UCLA’s swim and dive teams will open their 2012-2013 season today with a meet against Oregon, Utah and UC Santa Barbara.
The meet, which will be held at UCLA’s Spieker Aquatics Center, is the Bruins’ first chance to show off the progress made by some of last year’s up-and-comers.
Juniors Kathryn Murphy and Anna Senko both competed in multiple events at the NCAA Championships last year. Murphy competed in the 50, 100 and 200 meter freestyle plus freestyle relays, while Senko competed in butterfly, backstroke, individual medley races and several relays.
They were joined at the national championships by current sophomore Noelle Tarazona, who qualified for NCAAs in a variety of events ““ 200 butterfly, 200 and 400 IM and a freestyle relay – in her freshman season.
The Bruins’ efforts at NCAAs last year earned them a 37th-place finish shortly after they placed fifth at the Pac-12 Championships.
Several of UCLA’s best also made waves at this summer’s U.S. Open and Olympic Trials. Senko in particular had a breakout performance at the Open, where she finished in the top eight of both butterfly events, as well at the 200 IM.
She was joined in the event finals by two of UCLA’s incoming freshmen ““ Megan Rankin and Katy Campbell, who both made the top eight in the 1500 meter freestyle, with Rankin qualifying in the 800 as well.
The dive team will also display some young talent in today’s meet. Sophomore Emma Ivory-Ganja returns, hoping to live up to the fourth-place finish on platform at NCAA Zone E Championships last year ““ a result that won her the title of Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year.
Compiled by Liz Schneider, Bruin Sports senior staff.