The No. 14 USC women’s swimming and diving team propelled by strong performances on the springboards, defeated the Bruins 152-148 on Friday, Feb. 10 at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
With the win, USC closes out dual action with a 6-2 overall record, going 4-2 in Pac-12 action.
USC wasted no time as they’d take an early lead following a win in the opening 200y medley relay. The Trojans A quartet of Caroline Famous, Kaitlyn Dobler, Anicka Delgado and Elise Garcia combined for a 1:36.57 to take the event.
Sophomore distance freestyle specialist Marlene Kahler recorded an individual win on Friday, capturing the 1000 free in 9:41.38. Kahler would later return to claim the 500 freestyle in 4:42.94. Freshman Justina Kozan battled to touch second in 4:45.71, just .27 seconds faster than UCLA’s Katrina Bellio.
Reigning NCAA Champion Kaitlyn Dobler led a 1-2 USC finish in the 100y breaststroke, clocking a 58.04. Shortly behind Dobler was senior Isabelle Odgers in a season PR 58.88.
Other wins came from Odgers in the 200 IM (1:56.28) and 200 breaststroke (2:06.87). The senior led a 1-2-3 USC finish in the breaststroke event, with Dobler (2:09.58) and Katherine Adams (2:11.85) finishing 2-3, respectively.
UCLA claimed the closing 400 freestyle relay, leaving the final meet decision in the very capable hands of the Trojans diving squad.
Senior Lina Sculti would come in clutch, tallying 296.65 points to win the event and help the Women of Troy secure the team victory. Teammate Nike Agunbiade, who claimed the 3-meter event (337.95) was second on 1-meter with 291.40 to further solidify the win for the Trojans.
The meet resembled the last meeting at USC between the two schools, during the 2020-21 season, when UCLA eked out a dramatic win in the final relay to claim victory.
The Bruins (6-3, 3-3 Pac-12) pulled off a win in the final relay again on Friday – going 3:14.41 to break the previous school mark of 3:15.09 set by Katie Grover, Linnea Mack, Madison White, and Sarah Kaunitz in 2017 – to pull ahead of USC by a handful of points. However, No. 14-ranked USC (6-2, 4-2) notched a 1-2 finish in the final diving event of the day – which ran past the conclusion of the swimming events – to go ahead for good and take the four-point result.
In the 200 free, saw senior Rachel Rhee open her strong all-day performance, overtaking the field in the final 50 yards to take first with a best time of 1:45.3. Sophia Kosturos (53.29) edged out the field in the 100 back to bring in another win for UCLA, finishing one-hundredth of a second off her season-best time.
The 200 fly saw sophomore Paige MacEachern (1:57.11) make a late surge to finish first.
In the tightest race of the day, Gabby Dang (52.02) edged USC’s b (52.03) by just one-hundredth of a second in the 100 fly.
USC men top Utah
The USC men’s swimming and diving team, led by Harry Homans and Artem Selin’s two individual wins apiece, downed Utah 161-139 on Friday (Feb. 10) at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
USC wraps up the regular season 5-3, 2-3 after outscoring the Utes by 22 points.
Homans picked up two individual wins of his own, claiming both the 200y fly (1:44.47) and 200 IM (1:46.67) to post crucial points for Troy.
Sophomore sprint freestyle specialist Artem Selin also recorded two individual wins, taking both the 50y (19:76) and the 100y freestyle (43:89).
Other wins came from Max Saunders in the 200y free (1:36.82), Ben Dillard in the 200y breaststroke (1:55.67) and Vaggelis Markryglannis in the 200y back (1:43.50).
USC ‘s strong diving contingent continued their winning ways, with senior George Kovorin taking the men’s 1-meter competition with 340.30. On 3-meter, Laurent Gosselin Paradis led Troy with 356.10. Korovin was third on 3-meter with 347.20.
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