The Bruins started the season with a splash.
UCLA swim and dive (1-0) opened up its season with a 165-120 victory over San Diego (0-1) at the Toreros’ annual USD pentathlon. Also competing at the meet was San Diego State, though the Aztecs and Bruins did not score against each other in the competition.
Athletes competed in five events – the 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard breaststroke, and 100-yard individual medley – to amass a total score for the whole pentathlon. Following the pentathlon, swimmers from all three schools participated in four more events – the 50-yard freestyle, 50-yard butterfly, 50-yard backstroke, and 50-yard breaststroke – to wrap up the meet.
UCLA finished with the top two times in the pentathlon, as seniors Kenisha Liu and Amy Okada finished with times of 4 minutes, 51.64 seconds and 4 minutes, 54.16 seconds respectively. Liu won two events, the 100-yard individual medley and the 50-yard butterfly, and finished in the top five in eight of the nine events, while Okada won the 100-yard butterfly and 50-yard breaststroke.
Also placing in the top 10 were sophomore Claire Grover in sixth (5:05.56), sophomore Delaney Smith in eighth (5:08.11) and freshman Brooke Schaffer in 10th (5:08.48). Overall, UCLA recorded 14 of the top-25 pentathlon times – the most of the three participating teams.
Along with placing in the top-10 in the pentathlon, Schaffer finished third in the 100-yard freestyle in her collegiate debut. Freshman Sophia Kosturos also made her first appearance as a Bruin, winning the 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, and 50-yard backstroke – a team-high three events – and finishing top-five in four other events.
A UCLA swimmer took first place in all nine events. In addition, the Bruins recorded the top six times in the 100-yard butterfly, the top three spots in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard individual medley and the top five times in the 50-yard butterfly.
The Bruins will next be in action in the annual Blue vs. Gold Intrasquad meet at Spieker Aquatics Center on Oct. 4. UCLA’s next dual meet will take place a week afterward versus Utah.
