After failing to finish in the top 20 last season, members of the UCLA swim and dive team met a little more success at the the Phillips 66 U.S. National Championships in Irvine last weekend, with one team member earning a coveted spot on the U.S. national team.
The team tied for 21st at the NCAA Championships in March, but this past weekend at the U.S. national championships, a few UCLA swimmers managed to move closer to the head of the pack.
The UCLA team’s junior class led the performance, with distance freestyle swimmer Katy Campbell winning the 1500 meter freestyle and taking fifth in the 800 meter freestyle, and butterfly swimmers Katie Kinnear and Noelle Tarazona placing in the top 16 in the 100m butterfly.
Coach Cyndi Gallagher said that most of the seven swimmers that competed over the weekend achieved their best times in their respective events. She added that those who didn’t achieve their best times performed better than they had in training.
The swim team began their offseason practice two weeks after the end of the school year and, in light of NCAA rules that limit practice to eight hours per week, Gallagher said training that was harder and more intense than during the regular season.
Campbell’s performances in the 800m and 1500m guaranteed her a position on the national team, while Gallagher said she thinks Tarazona is “on the bubble for a national team.”
Gallagher added that both could potentially be invited to the World University Games, but said the selection process for that team and other national teams can be difficult to predict. Swim meets besides national ones can still factor into a swimmer’s candidacy for a roster spot, she said.
With these summer performances from Campbell, Tarazona and others, the Bruins said they are confident going into the fall, when NCAA training and competition begin.
“I’m looking forward to the upcoming season. We have a group of incredible women and I can’t wait to see the results,” Campbell said.
The Bruins are slated to start competing for their regular season in October, although the final schedule has not yet been released.
Compiled by Erik Rehnberg, Bruin Sports contributor.