SWIMMING & DIVING — The Tritons inaugurated the newly repaired Canyon View Aquatic Center with a victory against their visiting Claremont-Mudd-Scripps opponents at the UCSD swim team’s Oct. 24 2009-10 season-opening meet.
“I am very happy where we are at as far as racing,” head coach Scott McGihon said. “This was an outstanding first meet.”
The Triton women emerged with a dominant 180-115 win, while the men’s team scored an equally impressive 197-97 victory over the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps swimmers.
Collectively, the UCSD swimmers and divers won 23 of the day’s 32 events.
The Tritons had multiple winners in several individual events. Freshman Katherine Tse and senior Daniel Perdew both took the 50- and 100-yard freestyle heats for the Tritons, while junior Anju Shimura won the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events. Additionally, freshman Bethany Dong and senior Jereme Barnett-Woods both won the 500- and 1000-yard distance events.
The relay teams on both sides were equally successful. Shimura partnered with teammates Tse, sophomore Mercedes O’Brien and junior Jessica Ferguson to win the 200-medley relay with a time of 1:48.87.
The men’s team — which included Perdew, freshman Julius Espiritu, seniors Juan Pablo Carillo and Todd Langland — took the same event on the men’s side with a time of 1:34.05.
The meet marked the first official competition for the diving team. Freshman diver Tyler Runsten wasted little time making an impact in his first NCCA competition, winning the men’s one-meter and three-meter diving events.
He scored an impressive 290.85 in the latter event — despite the fact that the diving team has been unable to practice their full repertoire, because Canyon View had been closed for about a month.
“I wasn’t even sure what dives we were going to do,” Runsten said. “We haven’t been diving three meters due to the pool situation, so I just went for big dives. I have no regrets. I am proud and happy.”
McGihon was particularly pleased with Runsten’s performance.
“He was outstanding,” McGihon said. “Considering it’s his first meet as a first-time freshman, [it was] very impressive.”
Runsten said his performance expectations can be credited to his team’s cohesion heading into the season.
“The team thus far has been a great experience,” Runsten said. “I love this team. We hang out every night.”
McGihon said he would like to continue developing the team’s dynamic, and is keeping his eye on of the long-term goal of making the NCAA National Competition.
“We need to work on our level of focus,” McGihon said. “With the pool open, it’s better for everyone. We can enjoy some continuity and flow to training. We want to win these league meets, but preparing for the NCAA is the longer-term plan.”
The UCSD swim and diving team will look to build on last Saturday’s results when they visit San Diego State on Nov. 6, where the Tritons will compete against hosts Aztecs and Texas Christian University.
Readers can contact Vishal Natarajan at [email protected].
