The UCSD swimming and diving team fell to UC Irvine, an NCAA Division I team, on Jan. 31. The men’s final score was 120-180, and the women’s 175-125.
Guardian file
After three weeks without competition, the UCSD men got off to a good start by claiming first and second place in the 200-yard medley relay. The winning team, comprised of freshman Mike Lahey, junior Brett Going, freshman Matt Fontes and junior Mark Tate, finished in 1:35.53. Freshman Aram Yoo, senior Rob Small, sophomore Barnabas Sclafani and sophomore Mike Isaacs, who formed the second-place team, were only eleven hundredths of a second behind.
UCSD also dominated in the backstroke, with first and second finishes in both events. Lahey earned the only individual event wins for UCSD with times of 52.03 in the 100-yard backstroke and 1:53.90 in the 200-yard backstroke.
Trailing Lahey in the 100-yard event was Sclafani, who finished in 53.19. In the 200, Yoo placed second (1:57.69).
Freshman Paul Wikholm was narrowly defeated in the 200-yard butterfly. He swam the second-best time of his life, 1:55.48.
Tim Fuller, another freshman, earned second place in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:44.66.
Alongside the swimmers, divers freshman Daniel Grodh and sophomore Jason Boehm competed for UCSD. Grodh placed second on both the one-meter board and the three-meter board. Boehm came in third on the three-meter board.
On the women’s side, sophomore diver Jennifer Margrave claimed second place on both boards.
Although they won only four out of 14 events, the women’s team took first and second place in two races. In the 100-yard breaststroke, junior Rosanna Delurgio swam a winning 1:04.34. She was followed by senior Denise Bogard with a 1:04.93. Delurgio, an Olympic hopeful, has lost the 100-yard breaststroke only once in a collegiate meet this season.
Freshman Emily Harlan triumphed in the 50-yard freestyle (23.85). Senior Carolyn Kwok came in second (24.30).
Harlan also placed first in the 100-yard freestyle (52:67).
The women finished their dual meet season with a win in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Freshman Laura Johnson, sophomore Sarah Grant, freshman Monica Becks and junior Katie Miller finished first with a time of 1:40.02. UCSD is undefeated in the event this season.
Despite their loss, the teams seemed happy about their performances.
“”We had amazing swims on both the men’s and women’s teams, and successfully shocked Irvine, beginning with the first medley relay, showing them that we were going to be tougher competition than they thought,”” women’s co-captain Kwok said.
The meet against UCI marked the end of the dual meet season for UCSD. The women’s final dual meet record is 4-5 and the men’s record is 1-5.
“”We’ve definitely swum against some of the best teams in the country, swimming a primarily Division I schedule,”” UCSD head coach Scott McGihon said. “”The reason behind that is simple: If we want to swim our best at the end of the year, we need to swim the best during the year.””
The teams will next compete at the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Championships Feb. 11 to Feb. 14 in Long Beach, Calif.
When asked what the teams’ goals for the meet are, McGihon said, “”To win.”” He also said, “”Along the way we’d like to get more people qualified for NCAAs.””
