It was the last dual meet of the season. It all came down to the last event. And, quite fittingly, it was against the Trojans.
With only the 200-yard freestyle relay remaining, the No. 16 UCLA swim and dive team found themselves down a single point to No. 14 USC in the Trojans’ home pool.
“We knew we could take it,” coach Cyndi Gallagher said. “USC had strategically put all their best swimmers in other events because they knew they didn’t stand a chance in this one.”
It was those Trojan swimmers that the Bruins fended off all day, and in the final event, they were rewarded for their effort.
Seniors Katie Arnold and Amy Thurman, along with sophomore Anna Poteete and freshman Ashley Anlauf won the final event by nearly 3 seconds to secure the 152-148 victory for the Bruins.
“‘SC kept us on our toes all day,” Thurman said. “But we’re the ones who finished on top.”
With the victory, the Bruins finish the regular season at 7-4, 3-3 Pac-10 while the Trojans drop to 5-4, 3-4 Pac-10.
The Bruins’ narrow victory was the end to a hotly contested day in which both teams traded the lead several times. Early in the meet, the Bruins quickly gained the advantage and the momentum by winning the 200-yard medley relay, the first event of the day.
“Winning the 200 medley fired everyone up,” senior Isabel Miesner said. “The taste of winning made us want to do it again and again.”
The Bruins continued to pick up victories throughout the day, with Arnold leading the pack. Arnold won the 100 backstroke and led a Bruin sweep in the 50 freestyle.
“Katie Arnold has been strong for us all season,” Gallagher said. “She led the way by doing great in both events.”
Arnold had plenty of support as fellow senior Katie Nelson won the 1650 freestyle and Poteete edged out USC’s Rachael Waller for the victory in the 100 freestyle.
“We showed a lot of character out there today,” Miesner said. “We’re willing to stick with it even if we face people who are ranked higher than us.”
The Bruin swimmers’ outstanding performance in the pool shouldn’t overshadow the rare feat accomplished by the divers. The Bruin divers dominated the Trojans as they swept both the 1-meter and 3-meter events.
“The divers were great for us,” Gallagher said. “They really stepped up and gave us the early lead we needed.”
Senior Amanda Blong placed first in the 1-meter event and second in the 3-meter event, while senior Sara Clark took first in the 1-meter and second in the 3-meter. Sophomore Marisa Samaniego placed third in both events to complete the sweep for UCLA.
The Bruins’ emotional victory over their crosstown rivals may be the boost they need as they head into the postseason.
“This was a great win that set us up for the Pac-10s,” Miesner said. “We won, and that’s great. But now we’re focused on what’s next.”
The Bruin divers will compete first in the Pac-10 Championships. They will head to Federal Way, Wash., on Feb. 9 while the swimmers will have until Feb. 14 to prepare.