Sophomore swimmer Kim Vandenberg is making plans way in advance.
The Bruin is already arranging to be in College Station, Texas from
March 18 to 20 to compete in the 2004 NCAA Championships.
Vandenberg qualified for the NCAA Championships Saturday, during
the Bruin’s 173-88 shellacking of the visiting San Diego
Toreros. Vandenberg’s 2:11.82 in the 200-meter butterfly is
good enough to meet the “A-Standard” qualifying time
for the NCAA competition and assure her a trip to Texas.
“This hardly ever happens in a dual meet,” assistant
swim coach Greg Meehan said. “Unless you are a superstar, and
I guess that is what Kim is becoming.”
Vandenberg definitely exceeded her own expectations.
“I didn’t expect myself to go that fast,” she
said. “I had never swam short-course meters before, so I
didn’t know what time to expect. When I got out of the pool
and saw my time, I was a bit surprised.
“I am really pleased with how I swam today,” she
continued.
Vandenberg was not the only one pleased with her superior swim
on Saturday. Coach Cyndi Gallagher also expressed satisfaction with
how her 2003 All-American performed.
“It is great for Kim,” Gallagher said. “She is
top in the conference right now. She just got in the pool and swam
her own race. She did not think about anything else and she swam a
great race.”
Vandenberg was not the only Bruin swimmer to excel in
UCLA’s first home meet of the young season. Seniors Naoko
Watanabe and Sara Platzer and freshman Jane Imagane all won two
events apiece against the Toreros.
Platzer prevailed in the 200 and 50m freestyle races, swimming
fast to post a “B-standard” qualifying time for the
NCAA Championships in each event.
The “B-Standard” time does not assure a spot in
Texas, but does make a trip to College Station more likely.
“I felt good in the pool today,” Platzer said.
“We were out of a competitive pool for a while, so it felt
good to get back in and race again.”
Watanabe won both the 100 and 200m backstroke, and Imagane won
both distance events, the 800m and 400m free.
UCLA diving also had a productive weekend. The Bruin diving
squad spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday competing in the Trojan
diving invitational.
“(Red shirt freshman) Carly Banks was a great surprise
this weekend,” said diving coach Tom Stebbins. “She got
in and duked it out with some of the best kids in the country and
really did a nice job.”
Banks placed fifth in the three-meter springboard finals,
scoring 423.05 points.
Next, the Bruins will take to the road to begin Pac-10
competition. UCLA faces Arizona State in Tempe on Nov. 14, and the
University of Arizona in Tucson the following day.