UCLA
2014 AT&T Winter National Championships
Polyakova Wins Three-Meter, Four Top Five Finishes for Swimmers
December 06, 2014 | Swimming & Diving
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2014 AT&T Winter National Championships Central
UGA Fall Invitational Central
ATHENS, Ga. and GREENSBORO, N.C. - The UCLA swimming team ended day three of the 2014 AT&T Winter National Championships in first place in the team score after a quartet of top five finishes on Friday, while the UCLA diving squad opened the UGA Fall Invitational with a big win in the 3-Meter, as freshman Maria Polyakova won her fifth event of the season.
Two of the four Bruins made the 3-Meter final in Athens, as Polyakova was eighth after her first six dives with a total of 276.45, while sophomore Annika Lenz was ninth (273.75). Freshman Ciara Monahan was 23rd (228.10) in the prelims, while sophomore Danni Repper placed 26th (218.75).
Polyakova really connected on her six dives in the final to set a new school record with a total of 361.60 to win the event by nearly 30 points. Lenz remained in her ninth position, but improved to record a season-best 311.05 in the final.
In Greensboro, the Bruins got off to a great start in the preliminaries of the 400 Individual Medley, as junior Arlyn Upshaw set a new career best and an NCAA 'B' qualifying time with a time of 4:15.87 to qualify for the B final, in which she finished eighth (4:18.04). Freshman MK Kish was 32nd (4:21.71).
In the 100 Butterfly, five of the seven Bruin swimmers made the A or B final, with all either setting or improving on their NCAA 'B' marks. UCLA had three of the top five times in the morning with sophomore Linnea Mack (2nd, 52.48), freshman Katie Grover (4th, 53.18) and senior Noelle Tarazona (5th, 53.26). Mack's time was a career best and the third-fastest in UCLA history. Junior Katie Kinnear was 11th (53.72) to make the B final, while freshman Anna Quinn was 13th (53.95).
In the A race, Mack was third in a time of 52.54, Grover finished fifth (52.96) and Tarazona was sixth (53.01). Grover's time was the sixth-fastest in UCLA history. In the B race, Kinnear was third (53.49), while Quinn was seventh (54.26). Also swimming in the prelims were Upshaw (45th, 55.51) and freshman Maddy Burnham (63rd, 56.26).
Of the three Bruins to swim in the 200 Freestyle, junior Katy Campbell made the evening session. After going 1:48.43 (23rd) in the morning, she swam a career-best 1:47.01 in the C race to finish second and post the fifth-fastest swim in UCLA history. Senior Monica Dornick was 26th in the prelims (1:48.64), while senior Ally Loper placed 31st (1:48.95).
One of four Bruins made the evening session in the 100 Breaststroke. Senior Jessica Khojasteh, who was 20th after the prelims (1:02.09), finished third in the C final with a 1:01.85. It was a career best for the senior, an NCAA 'B' qualifying time and the seventh-fastest time in UCLA history. Senior Taylor Carlson (35th, 1:02.89), freshman Sarah Kaunitz (61st, 1:04.11) and sophomore Brigitte Winkler (65th, 1:04.27) also swam in the prelims.
UCLA had two swimmers advance to the A final of the 100 Backstroke, as Mack was first in the prelims (52.32) and sophomore Madison White placed fourth (53.06). Mack, who entered as the school-record holder in the event, bettered her career best in the morning and then broke it again in the evening with a swim of 51.98 to place second in the A final. White was sixth in the A race (53.14). Kinnear was 26th in the prelims with a 54.64.
In the final race of the evening, the Bruins had another second-place finish in the 200 Free Relay, as Mack, Kaunitz, Kinnear and Dornick posted a time of 1:30.45. The Bruin B team of Khojasteh, Grover, Carlson and Burnham were ninth (1:33.40).
The same four divers will be on the 1-Meter boards on Saturday at the UGA Fall Invitational.
In Greensboro, the meet wraps up with the 1650 Free, 200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, 200 Fly and 400 Free Relay. Campbell, the reigning U.S. champion in the 1500 Free, will be the Bruins' lone representative in the 1650 Free, while Loper and White will swim in the 200 Back. A quintet of Bruins will swim in the 100 Free, Burnham, Dornick, Kaunitz, Mack and White.
In the 200 Breast, it will be Carlson, Khojasteh and Winkler. Grover, Kinnear, Quinn, Tarazona and Upshaw will swim in the 200 Fly, while a pair of UCLA relay teams will take part in the 400 Free Relay.
The Bruins enter the final day of the competition 40 points up on Michigan in the team race (326-286). Mack is second in the individual competition, seven points behind Olympian Katie Ledecky (57-50).
Players Mentioned
