No. 10 USC Takes On UCLA In Westwood Friday

Friday, February 9

Los Angeles, Calif.

12:00 PM

USC

UCLA

Tatum Wade

Photo by: Paul Goldberg

No. 10 USC Takes On UCLA In Westwood Friday

February 06, 2018 | Women's Swimming & Diving, Features

Trojans seeking series-best 11th win in a row.

The No. 10 USC women's swimming and diving team wraps the regular season at crosstown rival UCLA on Friday (Feb. 9) in Westwood at 12 p.m., looking to beat the Bruins at the Spieker Aquatics Center for a series-best 11^th time in a row.

The Trojans enter their final dual meet at 7-2 overall, 4-2 in the Pac-12. UCLA is 5-5, 2-4.

UCLA led by Emma Schanz, who owns a top 25 national time in the 200y breast and 200y IM, and Kaitlin Grover, who has top 20 times in the 100y and 200y fly.

The Trojans' strong start to the 2017-18 season saw the women open with dual meet wins over San Diego, Oregon State, CSU Bakersfield, Washington State, Arizona State, Arizona and Wisconsin, as well as winning the SMU Classic in Dallas. USC also contributed in a major way to the Pac-12's win over Team USA in the exhibition USA College Challenge in mid-October on the Trojan campus. USC suffered its first two losses of the season against No. 3 Cal and No. 2 Stanford two weeks ago.

USC-UCLA Series
The Trojans hold a 27-16 edge against the Bruins and have won 10 meetings in a row. USC captured a then-series-best 10 in a row from 1994 to 2003, a streak equaled last year. The Trojans' current win streak includes a 172-128 home win last year in which Troy set six pool records and five meet records. Preceding that was a 181-119 victory at UCLA in 2016 and a 174.5-125.5 home win in 2015 that featured five USC swimmers winning two events apiece. In 2014 in Westwood, USC won 165-135, breaking 10 Spieker Aquatics Center pool records and nine meet records in the process. USC defeated UCLA, 167.5-132.5, at USC in 2013. Troy won the 2012 clash in Westwood, 170-130, in a meet in which Trojan swimmers also broke a combined 10 Bruin pool records. That followed a 176-124 victory at USC in 2011, a 164.5-136.5 win at UCLA in 2010, a 160-140 rain-soaked 2009 home win and a 158-142 decision in Westwood in 2008. UCLA last won in 2007 when the Bruins clinched victory during the meet's final relay at McDonald's Swim Stadium. USC hasn't lost to UCLA in Westwood since 2004.

Crosstown Cup
The winner of the USC-UCLA dual meet scores 10 points toward the Crosstown Cup, awarded annually to the school with the most successful athletic year against the other. Points are awarded to the winner of each Trojan-Bruin head-to-head contest (100 points is the magic number).

FAST TIMES
The Trojans have posted numerous strong NCAA consideration times and have even registered a handful automatics. USC women A cuts include sophomore Louise Hansson's 1:43.19 in the 200y free, 100y fly (50.41) and 200y fly (1:52.66), junior Riley Scott in the 100y breast (58.64) and freshman Maggie Aroesty's 2:06.88 in the 200y breast. USC also has A cuts in the 400y and 800y free relays and the 200y and 400y medley relays.

USC Women With NCAA B Cuts
Maggie Aroesty: 400y IM (4:10.18), 100y breast (59.96), 200y IM (1:57.94).
Marta Ciesla: 50y free (22.23), 100y free (48.76).
Lily Dubroff: 100y fly (53.97).
Naomi Gowlett: 1-Meter (277.05), 3-Meter (304.20), Platform (252.50).
Louise Hansson: 50y free (22.74), 100y free (47.57, 0.04 off A), 200y IM (1:55.80), 100y back (52.79), 200y back (1:52.26).
Lexie Malazdrewicz: 100y free (49.46), 200y free (1:45.81).
Becca Mann: 500y free (4:44.53), 1650y free (16:11.53), 400y IM (4:16.56)
Abby Miller: 100y back (54.94).
Isabella Rongione: 500y free (4:45.46),1650y free (16:24.74).
Catherine Sanchez: 50y free (22.95), 100y fly (52.79), 200y fly (1:57.11).
Riley Scott: 200y breast (2:07.99), 200y IM (1:55.63), 400y IM (4:14.35).
Elizabeth Stinson: 500y free (4:45.37), 1650y free (16:14.11).
Carly Souza: 1-Meter (286.65), 3-Meter (306.90), Platform (247.75).
Caitlin Tycz: 100y fly (53.23), 200y fly (1:57.15).
Tatum Wade: 200y free (1:45.57), 500y free (4:45.95), 200y fly (1:58.24), 200y IM (1:56.69).
Hannah Weiss: 100y back (52.35), 200y back (1:56.22), 100y fly (54.29).
Madi Witt: 1-Meter (281.93), 3-Meter (307.80), Platform (252.50).
Maddie Wright: 100y fly (52.61), 200y fly (1:54.05), 500y free (4:47.21).

2017-18 HIGHLIGHTS
* Scott's 58.64 in the 100y breast leads the nation entering January competition. Areosty's 2:06.88 in the 200y breast is fourth best with Scott's 2:07.99 eighth best. Hansson's 50.41 in the 100y fly is second best and her 1:52.66 in the 200y fly is third best while Maddie Wright's 1:54.05 is fifth best. Hansson's 1:43.19 in the 200y free is fourth best and her 47.57 in the 100y free is sixth best. Freshman Marta Ciesla's 50y free of 22.23 is 16th in the country.

* SMU CLASSIC: The USC women won eight A heats and six B heats to capture the six-team 2017 SMU Classic, finishing with 331 points, edging second-place Louisville by a half point. Sophomore Louise Hansson earned Swimmer of the Meet honors with wins in the A heats of the 100y fly (51.56), 200y back (1:52.26) and 200y IM (1:55.80). Junior Riley Scott swept the A 100y (59.56) and 200y breast (2:08.20) and won the B heats of both IM races. Freshman Maggie Aroesty won the 400y IM (4:10.18) and took the B heats of both breast events. Freshman Marta Ciesla won the 50y free (22.63) and junior Maddie Wright won the 200y fly (1:54.97).

* USA College Challenge: The Trojans had four women and four men race for the Pac-12 team that defeated Team USA, 326.5-286.5 in the two-day, USC-hosted USA College Challenge on Oct. 21-22 that pitted current Pac-12 swimmers against current U.S. national teamers. Sophomore Louise Hansson won two races, taking the 100y fly in 51.28, 0.03 off Kendyl Stewart's pool record, and later won the 100y free in 47.57 to lower Anika Apostalon's pool mark by 0.21. Freshman Maggie Aroesty crushed the 200y breast to win with a PR of 2:06.88, breaking former Trojan and Olympic champion Rebecca Soni's pool record of 2:07.86. Junior Riley Scott was just off Soni's pool record for third (2:07.99). Hansson was later second in the 200y free in 1:43.19, also under the old pool record, while junior Maddie Wright was third in the 200y fly (1:55.09). Hansson also led off the final and first-place 400y free relay with a 47.58 while Aroesty (59.98) and Scott (1:00.16), finished fourth and fifth, respectively in the 100y breast. Meanwhile for the men, junior Patrick Mulcare (1:40.44) and freshman Robert Glinta (1:40.50) turned in a huge 1-2 finish Saturday in the 200y back, finishing just ahead of Olympic champ Ryan Murphy in third (1:40.62) and fellow former Cal swimmer Jacob Pebley in fourth (1:40.90). Mulcare broke Pebley's pool record of 1:41.55. Sunday's men action was highlighted for USC by Glinta's win in the 100y back as he won in 45.97, defeating Matt Grevers (46.10) and Murphy (46.15), the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champions in the event. Dylan Carter was second in the men's 100y free in 42.95, 0.22 back of Tom Shields, who lowered Trojan Vladimir Morozov's pool record of 42.93. Carter (1:34.16) was also second to Shields (1:33.70) on Sunday in the 200y free.

* TEXAS INVITATIONAL: Freshman Marta Ciesla won the 50y free (22.23), junior Riley Scott won the 100y breast (58.64) while sophomore Louise Hansson won the 100y (50.41) and 200y fly (1:53.79) to highlight the Texas Invitational for USC. Hansson also joined Hannah Weiss, Riley Scott and Marta Ciesla to win the 200y and 400y medley relays. Freshman Maggie Aroesty (2:07.31) and Scott (2:08.22) went 2-3 in the 200y breast, Aroesty was third in the 100y breast (1:00.02) and Scott also took third in the 200y IM (1:55.63) with Hansson fourth (1:56.30). Sophomore Tatum Wade was third in the 200y free (1:45.57) and senior Hannah Weiss was third in the 100y back (53.84).

* European SC: The Trojans had a huge week at the 2017 European Short Course Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, as current, incoming and former USC swimmers made it a Cardinal and Gold party. Romanian freshman Robert Glinta came back with hardware after winning bronze in the 100m back in 49.99 after reaching the final with a 50.30 in the semifinals. He was also fifth in the 50m back (23.19) 0.14 out of first, 0.07 off the podium. Swedish sophomore Louise Hansson also collected a medal, earning a silver as part of her country's 4x50m free relay, swimming the third leg. She also reached the final of the 100m fly, taking fourth in 56.56, 0.34 out of third. She qualified for the final with a 57.10 in the semis. She also reached the semifinals of the 100m free (53.19), finishing ninth, one spot from the final. Trojan NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist Katinka Hosszu was her usual dominant self, winning six gold medals for Hungary in the 100m, 200m and 400m IM and the 50m, 100m and 200m back. Fellow USC international great Vladimir Morozov captured four medals, helping Russia win gold in the 4x50m free and medley relays and a silver in the 4x50m mixed free relay in addition to his gold in the 50m free (he was first through prelims and semifinals, too), Incoming Swedish freshman Victor Johansson made a pair of final appearances, finishing fourth in the 400m free (3:39.35) and powering to fifth in the 1500m free (14:34.46).

* Hansson was named SwimSwam's Swimmer of the Month for October for her strong work at the SMU Classic and USA College Challenge.

* USC's women's captains for the 2017-18 season are senior Lexie Malazdrewicz and juniors Allie Wooden and Lily Dubroff. Seniors Jason O'Brien, Santo Condorelli and Ralf Tribuntsov serve as captains for the men.

LAST YEAR
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 Olympian, 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.

The women bring in a quartet of swimmers ready to make an immediate impact this year including current U.S. national teamer Isabella Rongione as well as Maggie Aroesty, Marta Ciesla and Caitlin Tycz.

COMMUNITY NOTES

On Oct. 21, five members of the USC swimming and diving team visited the UCLA Children's Hospital through the Big Smiles Program. For about 3 hours they painted, played games, and hung out with the kids. The five members were Thomas Reed, Allie Wooden, Marta Ciesla, Caitlin Tycz, and Billy Monjay.

In late January, as part of USC's SCORE (Student-Athletes Serving Community through Outreach, Recreation, and Education) Initiative, USC's men's and women's swim teams visited Union Rescue Mission to spend time with the local homeless community. Union Rescue Mission provides food, shelter, health care, education, emergency services and more for homeless people in Los Angeles. While the Trojans were there, they offered the community an afternoon of activities, which included games like ping pong, chess and Jenga. The Women of Troy also pampered the ladies at the mission by giving them manicures and lending an ear. While those receiving help at Union Rescue Mission enjoyed an afternoon of good company and fun games, the Trojans walked away with a better understanding of the homeless community in Los Angeles.