UCLA vs UC San Diego (Women)
- January 8, 2022
- Los Angeles, CA
- SCY Dual Meet
- Team scores
- UCLA 165 UCSD 119
- Full Results
The UCLA women put up a dominant performance at home on Saturday, defeating in-state foe UC San Diego. UCSD is in the midst of completing a transition from Division II to Division I and was one of a handful of Division I schools to cancel their swim season last year. UCLA exhibitioned all competitors in both diving events, the 200 IM and the 400 free relay.
Senior sprinter Claire Grover was dominant on Saturday, winning the 50 free in 23.09 and the 100 free in 51.22. The three-time NCAA qualifier from Scottsdale, Arizona also anchored UCLA’s 200 winning medley relay in 22.50 and posted the field’s fastest split in the 400 free relay with a 51.34. Grover’s season bests sit at 22.41 in the 50 and 49.16 in the 100 from the UNLV invitational, currently leaving her on the outside of our midseason projected NCAA qualifiers.
Also winning two individual events for the Bruins was freshman Paige MacEachern, who won the 200 fly and 500 free. In the 200 fly, the Boca Raton, Florida native, won with a 2:06.89. She later returned to win the 500 free by over 8 seconds, touching first in 5:06.88. MacEachern’s season bests stand at 2:00.51 in the 200 fly and 4:46.59 in the 500 free from November’s Ohio State Invite.
MacEachern’s classmate Ana Jih-Schiff also posted the top time in two events on the day. In the 200 breast, the Danville, California native won by over three seconds in 2:18.94. She later returned to post the top time in the 200 IM with a 2:05.87, though her result was exhibitioned. Jih-Schiff’s lifetime and season bests came at the UNLV Invite in December, where she swam a 2:14.44 in the 200 breast and 2:00.06 in the IM.
Leading the way for the Tritons was freshman Lexi Depaco, who finished second in the 200 fly in 2:07.13, just behind MacEachern’s winning time of 2:06.89. The Danville, California native later returned in the 100 fly to post a 58.56 to be UCSD’s second-fastest swimmer behind teammates Jordan Phillips, who posted a 57.04. Depaco also was UCSD’s top finisher in the 200 IM with a 2:13.21 and claimed first place points after UCLA’s exhibition.
Other individual event winners:
- 1000 free: Stephanie Su (UCLA): 10:43.65
- 200 free: Rachel Rhee (UCLA): 1:52.98
- 100 back: Sophia Kosturos (UCLA): 55.02
- 100 breast: Eva Carlson (UCLA): 1:03.48
- 200 back: Abriana Howard (UCLA): 2:03.12
- 100 fly: Gabby Dang (UCLA): 55.36
UCLA returns to the pool on Friday, January 28th when they welcome the Stanford Cardinal to Los Angeles, while UCSD will travel up the coast again this Saturday to take on USC.