AUBURN “”mdash; In front of a vocal crowd at the James E. Martin
Aquatics Center at Auburn University, the UCLA swim and dive team
jumped out to a fast start at the 2003 NCAA Championships. The
Bruins are in ninth place as a team after day one of the three-day
meet.
UCLA, swimming in the first heat of the first event of the first
day, upset Southern Methodist University and Wisconsin to qualify
for the 200-yard freestyle relay finals. The relay team, comprised
of Sara Platzer, Kim Vandenberg, Erica Shugart and Malin
Svahnstrom, swam the event in 1:31.51. The time was good enough for
eighth place in the qualifying heat and a bid to the finals. That
team was the only UCLA finalist on the first day.
In the evening finals, the Bruin’s 200y free relay again
surprised spectators, this time by beating out Michigan for seventh
place. The one-place improvement on their seed was crucial to
UCLA’s team points, which are doubled for relays. Platzer
swam the fastest split on the relay squad, covering her 50y-leg of
the race in 22.10 seconds.
The 200y free was not the only impressive Bruin performance in
the pool. UCLA had two individuals, as well as the 400y medley
relay, qualify for consolation finals and sophomore Lindsay Smart
swam a lifetime-best 2:02.4 in the 200y IM.
“Lindsay improving her lifetime best was today’s
highlight,” head coach Cyndi Gallagher said. “It shows
you that she really wants to swims her hardest always.”
The Bruin’s 400y Medley relay, which had a solid nine seed
coming into Thursday, swam a disappointing two seconds behind their
qualifying time. Despite impressive splits by junior Taylor Spivey
at backstroke (54.48) and junior Leslie Hovsepian at breaststroke
(1:02.04), the relay qualified in 14th place.
“Everything that could have gone wrong with the 400 yard
medley relay did,” Gallagher said. “But I am looking
forward to the consolation finals; we have a decent seed and room
to improve.”
And improve they did. The relay team improved its time by over a
second, which was good for 12th place.
Accompanying the 10 UCLA swimmers was a lone diver, senior Regan
Gosnell. Gosnell qualified for the National meet after placing
fourth in the one-meter, fifth in the three-meter, and seventh on
the platform at the NCAA Zone E Championships.
On Thursday, Gosnell competed in the one-meter springboard and
placed a solid 20th with a score of 254.65.
“I was a little nervous,” the senior said.
“But I am really looking forward to the three-meter
tomorrow.”
Competition continues tomorrow at the Martin Aquatics Center at
11 am CST.