After a slew of atypical swims at the ConocoPhillips National
Championships in Irvine, Kim Vandenberg swam a lifetime best in the
200m butterfly (2:10.40) to capture the silver medal at the World
University Games in Turkey. Vandenberg competed on the final day of
the games in the 200m butterfly, where just weeks before, the
fatigued senior failed to qualify for the finals at the National
competition in Irvine, swimming a time of 2:14:01. “Two weeks
ago, Kim had a rough U.S. National meet, swimming without rest and
failed to make the championship finals,” said UCLA coach
Cyndi Gallagher, who is also an assistant coach for the U.S.A.
World University Games team. “Even though Kim hates to lose,
she never lost sight of her goal ““ swimming a lifetime best
and representing the USA in Turkey. Kim swam on the last day of the
meet and stayed focused the entire time. I am very proud of her
efforts because she did not back away from the challenge of
swimming against the world record holder. She enjoyed the
competition and rose to the occasion.” Swimming against world
record holder Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland, Vandenberg challenged
her opponent, coming in only 0.73 seconds behind Jedrzejczak,
proving that when well-rested, Vandenberg is a force to be reckoned
with. “This meet was such an amazing experience,” said
Vandenberg. “It was my first international competition, and I
loved swimming against the world record holder. Even though she
beat me, she pushed me toward swimming my best time. I’m
really happy with how I did and look forward to my senior year at
UCLA.” The swimmers are a critical element to the success of
the UCLA team, as they carry most of the weight in deciding the
victor in conference meets. So after this particularly phenomenal
swim by Vandenberg, coupled with the successes of others at the
swimming national competition in Irvine, the goal to become the
best team in the conference may not be that far-fetched.
NATIONAL DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS: After months of summer training,
the UCLA diving team wanted some stiff competition to find out
where they stood, and to get a sense of exactly what this upcoming
season has in store for them. They got what they were looking for
last weekend as the Bruins sent five of its members across the
country to Huntersville, N.C. for the Speedo National Diving
Championships. And with a week of positive results behind them, the
Bruins are thankful to have a better understanding of what kind of
a team they’ve got. “After nationals and some great
summer training, we’re really in a great position,”
UCLA coach Tom Stebbins said. Sophomore Brittany Renfrow came home
with the highest placing of any of the divers, a sixth-place finish
in the 3-meter competition with a score of 448.20. “I am very
pleased with Brittany’s diving,” Stebbins said.
“She is a kid who we knew had a lot of talent, and
we’re glad to have gotten her locked in.” Given that
she suffered from three years of back problems throughout high
school, Stebbins believes it is fortunate that Renfrow has made it
into the collegiate arena, let alone placed so highly in a national
competition. “Thus far, her back has been great, knock on
wood,” Stebbins said. “We didn’t start fully
training her until February, but her dedication to that training
has really worked out for her.” Renfrow went into the final
competition on Aug. 13 in eighth place, and with some impressive
diving, managed to make her way up to sixth. Also diving in the
competition for the Bruins were senior Amanda Blong, who finished
13th on the 1-meter (215.55) and fellow senior Paige Thompson, who
came in 17th on the 3-meter (399.18). “Amanda did a great job
competing against some great athletes,” Stebbins said.
“Paige has had some injuries this past year and we
haven’t been able to put as much work in with her has we did
last year, but she’s finally getting back to where she should
be.” The newcomers to the Bruin team, Tess Schofield and
Marisa Samaniego, also made it out to the competition in North
Carolina. Both true freshmen, Schofield placed eighth on platform
(369.90), while Samaniego placed 19th behind Thompson on the
3-meter board (204.81). “These freshmen have very high levels
of talent and a lot of drive,” Stebbins said. “I am
really excited about my freshmen divers.” Although the
results of the national competition were a mixed success, they had
Stebbins anticipating what lies ahead for his team. “We are
in great shape,” he said. “Assuming there are no major
setbacks due to injury, we should absolutely carry one of the best,
if not the best team in the conference.”