UCLA
Utah
Bruins Open 2018-19 Season With 156-144 Win at Utah
October 27, 2018 | Swimming & Diving
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah โ The UCLA women's swimming & diving team opened its 2018-19 campaign with a solid 156-144 win over Utah on Saturday at Reddish Pool.
The Bruins (1-0) won 10 of the 16 scheduled events, sweeping the 1m and 3m diving and taking eight of the 14 swimming events. Maria Polyakova (1m, 3m diving) and Sandra Soe (500 and 1000 free) both won multiple events for UCLA, while Emma Schanz (100 back), Amy Okada (200 fly), Claire Grover (100 free), Mara Newman (200 back), and Delaney Smith (200 IM) all picked up their first wins of the year.
With the loss, Utah dropped to 0-4 on the year.
Soe delivered UCLA its first win of the day in the 1000 free, finishing in 10:17.76. Freshman Katie Sulkevich made her collegiate debut in the same race, coming in fourth at 10:40.66. Soe made it two-for-two in the distance races with a first-place time of 5:04.91. Junior Lisa Kaunitz wasn't far behind her, taking second at 5:10.74, her best result of the day.
Polyakova, a senior All-American and 2018 European Championships gold medalist, had a triumphant return to the college ranks on Saturday, winning both diving events by wide margins. First, she recorded a score of 310.13 in the 1m to take first, then notched a second event victory with a 308.40 in 3m springboard. Seniors Madeline Russell and Traci Shiver and freshman Veronica Thompson finished 4-5-6 in both events for the Bruins.
The Bruins dominated the back stroke events, placing two of the top three finishers in the 100 back and three of the top four finishers in the 200 back. Schanz claimed the crown in the 100 back at 56.35 while Jennifer Lathrop (57.35, third) and Abriana Howard (58.09, fourth) weren't far behind.
A trio of freshmen secured crucial points for UCLA in the 100 free as Grover took first at 51.83, while Ella Kirschke (52.11) and Smith (52.51) finished 2-3.
In the latter half of the meet, Newman (2:02.30 in the 200 back) and Smith (2:05.06 in the 200 IM) marked successful NCAA debuts with their first event wins of the year.
UCLA wrapped up the meet victory with a win in the final event of the day, the 200 free relay. The UCLA A-Team โ Grover, Kirscke, Okada, and Kenisha Liu โ finished in 1:33.51. ย
The Bruins return home to Westwood to host meets over the next two weeks, starting next Friday, Nov. 2 against Arizona and next Saturday, Nov. 3 against Arizona State. ย
Players Mentioned
