SWIMMING Today, 2 p.m. v. UCSB, Oregon State
Student Activities Center
As the UCLA women’s swim team opens its season against
Oregon State and UC Santa Barbara today at the Student Activities
Center Pool, some questions remain unanswered. The most important
one concerns the gaping hole left in the roster by graduated
seniors such as All-American Kim Vandenberg.
However, a few things are clear: The Bruins are looking sharp
but must work on their kicking.
“We’ve evaluated ourselves and decided to work on
kick-driven strokes and leg strength,” coach Cyndi Gallagher
said. “We’re running more and getting more power in the
weight room.”
The question is: Who will step up this year to take the team to
the next level?
The eight seniors seem to be the likely answer ““ they are
no strangers to taking on leadership roles.
“We count on the senior class to be leaders, and each has
already led in some capacity,” Gallagher said.
Katie Nelson is full of potential to be the one to lead the
pack. The distance swimmer is the reigning 1650 freestyle Pac-10
champion. She also earned All-American honors at the NCAA
Championships with her eighth-place finish in the 1650
freestyle.
“I’m really looking forward to leading the team
competitively,” Nelson said. “I work hard, and
hopefully everyone else will catch on.”
Another senior, Katie Arnold, has been a standout since her
first days as a Bruin, earning NCAA All-American honors three years
in a row. Last year, she won the 100 backstroke five times. Arnold
spent the summer recovering from a shoulder injury and is eager to
jump back into the pool.
“Katie is very good at knowing what she needs to do, then
doing it,” senior Jane Imagane said. “She’s
always very sure of herself, and it’s reassuring to the rest
of us when you have a leader out there like that.”
The swim team is going into its first meet with seven freshmen
on its roster, and Gallagher has high hopes for all of them.
“The freshmen are going in the right direction and are
very coachable,” Gallagher said. “They’re slowly
learning what it means to be a great athlete at UCLA.”
Or maybe returning swimmers such as All-Americans Anna Poteete
and Nicolette Teo hold the key to a sucessful season. Gallagher
thinks that when it comes down to it, every member of the team must
step up to surpass last season’s sucess.
“We have many opportunities for people to stand
out,” Ghallagher said. “It’s up to them if they
want to take the opportunity.”