In a battle between two schools situated in the Los Angeles area, the University of Southern California Trojans defeated the University of California-Los Angeles Bruins by a score of 181-119. The meet took place at Spieker Aquatics Complex on the campus of UCLA. The two squads will meet again in two weeks at the Pac-12 Championships in Federal Way, WA.
USC Press Release
Sophomore Laticia Transom posted a pair of individual wins to guide the No. 8 USC women’s swimming and diving team in a 181-119 victory over crosstown rival UCLA at the Spieker Aquatics Center on Friday (Feb. 14). Senior Louise Hansson also contributed two individual wins against the Bruins.
After losing their last two meets to Cal and Stanford, USC rebounded to improve to 5-3, 5-2 while dropping UCLA to 7-3, 4-3.
USC handled the breastroke with ease. Isa Odgers led a Trojan sweep in the 200, finishing in 2:08.95. Maggie Aroesty touched second in 2:11.56 and Maile Lawson completed the sweep posting a 2:15.44 to take third. Odgers and Arroesty both posted season best times in the 200. In the 100 breast Aroesty took second, earning a B-cut with a season best 1:00.59. Odgers finished third in another season best 1:00.68.
The Women of Troy championed the sprint free events. Jemma Schlicht won the 50 in 21.82, posting a season best. Marta Cieslatouched second in 23.02. In the 100y free Transom posted a 48.65 to win the event. Ciesla finished third in 49.37. In the 200, Transom won in 1:46.12 while Schlicht took second in 1:46.72.
Other impressive Trojan swims include Hansson’s first place finish in the 100y fly, touching in 51.15. Hansson also won the 100y back in 52.86.
Freshman Aela Janvier had a solid day of swims including a win in the 200y back, finishing in 1:55.06. Janvier took second in the 100 in a season best 53.85.
Tatum Wade impressed in the 500y free, posting a 4:48.64, earning a B-cut with a season best swim for the senior.
In the 200y IM, freshman Nicole Pavlopoulou took the event in 2:00.05. Odgers finished second in 2:00.80.
In the final event of the day, the USC A team (Hansson, Transom, Wade, Schlicht) won the 400y free relay and broke a Spieker Aquatics Center pool record by six seconds, posting a 3:14.01. In the 200y medley relay, USA A (Transom, Odgers, Hansson, Ciesla – 1:37.61) claimed first. USC B (Janvier, Aroesty, Sanchez, Wade) was a close second posting a 1:39.27.
On the diving side, freshman Nike Agunbiade posted a 320.78 on 3-meter to win the event. On 1-meter springboard Agunbiade (299.55) led a Trojan 2-3-4 finish. Naomi Gowlett took third earning 280.95 and Carly Souza finished fourth with 277.73.
USC’s dominant Crosstown Cup win will certainly provide valuable momentum as the team turns its attention to the Pac-12 Championships, which begin on February 26 in Federal Way, Wash.
UCLA Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA swim and dive team suffered a 181-119 loss to USC on Friday afternoon at Spieker Aquatics Center in the final regular season dual meet of the year for the Bruins.
The Bruins (7-3, 4-3 Pac-12) picked up four event wins in the meet, all by different student-athletes. Before the competition, UCLA’s five seniors were recognized in a special Senior Ceremony.
The four Bruins to collect wins included freshman Stephanie Su (1000 free), freshman Rachel Rhee (100 breast), senior Amy Okada (200 fly), and junior Ruby Neave (1M diving).
Su, Rhee, and Neave were the big standouts for UCLA on Friday.
Su earned her second career win in the 1000 free and set a new personal best time in the event. She became the first Bruin this year to break the 10-minute mark in the 1000 this year. The Buena Park, Calif. native also placed second in the 500 free later in the meet.
Meanwhile, Neave placed top-two and broke the 300-point mark in both diving competitions. Her 306.83 in 1M represented a new career-best. Besides her dramatic win in the 100 breast, Rhee also placed second in the 100 free.
The Bruins started the meet off with a strong showing in the 1000 free, finishing 1-2-3 led by Su’s season-best time of 9:49.50. She was followed by freshman Daniella Hawkins (season-best 9:54.15) and sophomore Katie Sulkevich (season-best 9:57.94).
Rhee picked up a thrilling win in the 100 breast at 1:00.55, just beating out USC’s Maggie Aroesty (1:00.59) to the wall. Rhee’s time also served as a personal collegiate-best. Sophomore Claire Grover also scored for UCLA in the 100 breast, coming in at 1:01.14.
With a first place finish in the 200 fly, Okada (season-best 1:56.50) delivered a second consecutive win for the Bruins. Lia Foster (1:59.78) broke the 2-minute mark for the first time to claim third place.
Grover was UCLA’s top performer in the 50 free with a time of 22.39, her second B Cut of the year in that event.
UCLA went 2-3-4 in the 200 back, led by Delaney Smith’s season-best 1:58.92. Ella Kirschke (season-best 1:59.20, third) and Abriana Howard (1:59.45, fourth) also scored for the Bruins.
Freshman Hannah Butler also had a nice day, setting a new collegiate-best in 1M (280.65) to take third place.
The Bruins and Trojans will match up again on Saturday morning in platform diving on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. In addition, a contingent of UCLA swimmers will be competing in the USA Swimming President’s Senior Classic in Coronado, Calif. from Saturday to Monday.