AUBURN “”mdash; The UCLA swim and dive squad is used to exceeding
expectations.
After posting a 2-4 Pac-10 dual meet record in 2002-03, the
Bruins overcame odds that would have bookies salivating. UCLA won
the Pac-10 conference meet with a dominating 1,399 points. So after
a second day at the NCAA national swim and dive championships,
where the UCLA team seemed to be the poster child for
Murphy’s Law, the Bruins were down but far from out.
After all, the then-ranked No. 12 Bruins entered the third and
final day of the meet in 13th place, only four team points out of
the top 11, ready to again exceed expectations.
“If you look at it on paper, right now we are better off
than where we should be,” head coach Cyndi Gallagher said
after day two. “But then again, I always expect to be one of
the top teams in the country.”
Though UCLA met its coach’s expectations, the rest of the
Bruin faithful in attendance at the James E. Martin Aquatic center
was pleasantly surprised by the results of the national meet. The
UCLA swimming and diving team finished 11th in the nation.
“You always like to hear an even number like “˜top
10′, but 11th is still one of the top teams in the
country,” Gallagher said.
UCLA gave itself every chance to finish as one of the top teams
Saturday. In the morning preliminaries, the Bruins qualified four
swimmers, a diver and a relay team for the evening finals.
“The girls showed a lot of heart this morning.”
Gallagher said.
Freshman Kim Vandenberg was UCLA’s top individual
performer for the meet. Vandenberg, a former High School
all-American in 10 events, became a NCAA all-American Saturday. She
placed fifth in the 200-yard butterfly, swimming the championship
final in 1:57.15.
“This is my first time at the NCAA meet, so I wasn’t
expecting anything,” the freshman all-American said. “I
am really happy with how I did.”
The high point of the third day, and perhaps the entire meet for
the swim and dive squad was the lone representative of the diving
team. Senior Regan Gosnell, who took 20th in the one-meter
springboard on Thursday and 15th in the three-meter springboard
Friday, competed in the platform competition Saturday.
Gosnell, in her first trip to the national meet, came out of
nowhere and made the platform diving finals. She was masterful from
the platform in the finals, placing eighth and earning All-American
status in her final year as a Bruin.
“That was the event of the meet,” Gallagher said of
the diver’s performance. “For the entire team, that was
it. Simply phenomenal.”
Other UCLA All-Americans included juniors Sara Platzer, Erica
Shugart and Malin Svanhstrom, who, along with Vandenberg, placed
seventh in the 200y freestyle relay during the first day of
competition.
The Bruin relay was a heavy underdog going into the evening
finals of the first day. UCLA had upset two teams to get into the
championship finals, and with a very fast anchor split from
Platzer, the relay squad finished the race in 1:31.3, good enough
for seventh place.
Gallagher finishes her 15th year as the head coach of the Bruins
with her second Pac-10 championship.
“It was a great year,” the coach said. “I am
never satisfied, but to show the heart that these girls did all
year “¦ this was a great year.”