Four Pool Records Fall as UCLA Storms Past UCSD 193-99

UCLA vs UCSD (WOMEN’S DUAL)

• Saturday, January 7, 2023
• Canyonview Aquatic Center, La Jolla, CA
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results

TEAM SCORES

1. UCLA – 193
2. UCSD – 99

UCLA visited the UC San Diego Tritons in La Jolla over the weekend, winning a women’s dual meet 193-99.

The Bruins were dominant in the backstroke events. It started in the 100 back, where Sophia Kosturos won convincingly with a 55.24, touching first by 1.52 seconds. Teammate Mia Chang took second, swimming a 56.76. The 200 back was the UCLA show, as the Bruins went 1-2-3-4. Rosie Murphy won the race, setting a new pool record with her time of 1:58.98. Katrina Sommer came in second (2:04.43), Fay Lustria was third (2:06.24), and Lindsay Stenstrom (2:07.54) was fourth. Stenstrom swam exhibition (not for points).

UCLA was also dominant in the sprint free events. In the 50 free, Rachel Rhee won in 22.81, winning the race by nearly half a second. Claire Grover came in second, swimming a 23.23. UCLA made it a 1-2-3 finish as Madeleine Wright took third with a 23.97. It was a very similar story in the 100 free, where Grover won with a 50.99. Bruin Brooke Schaffer took second with a 51.24, while teammate Gizem Guvenc came in third at 51.69, marking another 1-2-3 finish for UCLA.

Notably, Guvenc won the 200 free earlier in the meet, swimming a 1:50.51. She got out to a slim early lead and was able to hold it through the finish.

The Bruins also swept the fly events on the day. Gabby Dang took the 100 fly, clocking a 54.92. Fay Lustria won the 200 fly with a 2:05.64, narrowly beating UCSD’s Valerie Yue (2:05.75). Yue was out with the early lead, hitting the 100 mark nearly two seconds ahead of Lustria. She continued to build her lead on the third 50, but then Lustria found a second wind on the final 50, while Yue faded hard.

Paige Maceachern won the 400 IM in 4:22.47, putting together a well-rounded race with a 1:00.13 fly split, 1:05.25 back split, 1:14.93 breast split, and 1:01.16 free split. Rosie Murphy (UCLA) came in second with a 4:25.18.

UCLA also won the 200 medley relay, where Sophia Kosturos (55.58), Eva Carlson (1:02.15), Gabby Dang (53.63), and Claire Grover (49.78) teamed up for a 3:41.14.

Though they lost the meet by a wide margin, UCSD had some great performances, including three pool record swims. Juli Arzave kicked it off for the Tritons, winning the 1000 free in 10:03.57 to break her own pool record. Arzave then went on to win the 500 free in 4:53.95.

Katja Pavicevic was exceptional for UCSD, sweeping the breast events. She swam a 1:01.78 in the 100 breast, breaking her own pool record, which she had just set in November. Pavicevic then won the 200 breast in 2:13.58, setting yet another pool record.

UCSD closed out the meet on a high note, winning the 200 free relay. Miranda Renner (24.01), Tina Reuter (22.98), Jordan Phillips (23.33), and Josette Odgers (23.27) combined for a 1:33.59, touching out UCLA (1:33.62). The Bruins got out to a great start thanks to a 22.92 lead-off from Rachel Rhee, but that lead was essentially wiped out on the second leg, where UCSD’s Reuter split 22.98, much faster than UCLA’s 23.79 from Gizem Guvenc.