Exceeding all expectations this weekend at USC, UCLA tore past
the competition, swimming fast enough to gain five automatic NCAA
qualifying marks and pushing the team’s overall total of both
automatic and provisional qualifying times to 30. Last year’s
national 200-yard butterfly champion, senior Kim Vandenberg, leads
the pack with two automatic qualifying times in the 200-yd
butterfly and 200-yd freestyle. Sophomores Katie Nelson (1,650-yd
freestyle) and Katie Arnold (100-yd backstroke) will both be
heading to the NCAA Championships, along with freshman Chiemi
Yamamoto (200-yd breaststroke). Seven other members of the team, as
well as two “B”-qualifying times in both the 800-yd
freestyle and 200-yd medley relay, comprise the rest of the 25
qualifying marks. The Pac-10 competition, which begins next week,
is the last chance for a swimmer to race for one of the highly
competitive spots at the NCAA Championships. Following the
conference meet, a four-day lag period will be spent as the
athletes on the cusp of “B”-qualifying times wait
apprehensively for all teams in the nation to turn in their final
times. That makes the coaching staff very anxious. “The wait
is absolutely excruciating for me,” UCLA coach Cyndi
Gallagher said. “I can’t imagine being a part of a
different conference where the wait may be up to two weeks. Four
days is way too long.”
FRESHMAN TALENT ON THE BOARDS: Bakersfield
native Brittany Renfrow had a strong showing at the USC meet last
Saturday. Despite placing behind three other divers in the 3-meter
dive event, UCLA diving coach Tom Stebbins is excited about the
freshman’s potential. “All of the things she is capable
of are starting to shine through,” Stebbins said, adding that
despite some errors, she was very competitive at the meet. As a
newcomer to the program this season, Renfrow has battled the
troubles that sidelined her early on in the season. But she is now
healthy and poised to make her mark in the Pac-10 Tournament.