Nine Different Swimmers Win Events As UCLA Women Cruise To Victory Over UCSB

UCLA vs UC Santa Barbara (W)

• Saturday, October 23, 2021
• Los Angeles, California
• Results

The UCLA women were dominant in their season-opening dual meet against UC Santa Barbara, winning 11 of 14 events en route to a decisive 167-92 victory. This was the team’s first dual of 2021-22 after competing at the Fresno State Invitational Oct. 8-9.

The Bruins had nine different swimmers place first in individual events, plus they swept the relays.

Senior Claire Grover, the team’s top performer at last season’s NCAA Championships, was notably not competing.

Junior Brooke Schaffer was among the top performers, winning the 100 freestyle (51.71), placing third in the 50 free (23.73) and also swimming on both winning relays. Teammate Sophia Kosturos touched first in the 50 free (23.62).

In that 100 free, UCLA produced a 1-2-3-4 sweep, with fellow junior Rachel Rhee the runner-up in 51.79.

Rhee added a win of her own in the 200 free, clocking 1:50.63, and swam the anchor leg on the winning 400 free relay along with Delaney Smith, Schaffer and Ella Kirschke as they finished three seconds clear of UCSB in 3:28.57.

In the 200 medley relay, Kosturos, Eva Carlson, Joanie Cash and Schaffer finished in a time of 1:42.75 as UCLA’s teams went 1-2-3.

Carlson was the victor in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.58), and Kirschke won the 200 IM (2:01.77). Joining Carlson as a freshman winners were Mia Chang (100 back, 56.13) and Ana Jih-Schiff (200 breast, 2:17.75).

UCLA head coach Jordan Wolfrum noted that the team is in heavy training and that the meet was more about racing than times.

“I’m really happy with our toughness and a lot of our race execution,” Wolfrum said. “We look tired and beat up, because we are. I think that’s good, I think I would have been a little more concerned if we didn’t look that way after our first dual meet.”

For the Gauchos, Maelynn Lawrence picked up a pair of wins in the 500 free (5:08.72) and 1000 free (10:33.55), while Molly McCance also had a victory in th 200 fly (2:02.01).

Both teams will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 30, as UCLA battles Pac-12 rival Washington State and UC Santa Barbara takes on Cal Poly.