Closing out the regular season against UC Irvine, the Tritons men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams came up short in their respective meets on Jan. 23, despite strong individual showings against the Division I Anteaters. While managing to stay within striking distance thanks to the team’s unparalleled depth, UCSD’s men lost 168-127, as UC Irvine captured wins in 13 of 16 events. The Triton women, coming off only hours of rest since defeating University of San Diego on Jan. 22, struggled and lost, 190-105.
“I schedule us the toughest meets at the end of the season to get us ready for NCAAs,” head coach Scott McGihon said.
Senior Kurt Boehm led the Triton charge, winning both of the individual events claimed by the Tritons. In the 200-yard freestyle, the German transfer christened a new meet record by more than two full seconds while leaving the second- and third-place Anteater finishers in his wake. The previous record of 1 minute, 41.89 seconds, set in 2003 by UC Irvine’s Phil Garcia, didn’t hold water against Boehm’s 1:39.81. Seniors Michael Baier and Brady Gosling rounded out UCSD’s scoring in the event, taking fourth and fifth place, respectively.
In the 200 individual medley, Boehm led teammates Baier and junior Ben Falcioni to sweep the second-to-last event of the meet. Touching the wall at 1:50.62, Boehm shattered the best UC Irvine time in the record books, set by Jeff Klatt in 1990.
But the key for the men’s team in keeping the meet close was not the number of events won but the number of races in which Tritons took second, third and sometimes fourth. UCSD took second place in 12 of the 13 events it did not win and took third in six of those races. In swimming, points of descending value are awarded to the top-five places, thereby making non-first finishes almost as valuable as victories at the end of the day.
The women’s team encountered difficulty beating the Anteaters to the wall, and a lack of depth assured that victory would be unattainable for the Tritons. The UCSD women were swept in four individual races and struggled to consistently earn lower-value points.
Senior Rosanna Delurgio and sophomore Emily Harlan won the 100-yard breaststroke and the 100-yard freestyle, respectively — two of the Tritons’ four victories that day — but their efforts were instantly countered by UC Irvine due to a lack of follow-up. Delurgio, for example, earned nine points with her first-place race; however, because the four subsequent finishers were Anteaters who earned four, three, two and one points respective to their finish, the Tritons lost the event, 10-9.
Delurgio’s 1:03.43 victory in the 100 breast was especially noteworthy in light of her breaking the UC Irvine pool record in the event, formerly held by UC Berkeley’s Staciana Stitts, for her 1:03.52 set in 2000.
Weighing these results only weeks before the Pacific Collegiate Swimming Conference Championships, it is important to note that the Triton women’s team came directly off of a dual meet against USD on Jan. 22, which the Tritons won handily, 170-120.
The Tritons won 12 of 16 events, including sweeps of both the one-meter and three-meter diving competitions and wins in both the 400-yard medley and 400 freestyle relays.
“Both teams are going to be in the top-three at nationals,” McGihon said.
The team and fans alike have plenty to look forward to at the PCSC Championships held from Feb. 16 to Feb. 19 in Long Beach, Calif., and again at the NCAA Division II Championships from March 9 to March 12 in Orlando, Fla.
