UCLA
USC
UCLA to Host USC in Senior Send-Off
February 06, 2018 | Swimming & Diving
LOS ANGELES โ Ten UCLA swimmers and divers will swim competitively at Spieker Aquatics Center for the last time Friday, when crosstown rival and 10th-ranked USC visits for the season's final dual meet. The senior recognition will begin at 11:50 a.m., with the meet officially starting soon after. Diving will get a head start with the 1-Meter competition beginning at 11:15 a.m.
The Bruins will also take on the Trojans Saturday in a diving-only event at Spieker. Competitors will take on the Platform, beginning at 10 a.m.
Seniors scheduled to be honored Friday include diver Ciara Monahan (Woodland Hills, Calif.) and swimmers Natalie Amberg (Danville, Calif.), Maddy Burnham (Pleasant Valley, Iowa), Marie-Pierre Delisle (San Jose, Calif.), Katie Grover (Atlanta, Ga.), Sarah Kaunitz (Santa Clara, Calif.), Carly Reid (Los Altos, Calif.), Jax Shoults (Laguna Hills, Calif.), Madison Varisco (Houston, Texas) and Margaux Verger Gourson (Coumon, France).
The Bruins hold a 16-27 all-time mark against the Trojans and fell last year at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center, 172-128. While UCLA dropped the overall result, Bruins posted five first-place resultsโincluding four spread across returners Eloise Belanger, Grover and Kenisha Liu. Belanger was one of three UCLA divers in the top four of the 3-Meter competition (319.80) and edged Trojan Naomi Gowlett in the 1-Meter event (296.10). Liu topped the 200 Free field with a time of 1:45.38, while Grover took the 100 Fly at 52.56. Rounding out the list of Bruin winners was three-time individual school record-holder (and member of five school record-holding relay teams) Linnea Mack, who established a pool record of 51.61 in the 100 Back.
The Trojans will be the third straight Top-10 opponent hosted by the Bruins at Spieker, previously falling to No. 3 Stanford (Jan. 26) and No. 5 California (Jan. 27) by nearly identical scores, 182-110 and 183-111, respectively. Liu (100 Free โ 49.76) and Monahan (1-Meter โ 301.58) picked up wins against the Cardinal, while Emma Schanz (200 Breast โ 2:15.60) added another versus the Golden Bears.
USC brings a 7-2 overall record to Dirks Pool, having also dropped its dual meets with Cal (Jan. 26 - 169-131) and Stanford (Jan. 27 - 223-77). Louise Hansson has starred for the Trojans this season, having a hand in six new school records. The sophomore has posted new USC-best marks in the 100 Free (47.03), 200 Free (1:42.10) and 100 Fly (50.39) and been part of 400 Free (3:09.57), 200 Medley (1:35.18) and 400 Medley (3:27.88) relay quartets.
Upon completion of Saturday's Platform event, the Bruins will turn their focus to the Pac-12 Swimming and Diving Championships. The Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash. will play host to nine schools from Feb. 21-24.
Players Mentioned
