The UCSD women’s swimming and diving team beat USD, 196-101, in its last home meet of the season on Jan. 24.
Guardian file
UCSD and USD are closely matched crosstown rivals. In the past six years the teams have met three times at UCSD’s Canyonview Pool and three times at USD’s Sports Center. The home team has always won the meet.
Last year, USD beat UCSD by 42 points. This year, however, UCSD demonstrated that it has far surpassed USD, winning by a large margin and claiming 11 out of 16 events.
“”The meet was almost anti-climactic,”” UCSD head coach Scott McGihon said. “”It’s been a pretty close affair over the years, and I think we’ve made some substantial steps forward that USD hasn’t been able to match.””
UCSD took both first and second place in both relay events. In the 200-yard medley relay, the top three teams finished less than one-and-a-half seconds apart. The first-place team, comprised of freshman Susan Bell, junior Rosanna Delurgio, sophomore Sarah Grant and freshman Emily Harlan, clocked in at 1 minute, 48.68 seconds.
Delurgio and Harlan, along with sophomore Sophie Levy and freshman Liz Whiteley, won the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:35.41.
UCSD had its best showing in the 50-yard freestyle, with Triton swimmers sweeping the first four positions. Harlan placed first in 24.10, followed by senior Carolyn Kwok (24.76), Whiteley (25.17) and junior Katie Miller (25.31).
Harlan also won the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.90.
Levy was another double-event winner. In the 1,000-yard freestyle, she swam a lifetime best (10:24.84). Her first-place time in the 500-yard freestyle was 5:06.97.
Delurgio won both breaststroke events, but she had closer competition than she has had at recent meets. UCSD senior Denise Bogard trailed her by only three-hundredths of a second in the 100-yard event, which Delurgio swam in 1:05.20. In the 200-yard race, she and USD’s Ashley Swart finished within two-hundredths of one another. Delurgio’s time was a 2:20.20.
Sophomore Sarah Grant won the 100-yard butterfly in 1:00.96.
The UCSD divers also had a strong showing against USD. UCSD junior Ashley Vogel earned the highest score on the one-meter board. Teammate Jennifer Margrave, a sophomore, placed first on the three-meter board.
The team was happy with the outcome of the meet.
“”Our goal was to come out and shut them down,”” junior co-captain Christine Hyjek said. “”They are one of the teams we swim against at conference, so we really wanted to show them what we’ve got. It was really fun to see everyone swimming so well.””
UCSD has its last dual meet of the season against Division I UC Irvine on Jan. 31. The meet will mark the first competition in three weeks for the Triton men’s team.
“”We’re looking to go in and steal a win from [UCI],”” McGihon said. “”People would agree most of their top swimmers are a little faster than our top swimmers, but it’s close.””
