After finishing strong in a 193.5-105.5 victory on Friday
against the Arizona State Sun Devils, the No. 7 UCLA swimming and
diving team fell 145-98 to the No. 6 Arizona Wildcats on
Saturday.
Though the Bruins lost, UCLA assistant swim coach Erika Hansen
said the team is improving at each dual meet.
“The goal this season is to go faster at each dual
meet,” she said.
Hansen was not disappointed with Saturday’s loss because,
despite a lack of rest, she felt that everybody performed to the
best of their ability during both meets.
“Everyone responds differently with rest,” Hansen
said.
Kim Vandenberg and Katie Nelson led the swimmers with multiple
individual wins over the Sun Devils, while Paige Thompson led the
divers with first-place finishes on the 1-meter and 3-meter.
The Bruins continued to showcase their speed Saturday when the
400 medley relay team dropped two seconds off its best time.
Vandenberg won the 200 Fly with a time of 1:57.77, and Katie Arnold
placed second in the 50 Free with a time of 23.40.
“Arizona is one the best teams in the country,”
Hansen said, “They have more experience in winning NCAA and
relays. We really performed better; on a lot of the events, they
should have killed us.”
For the divers, Bruin diving coach Tom Stebbins admitted
disappointment after the squad’s performance on Friday. He
attributed the win to luck because UCLA’s diving team clearly
lacked a competitive edge.
Friday’s meet wasn’t what Stebbins had in mind for
his team.
“It was a matter of discipline,” Stebbins said,
“It’s something they have control over and they
didn’t do a good job of managing it emotionally.”
But on Saturday, he was pleased with outstanding performances
from Sara Clark, Marisa Samaniego and Thompson.
“Sara Clark is the kind of kid we need throughout the
year,” Stebbins said. “Marisa’s totals are really
good. Paige is a killer; she’s good enough for NCAA
conferences.”
Stebbins said he was pleased with the progress the team is
making and was glad he chose the trio to represent UCLA this
weekend.
“The three kids I brought down were the right three
kids,” Stebbins said, “They’re a lot better than
they think they are.”
The swim team is currently gearing up for its next meet,
scheduled for Dec. 2-4 in Athens, Ga. by focusing on minute details
such as turns, proper finishes and eating right.
“Hopefully, we will be able to pick up right where we left
off on Saturday in Georgia,” Stebbins said.