UCLA
USC
Rivalry Meet Ends in Series-First Tie
February 09, 2018 | Swimming & Diving
LOS ANGELES โ For the first time in the history of the crosstown rivalry Friday, UCLA and USC competed to a tie in a women's swimming and diving meet. While the Bruins won nine events to the No. 10 Trojans' seven at Spieker Aquatics Center, the teams posted identical scores of 150.
Eloise Belanger, Kenisha Liu and Emma Schanz each posted two individual wins on the day for the Bruins, who had lost 11 in a row to the Trojans prior to Friday's meet. UCLA's 200 Free Relay "A" team turned in a school- and pool-record time of 1:28.91 to ensure the tie.
The Trojans got swimming started with a 200 Medley Relay win, as their "A" team clocked in at 1:36.95, just over three seconds in front of the Bruins top quartet of Schanz, Sarah Kaunitz, Amy Okada and Liu (1:40.22).
UCLA quickly proved it would not go quietly on Senior Day, though, taking the next two races. In fact, the 1650 Free was all Bruins in the two spots, with Sandra Soe establishing a new pool record (16:11.22) in the process and Margaux Verger Gourson taking the runner-up position (16:20.09). Kenisha Liu (1:45.42) followed her teammates' lead, eking out a win over the Trojans' Lexie Malazdrewicz (1:45.54) in the 200 Free.
USC would take the top two spots in the next three racesโand the next four wins overallโand looked poised to bury the Bruins. Schanz (52.97) and Sarah Kaunitz (1:01.98) led 3-4-5 trios in the 100 Back and 100 Breast, respectively, while Okada took the third spot in the 200 Fly (1:57.44) to keep UCLA alive. The 50 Free went the way of the Trojans' Louise Hansson (22.28), who barely edged the Bruins' Katie Grover (22.64) heading into the first break.
Diving was all UCLAโand particularly Belanger. The Canadian finished strong on 1-Meter, posting four consecutive dives of at least 50.23 to close her effort (306.23) and hold off USC's Naomi Gowlett (300.38). Ciara Monahan took third (299.33). The 3-Meter competition was not even close, as Belanger notched a 72.00 on her 205B fifth dive and closed with a 69.75 on her 5152B. In the end, the junior posted a personal-best score of 343.35, well ahead of Gowlett's 291.38.
After the first break, the Bruins came out with an effort that earned them the top two spots in the 100 Free. Liu (48.43) and Grover (48.57) did the honors, while Trojans went 3-4-5. The 200 Back proved the exact opposite, as USC occupied the top two spots ahead of Lucy Agnew (1:57.82), Jennifer Lathrop (1:57.96) and Marie-Pierre Delisle (2:00.24).
The Bruins got back to their winning ways in the 200 Breast, as Schanz took the top spot (2:09.01). UCLA again owned a distance race with the 500 Free, as Verger Gourson and Soe flip-flopped the top two spots that they shared earlier in the afternoon. Verger Gourson (4:45.62) edged Soe (4:45.63) by the narrowest of margins for the win.
Grover (52.59) and Okada (52.82) went 2-3 in the 100 Fly, sending the Bruins into the final break trailing the Trojans by a 137-127 score.
UCLA made up five of those points in the 200 IM, where Schanz (1:56.82) added her second individual victory of the day. USC took second and third, while Bruins Lisa Kaunitz (2:04.86) and Allison Goldblatt (2:05.54) went fourth and fifth.
Needing a win for a shot at the meet victory, the Bruin "A" team did just that in the 200 Free Relay, posting a school and meet record in the process. Liu, Grover, Sarah Kaunitz and Okada clocked in at 1:28.91 for a convincing win over the Trojans, who finished second and third for the overall tie.
Seniors Natalie Amberg, Maddy Burnham, Delisle, Grover, Sarah Kaunitz, Monahan, Carly Reid, Jax Shoults, Madison Varisco and Verger Gourson were sent off by their teammates and coaches prior to their final meet at Spieker.
The Bruins and Trojans will compete on Platform Sunday (10 a.m.), though results will not count toward Friday's totals. UCLA will next compete as a team at the Pac-12 Swimming & Diving Championships, which will take place Feb. 21-24 at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash.
Players Mentioned
