The pressure is now off. Come August, there will not be a single
Bruin swimmer competing in Athens.
Despite at least one semifinals finish in three events, Bruin
swimmers failed to advance to the Olympics at the Olympic Swimming
Trials in Long Beach.
“I think we did really well,” UCLA swimming coach
Cindy Gallagher said. “Under this kind of pressure, you
either crumble or show real poise and confidence.”
Junior Kim Vandenberg advanced further than any other Bruin at
the trials by winning her heat in the semifinals and then finishing
fifth overall in the finals of the 200-meter butterfly. She also
advanced to the semifinals of the 100m butterfly.
“Kim needed to swim her race, rather than (worry about the
Olympics),” Gallagher said. “Usually she is the one
passing people near the end of a race, but this time she was
passed.”
Kristen Lewis, a senior in 2004, also advanced to the semifinals
in both the 100m butterfly and the 200m butterfly, while Class of
2004 alumna Sara Platzer, the final Bruin swimmer at the trials,
advanced to the semifinals of the 50m freestyle, where she finished
with a time of 26 seconds flat.
All the swimmers realized the intensity of world-class
competition by competing in the trials.
“Kristen (Lewis) and Naoko (Watanabe, a senior last year
who competed in the 100m and 200m backstroke) both swam very good
races,” Gallagher said. “Kristen is an extremely
talented swimmer, and Naoko has improved every year.”
Sophomore Katie Nelson, who competed in the 800m freestyle, and
sophomore Jane Imagane, who competed in the 400m and 800m
freestyle, gained valuable experience that should serve them well
in the future.
In terms of recruiting swimmers for next year, Gallagher sees
the trials as a positive step to attract potential Bruins.
“Anyone there saw that all of our swimmers are very
positive and that no one is crying,” Gallagher said.
“We’re looking to recruit sprinters for next
year.”
Strangely enough, one of the main roadblocks in recruiting for
the women’s swimming team is the fact that UCLA no longer
carries a men’s team.
“UCLA’s reputation in the swimming world is a big
challenge,” Gallagher said. “Despite the fact that it
is one of the greatest places to go to school, since the
men’s team was cut, it’s been much harder to recruit
swimmers.”
Gallagher also said she is always trying to recruit local
talent, which would seem especially important considering many of
the swimmers who made the Olympic team were from Southern
California.
With the Olympic Trials now behind them, most of the Bruins will
compete at Nationals August 3-7.