The UCLA swim and dive team will commemorate nine seniors for their dedication on Saturday.
The weekend will mark the last time the whole team will compete together at Spieker Aquatics Center.
“It’s crazy. I don’t know where the time went. Part of me is really excited to start a new chapter because swimming has been my life for like 15 years, but I’m also really sad because it’s been such a big part of my life,” said senior swimmer Andrea Reigel.
Between the excitement and bittersweet celebration, the team will have to focus to get back into the racing state of mind, as some of the Bruins have not competed since November.
“It sometimes gets emotional because all the parents are there but it’s exciting,” Reigel said.
Though many Bruins have not officially competed for a couple of months, the winter break was not a time for slacking. The team trained over the break, with only a week off for visiting families and celebrating the holidays.
Training focused on techniques and conditioning, with less of an emphasis on racing.
“We’re in really good shape, so now it’s just about racing strategies,” Reigel said.
The divers will start the three-day Bruin Invitational today and the swimmers will join them on Saturday for their tri-meet against Kansas and San Diego State.
The diving team will need to take advantage of its conditioning to be able to get through three long days of competition, in which the Bruins will be hosting 16 other schools.
“I think our main focus will be to not get too overwhelmed by everybody that’s (competing),” said junior diver Paulina Guzman.
Despite missing a few girls because of the flu, swim coach Cyndi Gallagher is sure the team will step up to the plate.
She said that she believes the team’s strength lies in its depth. Even when they do not place first in a certain event, they are likely to place in the top five because of their strength in numbers.
Even when the team is missing a person, “the next person will pick it up and that’s the beauty of having a big team,” Gallagher said.
The team will use this meet to focus on racing fast and hard in order to prepare for the later meets and ultimately the postseason.
“I think we’re in a good place. It’s like a snowball effect where everyone is doing better and better so we have really high hopes for the rest of the season,” said senior swimmer Karoline Sanderud.
Email Patricio at mpatricio@media.ucla.edu.