Isabelle Odgers Posts Season Best 2:06.87 200 Breast in USC Dual Meet Win Over UCLA

 USC vs UCLA (WOMEN’S DUAL MEET)

• Friday, February 10, 2023
• Uytengsu Aquatics Center, Los Angeles, CA
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results

TEAM SCORES

1. USC – 152
2. UCLA – 148

USC won a highly contested women’s dual meet against UCLA on Friday to round out the regular season. The Trojans also swam Utah in a men’s dual meet on Friday, for which you can find the recap here.

The meet kicked off with a bang, seeing USC win the 200 medley relay in 1:36.57. Caroline Famous (24.87), Kaitlyn Dobler (27.25), Anicka Delgado (22.67), and Elise Garcia (21.78) combined to secure the win. UCLA was right behind, finishing in 1:36.95, thanks in large part to a 21.47 anchor from Claire Grover.

There was a fantastic race in the 200 free, seeing three women finish in 1:45. USC’s Justina Kozan was out the fastest, splitting 51.26 on the first 100, while UCLA’s Gizem Guvenc and Rachel Rhee were next in 51.56 and 51.69 respectively. Kozan maintained her lead on the third 50, but Rhee managed to bring it home in 26.53 on the final 50, inching into the lead. In the end, Rhee won the race in 1:45.31, while Kozan was second in 1:45.49 and Guvenc was third with a 1:45.66.

Rhee would go on to win the 100 free convincingly, clocking a 48.50. She split the race well, going 23.53 on the first 50 and coming home in 24.97.

The 50 free also so an incredibly tight race. This time, UCLA’s Claire Grover got her hand on the wall first, touching in 22.02. She was just a hair ahead of Rhee, who finished second in 22.06, while USC’s Anicka Delgado came in a close third, posting a 22.11.

USC’s Isabelle Odgers clocked a new season best in the 200 breast, winning the race handily with a 2:06.87. With that performance, Odgers is now the ninth-fastest 200 breaststroker in the NCAA this season. Teammate Kaitlyn Dobler was also under 2:10 on Friday, finishing second in 2:09.58.

Odgers also went on to win the 200 IM in 1:56.28, taking the race over thanks to a speedy 32.75 on the breaststroke leg.

Dobler won the 100 breast with a scorching 58.04. While that’s a very fast dual meet performance, it was still over a second off Dobler’s NCAA-leading time of 56.94, which she swam at mid-season in November. Odgers finished second, posting another season best of 58.88, which brings her up to 11th in the NCAA this season.

USC’s Marlene Kahler was great in the distance events, winning both the 1000 and 500 free. In the 1000, Kahler swam a new personal best of 9:41.38, clearing the field by almost 14 seconds. Kahler’s previous best in the 1000 was a 9:57.29, which she swam in a dual meet in November.

Kahler then went on to win the 500 free in 4:42.92, touching just over two seconds off her personal best of 4:40.57. Teammate Justina Kozan was second in the 500, swimming a 4:45.71.

UCLA’s Gabby Dang won the 100 fly in 52.02, marking a new lifetime best for the senior. Notably, Dang’s previous personal best of 52.35 was swum last February in a dual meet against USC as well. USC’s Anicka Delgado finished 0.01 seconds behind Dang, clocking a 52.03. That performance also marks a personal best for Delgado.

UCLA would win the final event of the day, the 400 free relay, thanks to a heroic anchor from Claire Grover. Despite solid splits from Rhee (48.49), Brooke Schaffer (49.38), and Madeleine Wright (48.71) on the first three legs, UCLA found themselves behind USC by 0.41 seconds. Then, Grover dove in and produced a sizzling 47.83, passing and pulling away from USC. The Bruins ended up winning in 3:14.41, nearly a second ahead of USC.

USC’s Hanna Henderson (48.63), Dobler (48.80), Elise Garcia (48.74), and Kozan (49.12) came in second with a 3:15.29.

OTHER EVENT WINNERS

• 100 back: Sophia Kosturos (UCLA) – 53.29
• 200 back: Aela Janvier (USC) – 1:54.47
• 200 fly: Paige Maceachern (UCLA) – 1:57.11

DIVING WINNERS

• 1-meter: Carolina Sculti (USC) – 296.65
• 3-meter: Nike Agunbiade (USC) – 337.95