Press Release courtesy of USC Athletics.
The USC swimming and diving teams kick off the 2017-18 seasons with non-conference meets this weekend as the women’s squad competes at the University of San Diego on Friday at 2 p.m. while the Trojan men swim at UC Santa Barbara on Friday at2 p.m. and at Cal Poly on Saturday at 11 a.m.
The men’s squad is coming off a sixth-place finish at the 2017 NCAA Championship and return six of its seven All-Americans from last year, including seniors Dylan Carter, Santo Condorelli, Ralf Tribuntsov and diver Dashiell Enos and juniors Patrick Mulcare and Carsten Vissering. Sophomore diver Henry Fusaro, an NCAA ‘B’ finalist, is also back as well as other NCAA vets in senior Jon Knox and juniors Kyle Grissom and Alex Valente. Carter highlighted USC’s NCAA efforts last year as a six-time All-American, including his first three A finalist performances.
The Trojans finished third at the 2017 Pac-12s, highlighted by graduated senior Steven Stumph’s third straight title in the 200y breast, Vissering’s first win in the 100y breast (school record 51.45) and Enos’ repeat title on 3-meter springboard. Carter was also a first-time three-time finalist, highlighted by a then-school record in the 200y free (1:31.98), good for second in the race. He was also sixth in the 50y free and seventh in the 100y free.
Condorelli was another three-time finalist, for the second time, with fifth places in the 50y and 100y free and a seventh in the 100y fly. Mulcare was a two-time finalist in the 400y IM and 200y back, finishing second in the latter while breaking his school record in the race twice. Other returning finalists from last year included Tribuntsov in the 100y back and senior Pawel Furtek with a fifth in the 1650y free. Enos was a three-time finalist, Fusaro was second on 3-meter while sophomore Nick Mamola was eighth on platform.
The women’s team was ninth last year at the NCAA Championships and returns five of its seven All-Americans from last season, led by sophomore Louise Hansson, who was a six-time All-American as a 2017 freshman. Also back are a quartet of junior All-Americans in Hanni Leach, Riley Scott, Kirsten Vose and Maddie Wright. Others back with NCAA experience are senior Hannah Weiss, juniors Allie Wooden, Elizabeth Stinson and diver Maddie Witt as well as sophomores Becca Mann, who was an NCAA ‘B’ finalist last year, Tatum Wade and Catherine Sanchez.
The Trojan women finished third at the 2017 Pac-12 Championships a year after winning their first team title, led by Hansson and Scott. Hansson, the Swedish Olympia, won a Pac-12 title in the 100y fly in a school-record 50.39, took third in the 200y IM and tied for third in the 100y free. She was part of three relay records (both medleys and the 400y free) and her lead off 100y free (47.03) and lead off 200 (1:42.10) in the 800y free relay also set records.
Scott was USC’s other Pac-12 winner, claiming her first conference crown in the 200y breast. She was also second in the 100y breast and won the B final of the 400y IM. Vose was a three-time finalist for the second year in row while Wade was USC’s other three-time finalist. Wright challenged for a title in the 200y fly and finished second to go with an eighth in the 100y fly. Leach reached her first A final in the 100y back and Sanchez debuted as a 200y fly A finalist while divers Witt (3-meter, platform) and now sophomores Naomi Gowlett (1-meter, 3-meter) and Carly Souza (platform) also reached finals.
Both the men’s and women’s squad feature small but impactful freshman classes. The men’s newcomers are highlighted by Romanian Olympic backstroker Robert Glinta as well as freshmen Justin Nguyen, Jake Sannem, Australian Max Statham and Russian Nikita Tretyakov, a 2017 World Juniors medalist. USC also welcomes diving transfers Brad Dalrymple and Dylan Marin.
The women bring in a quartet of swimmers ready to make an immediate impact including current U.S. national teamer Isabella Rongione as well as Maggie Aroesty, Marta Ciesla and Caitlin Tycz.
