USC’s swimming and diving season is nearing its postseason, and the women’s team had an intense meet on Friday as the Trojans (7-3, 1-1) traveled across town to take on the UCLA Bruins (1-4-1, 1-1-0).
Last season, the Trojans swept the Bruins 215-85 and this time was no different. The Bruins put up an excellent fight led by star freshman Jada Duncan and strong team relay performances, but at the end of the day it was the Trojans who came away with the 174-126 victory on the road.
The first event of the meet was the 200-yard individual medley relay, where UCLA won handily. The Trojans were able to bounce back in the 1000-yard freestyle where sophomore Alexa Wong starred in an endurance test with a 10:03.7 time, earning the team valuable points.
USC graduate student Nicole Maier followed that up with a win in the 200-yard freestyle (1:44.22) and senior Ashley McMillan won an all-out sprint in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 59.64 seconds. McMillan also found success in the 200-yard breaststroke, winning in 2:09.11 while her teammate senior Ella Flowers placed third (2:11.75).
Senior Justina Kozan was unbelievable in the 200-yard butterfly, notching a win in 1:55.92. She talked about the importance of “sticking to [her] race plan” and staying focused throughout the whole race. She also was victorious in the 200-yard individual medley (1:54.32), where she narrowly beat UCLA’s Rosie Murphy (1:55.89).
“I think the team did really well today,” Kozan said. “Everyone tried their best and did their part.”
The Trojans will have to continue to do their part as they head into the Big Ten swimming championships in Minneapolis in late February. Senior Claire Tuggle also came up big for the Trojans with a win in the 500-yard freestyle.
“It is always really fun to beat UCLA, because obviously [we are] rivals and they always like to talk and make it a big deal on social media,” Tuggle said. She described how it is “always a tough time of year for meets, but [the team] all came together today and did great.”
For Tuggle, her 4:45.26 finish has made her excited for the postseason as she looks to continue her momentum.
“The 500 is my best event,” she said. “I’m excited to see what I can do at Big Tens to end the season.”
Tuggle and her teammates look to help USC win the Big Ten swimming championships and improve upon the team’s fifth-place finish from last year. It was a strong meet for the Trojans and beating their rivals has given them some positive momentum heading into February.