The UCLA Bruin women beat up on Utah at home, building up a huge lead and exhibitioning the rest of the way to a 157-134 win that was televised on the Pac-12 network.
Seniors Ting Quah and Kathryn Murphy were the workhorses for #17 UCLA (per our mid-season power rankings), winning two events apiece and putting the exclamation point on the day together in the 400 free relay to close the meet.
Quah went 1:50.17 to win the 200 free by two full seconds, then added a 54.46 100 fly win near the end of the meet. Murphy took the 50 free in 23.18 before the first diving break, then came back in the next swimming event to win the 100 free in 50.68. That event turned out to be a 1-2-3 for UCLA after Utah’s Traycie Swartz, who finished second, was disqualified.
Quah and Murphy joined Linnea Mack and Monica Dornick at the end of the meet, going 3:24.07 on the 400 free relay to cap off the meet.
Mack, a freshman, also won the 100 back, going 55.24. In addition, she led off the 200 medley relay for the Bruins, staking Jessica Khojasteh, Noelle Tarazona and Murphy to a one-second lead that held up easily. The team won in 1:42.04.
Utah was able to dominate the breaststroke and diving events, though. Stina Colleou took the 100 breast (1:04.18) and 200 breast (2:16.67) for the Utes, and Kersten Merry won on 1-meter (273.65) and 3-meter (299.55). The Utes were across town last night taking on USC during their road trip to Southern California.
It was the senior leadership that really dominated for a Bruins team that’s maybe been more newsworthy for acquiring young talent. Besides Quah and Murphy, seniors Anna Senko and Lauren Baker also won events for the Bruins.
