The UCLA women’s swim team (2-0, 1-0 Pac-10) hopes to
remain undefeated as it competes away from home for the first time
this season. The Bruins will face the University of San Diego,
bringing in a 9-0 all-time record over the Toreros.
The Bruins head south after kicking off the season with two wins
against Oregon State and UC Santa Barbara last Friday.
“It was really good for our confidence,” sophomore
Anna Poteete said. “It was a great feeling for everyone to
get started on the right foot.”
But the Bruins are careful not to get overconfident. As a young
team, they know they still have much to prove.
“Yeah, these wins raised our confidence,” sophomore
Madeleine Stanton said. “But we have to remember there are
still good teams in the Pac-10 that we haven’t raced
yet.”
The Bruins have a tough Pac-10 stretch later in the season, and
have not been to wasting any opportunities to improve. Rather, they
have been using meets, such as this one against the Toreros, to
fine-tune themselves in any possible way.
This weekend, the freshmen will gain valuable time in the pool
as they compete against the Toreros. This meet will only be the
freshmen’s second taste of college-level competition.
“Going to San Diego is going to be a really good learning
experience for the freshmen,” Poteete said. “They need
time to understand the speed of the meet.”
One strategy that coach Cyndi Gallagher is using in
today’s meet is placing several of her swimmers in off
events. The Bruins must step up to the challenge of swimming in
events that they normally would not compete in.
“We’re swimming in some off events, and it’s
tough,” sophomore Kristen Fischer said. “But we still
got to go out there and get good times. We still have to
compete.”
By having the Bruins compete in events that they don’t
practice as often, Gallagher is aiming to stretch the limits of her
squad. They will learn from the aspects of different races in hopes
of shaving down the times of their normal events.
Gallagher’s strategy has been successful so far, as the
Bruins see the value in competing in off events.
“Swimming in different events helps you to tweak your
races,” Stanton said. “You learn what to do and what
not to do.”
The Bruins hope to leave San Diego as better all-around swimmers
and with another notch in the win column.