UCLA vs Illinois
- October 27, 2023
- Los Angeles, Calif.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: UCLA Athletics
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA swim and dive recorded a 167.50-73.50 win over Illinois on Friday afternoon at Spieker Aquatics Center.
The Bruins (3-0) earned wins in 12 of the 13 scheduled events against the Illini (1-2).
To open the day, the Bruins won the 200-yard medley relay with Mia Chang, Eva Carlson, Joanie Cash and Madeleine Wright teaming up to top the charts in 1.41.96.
Ashley Kolessar followed the relay with a win of her own in the 1000-yard freestyle, winning the event in 10:09.12.
Gizem Guvenc kicked off her afternoon in strong fashion in the third event of the day. She broke 1:50 in the 200-yard free for the second meet in a row, and won the event in 1:49.71. Paige MacEachern placed second in the event.
In the fourth event of the day, the 50m freestyle the Bruins swept the podium as Brooke Schaffer, Joanie Cash, and Sarah Bennetts took the top three spots. Schaffer led the Bruins with a time of 23.26, while Cash finished in 23.62 and Bennetts placed third in 23.73.
UCLA went 1-2-3 in the next race as well, with Ana Jih-Schiff (2:01.38), Rose Murphy (2:03.55), and Mia Chang (2:03.93) topping the charts in the 200-yard IM.
The Bruins continued to dominate in the sixth event of the day, the 100-yard butterfly. UCLA went 1-2-3 for the third event in a row as Aislinn Walsh took first in 54.06, and was followed by Crystal Murphy in 55.32, and Ana Jih-Schiff rounded out the top three in 56.23.
The next race saw Madeleine Wright and Fay Lustria place second and third respectively in the 100-yard free, finishing in 51.88 and 52.77.
UCLA picked up their seventh event win of the day in the 100-yard backstroke when Angela Quan won it in 56.32, closely followed by fellow Bruin Amy Zhang.
Paige MacEachern earned her second podium of the afternoon when she won the 500-yard freestyle in 4:58.88.
Eva Carlson earned the win the in the penultimate event of the day, the 100-yard breast stroke, which she won in 1:02.32.
The Bruins wrapped up the day with a win in the 200-yard free relay. The quartet of Schaffer, Cash, Bennetts, and Walsh posted a time of 1:32.76 to win the event.
As for diving, the Bruins went one and two in the one-meter dive. Lauren Hallaselka earned the win with a score of 296.03 while Zoe Jespersgaard placed second with a score of 286.73.
The two swapped places in the three-meter dive as Jespersgaard finished on top with a score of 325.95, while Hallaselka came in second with a score of 322.20.
UCLA returns to action next Friday when they travel to Arizona State to take on the Sun Devils at 2 p.m. PT.
Courtesy: Illinois Athletics
WESTWOOD, Calif. – The Illinois swim and dive team finished out their California trip on Friday against UCLA. The Illini were defeated by the Bruins, 167.5-73.5. Senior Lily Olson topped the podium in the 100 freestyle with a time of 51.81.
BETWEEN THE LANES
The 200 medley relay team of junior Sydney Stoll, freshman Kylee Sessions, junior Logan Kuehne and Olson began the meet with a bronze medal (1:43.84). Sessions later placed second in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.73).
Stoll went on to pick up a couple of bronze medals in the 200 freestyle (1:52.34) and 100 backstroke (57.18). Kuehne earned one as well in the 100 butterfly (56.65), and senior Laurel Bludgen touched third in the 100 freestyle (52.77).
Sophomore Sara Jass clocked a 1:06.10 to place third in the 100 breaststroke; she placed fourth in the 200 IM (2:04.06). Junior Suvana Baskar finished fourth in the 100 backstroke (59.15).
Sophomore Adelaide Reaser placed second in the 1000 freestyle (10:23.48) and third in the 500 freestyle (5:07.51). Junior Paloma Canos Cervera mirrored that result by placing second in the 500 freestyle (5:07.20) and third in the 1000 freestyle (10:25.12).
The 200 freestyle relay team of Olson, freshman Maggie Adler, Kuehne and junior Molly Yetter closed out the meet with a bronze by clocking a 1:34.44.
ON THE BOARDS
Junior Taylor Michael placed third on the one-meter boards (250.58), followed directly by a pair of freshmen, Bethany Mercer (245.85) and Dani O’Kelly (237.23), in fourth and fifth, respectively. Michael later replicated that result on the three-meter boards with a score of 277.13, while O’Kelly placed fourth (260.63) and freshman Matilda Garcia placed fifth (248.25).
UP NEXT
The Orange and Blue swim and dive team is back in action on Saturday, Nov. 4, for their home-opening dual against Vanderbilt at 11 a.m. CT.
