COURTNEY STEWART Sophomore Jennifer
McNally tucks for a spin in the Bruins’ swimming and
diving meet last Saturday. UCLA 182 USD 90
By Amanda Fletcher
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
It’s been all or nothing for the UCLA women’s
swimming and diving team lately.
In their second dual meet of the season, the UCLA swim team once
again took all 16 event titles in their 182-90 romping of the San
Diego Toreros on Saturday at the Men’s Gym Pool. The win
brings UCLA’s record to 2-0.
“They were relaxed but competitive and focused,”
UCLA head coach Cyndi Gallagher said. “They’re an elite
team of competitors.”
Senior Beth Goodwin was the only Bruin to capture more than one
individual event title taking the 200-yard butterfly in 2:05.64
minutes and the 100 freestyle in 52.20 seconds.
Freshmen Sarah Platzer also had a pair of fast swims, taking the
50 free in 23.63 and coming in at 4:57.95 in the 500 free.
“Our whole level of intensity has gone up a notch,”
Gallagher said.
But the real standouts were the Bruins who did their personal
bests or swam winning times in events other than their
specialties.
Sophomore Erin Zehntner who won the 500 free in 4:55.54.
Freshman Leslie Hovsepian came in second in the 200 breaststroke
with 2:23.62 and third in the 100 breast with 1:06.80.
“She did great, almost a lifetime best,” Gallagher
said.
In the 200 butterfly, junior breastroker Jen Noddle took second
in 2:06.88, and freshman Chelsea Murry shaved three seconds off her
previous time for a 2:07.44.
“Those are kids that work hard and do what you tell them
to do but don’t always win,”Gallagher said. “It
just means they’re great competitors. No matter what they do
they want to do their best.”
Freshman Kristen Lewis won her first event ever with a 58.58 in
the 100 fly.
“It was exciting for her because she’s just a
walk-on kid,’ Gallagher said.
Though a title is nice, Lewis still knows what’s really
important.
“I’m more excited because the times are really good
for me. We have some really fast 100-yard butterflyers on this team
so there’s a lot of competition.”
“I’m just looking to keep improving my race,”
she added.
Freshman breastroker Brooke Winkler, who came in fourth in the
200 free behind two regular freestylers, believes that having so
many different people take titles reflects on the team’s
overall depth.
“There’s not just a few stars. In every event
we’re strong.”
“Every time we have a competition we can learn
something,” Gallagher said. “Maybe our times were the
same but we did things different, more correct.”
Improving in technique is important with the Bruins’ first
Pac-10 meets of the season coming up this weekend.
“It’s all prep for who we’ll put in against
Arizona and Arizona State,” Gallagher said.
UCLA hosts Arizona State, its first Pac-10 opponent of the
season, on Friday, Nov. 10, at 1 p.m. in the Men’s Gym Pool.
Conference action will continue on Saturday when UCLA faces Arizona
at 11 a.m. in the same location.
On the diving side, the Bruins defeated the visiting Toreros
when they swept on the 3-meter platform and took first through
fifth on the 1-meter.
Winning both events, senior Annie Baghramian qualified for her
third consecutive NCAA zone meet. If she finishes in the top eight
at the zone meet held at the end of the season, Baghramian will go
on to the NCAA finals.
Qualifying so early in the season isn’t a surprise
though.
“We hope to do that,” head coach Tom Stebbins, said.
“As the year goes on, the competition just gets
tougher.”
“Because of how competitive we are and because of how
tough our meet schedule is, we know we have to get better,”
Stebbins said.
Bruins who nearly missed qualifying were freshmen Kasey Reinhard
and Regan Gosnell on the 1m and Michelle Brown on the 3m
platform.
Divers need only qualify in one event to compete in both at the
zone meets.
“The advantage to qualifying early is that you get to
train through more meets and you’re better prepared for the
end of the year,” Stebbins said.