The UCLA swimming and diving team was not supposed to win the
Pac-10 conference meet last season. After amassing a 2-4 record in
dual meets, the Bruins shocked three of the top five teams in the
country, and took their second Pac-10 title in three years.
The Bruins of 2003-2004 are a different team. They’re
better.
“We have an amazing freshman class,” 2003 Pac-10
Newcomer of the Year Kim Vandenberg said. “We only lost one
senior to graduation, and with this good freshman class, we should
be even better than last year.”
Senior All-American Sara Platzer agreed.
“I think that this is going to be my best year
here,” she said.
UCLA already looks good. In an early meet held in Santa Barbara
on Oct. 10, the Bruins beat UCSB, 152.5-102.5, and defeated Oregon
State, 148-108.
Freshman Katie Nelson exemplified the strength of her class by
winning the 500 meter free in 4:55.55 and the 1000m free in
10:00.9.
“We have seven new freshmen from around the nation,”
coach Cyndi Gallagher said. “All have senior national times
and were highly recruited. They will make an immediate
impact.”
On the other end of the spectrum is the solid senior leadership.
Senior captains Krissy Tinney and Kristen Lewis look to lead UCLA
in and out of the pool.
“Both girls are great role models,” Gallagher said
of her captains. “They work hard and have been on honor roll
all three years at UCLA.”
“I am just working on staying positive and encouraging
everyone to do their best,” Lewis said. “I want to
improve and make my last year at UCLA my best one.”
That sentiment is shared by Platzer.
“I really want to have a break-out year because this is my
last year swimming for UCLA,” she said. “I don’t
have a Pac-10 title yet. I really want to get one before I
go.”
Platzer and Lewis are two of the six All-Americans returning
from last year’s squad, which finished 11th in the nation.
Seniors Leslie Hovsepian, Malin Svahnstrom, junior Lindsey Smart
and Vandenberg, a sophomore, round out the rest of the Bruins who
placed in the top eight at last year’s NCAA championships in
Auburn.
The 2003-2004 season is even more competitive than usual,
because of the rapidly approaching 2004 summer Olympics. Nine
current Bruins have already qualified for the U.S. Olympic Swimming
Trials held June 17-24, 2004.
Because it is an Olympic trial year, instead of competing in the
usual 25-yard short courses, UCLA will be racing primarily in
25-meter short courses this year. The change affects most Bruin
swimmers, who will see more inflated times than they see
normally.
“We don’t have any times in short-course
meters,” Lewis said. “So everything we swim is our
personal best, which is nice.”
The switch to the short course is a relief for Svahnstrom. The
Swedish-born freestyle and Individual Medley swimmer was a member
of the 2000 Swedish Olympic team, and has already qualified for
next year’s Swedish Olympic trials.
“I have always swam short-course meters, which is what we
swim at home,” she said. “Yards were different for me,
and this takes me back to what I am used to.”
The other half of the swim and dive team also looks forward to a
good year, despite the loss of last year’s diving captain and
All-American, Regan Gosnell.
“Our top diver returning is sophomore Paige
Thompson,” diving coach Tom Stebbins said. “Paige had a
break-out summer, so we will be looking to her to carry a lot of
the load this year.”
The Bruins, essentially unscathed by last year’s
graduation and only bolstered by a talented freshman class, will
definitely be among the top teams in the nation for yet another
year.
“All we can focus on is what we can do,” Gallagher
said. “We are really good this year, so I think we can do a
lot.”