Parkas cast off, sunglasses and sunblock donned. Bruin
swimmers warming up in the pool, already mounting the blocks and
focusing on their return to competition.
The heat is on.
It was the first meet of the season, with UCLA matched up
against UC Santa Barbara and Oregon State. All day Saturday,
the Bruins were the in control of the tri-meet.
UCLA swiftly took the lead, winning several events behind a
cheering crowd. Junior Taylor Spivey captured the 100- and
200-meter backstroke, setting the standard for the Bruins, while
juniors Sara Platzer and Malin Svahnstrom took first in the
50-meter and 100-meter freestyles, respectively.
“We’re better than we were at this time last year,
and we’re taking advantage of that,” coach Cyndi
Gallagher said, reflecting on the intense competition.
With 37 swimmers, about a fourth of them new recruits, the
swimming team has adjusted to a different beat, but still dedicates
itself to excellence.
Following freshman Kim Vandenberg’s win in the 100 fly,
and the 400-meter freestyle relay, the Bruins clinched a victory
over the Gauchos 166-95, and the Beavers, 144-115.
“I think we’ve done really well. We’ve
been working on the relays, and it was a really good first
meet,” Gallagher said. “The freshmen were a little
nervous, but this competition is just part of the process of the
season.”
With timers in hand, both Gallagher and assistant coach Greg
Meehan noted the potential for the team as it finished the relays
and proceeded to gather into a mass of Bruin blue for a first team
picture.
“This year the team’s bonded really well, and
it’s reflected in the way we swam,” sophomore Taylor
Dahl said. “The freshmen are really talented and working
hard; training’s definitely a challenge. But we’re
really excited about the season.”
Next week, eight swimmers will head to Southern Methodist
University in Dallas, Texas, riding on the wake of their victory
this weekend.
“It was a good opener. Both the relays were a good
start to the season, and we’re all training really
hard,” sophomore Lindsey Smart said. “We’re still
working on the technique, and more preparation. But now we’re
more experienced and we’re ready to race.”