Nation’s top teams swim into town
Bruins pumped for competition with USC, Stanford, Cal
By Kumar S. Raja
Today the UCLA swim team will play host to one of the biggest
meets of the year, as four of the nation’s top 25 teams are in
Westwood to compete. Down from the Bay Area are top-ranked Stanford
and No. 24 California, and coming from across town is No. 7
Southern California.
The 10th-ranked Bruins, in only their second home meet of the
year, will race in a short course format at the Sunset Recreational
Center beginning at 1 p.m. On Saturday, UCLA will swim against
defending national champion Stanford at USC’s McDonalds Stadium in
a long course event.
In separate dual meets on the road last season, the Bruins were
defeated by the Cardinal and the Trojans, but handily defeated the
Bears. In all-time dual-meet competition, the Bruins hold records
of 11-7 over USC and 8-5 over Cal, but have never defeated Stanford
in 14 meetings.
The lack of dual meets at home is due to this being an Olympic
year. In just three weeks, the Conference Finals will be held,
followed by the Olympic Trials, in which a number of Bruins will
compete. Shortly thereafter, the NCAA Championships will be held in
Ann Arbor, Mich..
"This dual meet is important in building our character for the
Pac-10s and NCAAs" UCLA head coach Cyndi Gallagher said. "We are
confident we will get faster as the season goes on."
Gallagher looks at this meet not solely for competing, but for
future reasons.
"By watching, I’ll know who to count on for NCAAs," Gallagher
said. "I’ll be able to find those swimmers who can step up in a big
meet."
With nine swimmers sick in the past three weeks, the most at one
time in Gallagher’s seven-year tenure at UCLA, the team has
responded well in coming back. Looking most forward to coming back
is All-American Annette Salmeen, who will compete in her last home
meet at UCLA.
"I’m very pleased with my recovery," Salmeen said. "I’d love to
end on a high note and I’m a little bit nostalgic with it all."
To add to the overall excitement of Friday’s final home meet,
UCLA assistant coach Kristy Heydanek, ranked ninth in the world in
the 100-meter backstroke, will compete against world record holder
Lea Lovelace. Also showcased will be world record holders Janet
Evans and Jenny Thompson. Evans, an assistant coach at USC, owns
the mark in both the 400 and 800 freestyle, and Thompson is fastest
in the 100 free.
Crosstown at USC, the Bruin divers will take on the same Pac-10
schools beginning at 1 p.m. For the divers, this meet will show
where they stand at this point of the season. Because the meet will
be televised on Prime Sports, there is added pressure for those who
have never been exposed to this type of media exposure before.
"I’m a little bit more pumped than usual," sophomore Rose
Huelskamp said. "But I know I can settle down and do what it takes
to succeed." The meet concludes on Saturday.
KRIS FALLON
Senior co-captain Annette Salmeen of the UCLA swim team would
"love to end on a high note" at Sunset Recreation Center. Pool in
today’s final home meet of the season.
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