There is one week toward the end of every UCLA swim and dive season that is different from all the rest. The training intensifies, alumni visit to give motivational speeches and the energy level is on a new high. They call it “Beat ‘SC” week.
This past Friday, the team set out to do just that.
The stands were packed at USC’s Uytengsu Aquatics Center with Bruin parents, friends, staff and alumni as No. 17 UCLA attempted to break its seven-year losing streak against cross-town rival No. 14 USC.
Although the results did not end in their favor – the Bruins fell to the Trojans 174.5-125.5 – they returned back to campus feeling optimistic about their performance.
“It was intense, but we swam better than we did last year at home,” said coach Cyndi Gallagher. “Our swimmers are better than they were (last year).”
Both the swimmers and divers boasted breakout performances for UCLA.
The Bruins’ first set of top finishes came from freshman diver Maria Polyakova, who won both of the meet’s diving events with a score of 342.45 in the 3-meter and 316.20 in the 1-meter. Sophomore diver Annika Lenz was close behind her teammate, taking third in both events.
On the swimming side, the only first-place finish of the day came from senior Noelle Tarazona, who led a 1-2-3 finish for the Bruins in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 1:55.20. Finishing in second was freshman Katie Grover, followed closely in third by junior Katie Kinnear.
Tarazona, who was competing in her last dual meet as a Bruin, felt confident about her team’s performance.
“I think it was a really good indicator for Pac-12s and NCAAs,” Tarazona said. “A lot of people had season bests or lifetime bests, which was really exciting.”
Junior Allison Wine had one of those lifetime bests, setting a new school record in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 59.70. The 17-year record was previously held by Lindsay Etter, who had a time of 1:00.45. Etter reached out to Wine with a phone call to congratulate her on her accomplishment.
“(Etter) was so sweet,” Wine said. “She told me she was proud of me and how I could go even faster, which was so supportive.”
Wine’s record-breaking performance at USC came on the heels of a training week in which Gallagher said she lifted more weight than usual. That, combined with the new fast suits that UCLA wore for the first time this season, were key to Wine’s successful performance against USC, according to Gallagher.
Increased strength training ends this week, however, as the team looks to lighten the rigor of its training to better prepare for Pac-12s coming up at the end of this month.
“In the pool it will be a little less intensity and a little more of the details,” Tarazona said.
Tarazona added that the Bruins will specifically be working on their turns and streamlines to prepare for the upcoming championship competitions.
With “Beat ‘SC Week” out of the way, Gallagher has already put the loss out of her mind and is looking forward to the end of the season.
“It would have been great to win (against USC), but that’s not really the big picture for us,“ Gallagher said. “We just have to keep our eye on the prize, which is what we want to do at Pac-12s and NCAAs.”
The Bruins will compete again when they head to Federal Way, Wash. from Feb. 25-28 to compete in the Pac-12 Championships.