last season’s home opener, the Bruins dominated
UCSB with a 201-94 victory. A win this Friday could extend the
Bruins’ victory streak over UCSB to 14-0.
The Bruins have improvement within their reach after a
14th-place NCAA finish and a 5th-place Pac-10 finish last year.
UCLA’s goal could be easily attained with of a pool of experience
and talent.
The heart of the Bruin attack comes from the breaststroke with
UCLA’s all-time record holder in the 100 and 200 breast, Etter, and
sophomore All-American Amber Wines. Bertelink will lead both the
middle distance and distance line-up after finishing 11th in the
500 free and 10th in the 1650 free distance events at last year’s
NCAA’s.
In the backstroke, Jenkins and junior All-American Amanda Hall
stand as top contenders. Jenkins will also take her talent into the
butterfly competition accompanied by Price and two potentially
dangerous freshman, Beth Goodwin and Janie Egan.
Rounding out the line-up with the individual medley will be
Emmanuelle Schick Garcia, third on the UCLA all-time list in 200 IM
and eighth in the 400 IM.