USC Trojans vs. UCLA Bruins (Women Only)
- January 31, 2025
- Uytengsu Aquatics Center, Los Angeles, California
- Short Course Yards (25 yards), NCAA Dual Meet
- Full Meet Results (PDF)
- Final Score: #12 USC 215 def. #21 UCLA 85
The latest chapter of the cross-town rivalry between USC and UCLA was written on Friday with the Trojans dominating 215-85 to earn points for the all-sports Crosstown Cup between the two schools.
While this was USC’s 33rd win in 50 all-time matchups (including one tie), this one was unique as it was the first time where the Trojans have ever won every single event against the Bruins, sweeping the day’s 16 races. The final margin was a far cry from the matchup as recently as two years ago, where USC hung on for a 4-point win.
The show-stopping matchup of the meet came in the women’s 100 breaststroke, where USC’s Kaitlyn Dobler, who placed 3rd at last year’s NCAA Championship meet, faced off against 20-year-old UCLA freshman Karolina Piechowicz, a rising star in NCAA swimming.
Dobler, who sat out the fall semester of racing, rocked a season best of 58.18 to win, but Piechowicz didn’t leave the race empty-handed: her runner-up result of 59.28 broke her own school record of 59.30 set at a dual meet two weeks ago against Stanford. Piechowicz didn’t break 1 minute during the entire fall semester, but coming out of winter training she’s done so three times.
Dobler won again later in the meet in the 200 breaststroke in 2:07.72, beating out a personal best from another UCLA Bruin Ana Jih-Schiff, who was 2nd in 2:08.23.
The USC sweep and the final score belie the competitiveness of the meet at moments. In fact, UCLA almost won the very first event of the night, leading after three legs of the 200 medley relay. A 21.94 anchor split from Vasillissa Buinaia for USC pulled away from Jih-Schiff, though, grabbing the win for the Trojans.
Emma Harvey was the big leg for UCLA, splitting 22.76 on the fly leg to pull them ahead.
Two USC swimmers won all four of their races (including relays). One was Caroline Famous, who swam the backstroke leg of the opening medley relay and also won three individual events: the 50 free in 22.15, the 100 back in 51.37, and the 100 fly in 51.84. The 100 back and 100 fly were both season best swims for her.
The other quad winner was Minna Abraham, who besides a 48.14 anchor on USC’s winning 400 free relay and a 23.26 on the winning 200 medley relay also won the 100 free individually (48.94) and the 200 free (1:44.15).
There were a mountain of season-bests for USC, a program that has swum very fast under head coach Lea Maurer but that has struggled to peak at the NCAA Championship meet. Other season-best times for the Trojans included Ashley McMillan in the 200 IM (1:56.21), which was also a lifetime best. She likewise swam a lifetime best in the 200 breast (2:10.88).
National Age Group Record-breaker Claire Tuggle won the 500 free in 4:40.13 and the 1000 free in 9:38.22. The former of those swims was a season best by almost two seconds.
The Bruins also loaded up on personal and season best times, though it didn’t earn them any wins. In the 100 back, for example, Emma Harvey finished 2nd in 52.35 and Fay Lustria finished 3rd in 52.50. Harvey’s time matched her lifetime best from the team’s dual meet against Cal two weeks ago while Lustria’s swim knocked almost seven-tenths off her personal best.
USC freshman Kate Miller swept the diving events, in both cases beating out UCLA star Eden Cheng, who was 2nd on 3-meter and platform at the Pac-12 Championships last year and finished 9th at NCAAs last year on platform. That will be a big confidence booster for Miller, a Canadian National Team member, as she heads toward her first NCAA Championship meet.
Both teams have concluded their regular season: USC with a 3-2 record in dual meets and UCLA with a 3-5 record. Both teams will head to their first Big Ten Championships in Columbus, Ohio from February 19-22. USC didn’t face a single Big Ten team in a dual meet this season, with their schedule looking very similar to their previous Pac-12 schedule with duals against teams like Cal & Stanford (ACC) and Arizona (Big 12).
