USC vs. Washington State (Women)
- October 29, 2021
- Uytengsu Aquatic Center, USC, Los Angeles, California
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Full Results
- Final Team Scores
- USC Women 161 def. Washington State Women 93
The USC Trojans continued their all-time perfect record against Pac-12 opponents the Washington State Cougars, winning for the 9th time in 9 all-time matchups between the two.
USC emerged from a tumultuous three weeks that included head coach Jeremy Kipp being placed on ‘administrative leave’ to win their first dual meet of the 2021-2022 season. In their previous outing, at the USC Invitational, under interim head coach Lea Maurer, the Trojans put up a number of times that remain the top-ranked times in the NCAA this season.
While the Trojans were slower than they were in that invite, they still had enough to hold off a Washington State team that swam very well by its own standard.
Publishers note: Washington State doesn’t sponsor a men’s program; the USC women swam a concurrent meet against UCSB, which will be recapped separately. There was also no women’s diving, because Washington State doesn’t have a diving program.
The USC women won all but one event on the day, but the real story is the contributions of the young USC core. While Kipp’s stay at USC appears as though it’s going to be short-lived, his impact on recruiting in that brief tenure still looms large for the women’s team, especially.
Of USC’s 11 individual victories, almost half (5) came from newcomers to the Trojans’ roster this season.
That includes senior transfer Calypso Sheridan, who swam for Kipp at Northwestern and, after sitting last season out to prepare for the Olympics back home in Australia, followed him to USC this season.
She won the 100 fly in 54.19 and the 100 backstroke in 55.08.
At Northwestern, Sheridan was primarily a 200 butterflier and IMer, though she swam a variety of events as part of her IM preparations. This year, though, it appears as though the Trojans are strongly considering using her to fill the backstroke leg of their medley relays, as she’s led off all three USC medley relays so far this season. On Friday, her 24.92 leadoff leg was easily the fastest in the field, including faster than freshman Jade Hannah on the B relay (which ultimately won because the A relay was disqualified), who is a former World Junior Champion in the 50 back.
Sheridan’s speed, in general, has been on display this season: her 22.43 split on USC’s winning 200 free relay (1:31.44) was the best of any swimmer in the meet.
Austrian freshman Marlene Kahler picked up her first two career dual meet wins in the meet as well. First she won the 1000 free in 10:05.44, almost six seconds faster than teammate Nicole Pavlopoulou who was 2nd, and she later won the 500 free in 4:54.54, more than six seconds ahead of Washington State rookie Noelle Harvey (5:00.78), who swam a season best. Pavlopoulou actually gave Kahler the biggest push, touching 2nd in 4:55.48, but her result was exhibitioned.
Kahler also finished 2nd, behind sophomore Anicka Delgado, in the 200 free, just a few minutes after her 1000 free. Delgado won in 1:48.86 and Kahler was 2nd in 1:49.86. Another freshman, Genevieve Sasseville, was 3rd in 1:50.54.
Kaitlyn Dobler, another sophomore, also picked up a win, topping the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.68. Her 57.95 from the Trojan Invite two weeks ago is the top-ranked time in the NCAA this season.
The Washington State Cougars, who are riding a high after their first-ever program win against Arizona last weekend, picked up just one win on the day: Chloe Larson won the 50 free in 22.96, beating out USC senior Marta Ciesla. Larson is the defending Pac-12 Champion in the 50 free, and returned for her COVID-waiver 5th year this season to defend that title. She’s the first and only Pac-12 Champion in Washington State program history.
Other Winners:
- Makenna Turner won the women’s 200 fly in 2:01.80.
- USC’s Marta Ciesla won the women’s 100 free in 50.30, just missing her season best by .01 seconds. She held off Washington State freshman Angela Di Palo, who swam season (and career) bests in both the 50 free (23.85) and 100 free (50.73). Di Palo is from Italy, so this is her first season of yards swimming.
- Aela Janvier won the 200 backstroke in 1:46.05. She swam the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 IM at this meet, and now in two meets she has swum individual events in all four strokes, IM, and middle-distance freestyle events.
- USC’s Isabella Odgers won the 200 breast in 2:11.22, and later doubled-up by winning the 200 IM in 1:59.55.