NORTHRIDGE – The UCSB men’s and women’s swim teams opened the 2008-09 season with a dual meet victory over Big West Conference foe Cal State Northridge on Saturday afternoon at Matador Pool. The women defeated the Matadors, 122-27, and the men captured the dual win with a 138-58 score.
The Gaucho men got the meet off on the right foot when they went one-two in the opening 400 medley relay. The team of Kevin Ferguson, Adam Gonzales, Josh Cannon and Dan Morris (3:33.71) beat out teammates Brock Roverud, Cody Miller, Tyler Hayden and Chris Peterson for first-place.
From that point forward, the meet was dominated by the Gaucho freshman men who turned in six first-place finishes for UCSB.
Freshman Ryan Garcia captured two first-place finishes, turning in the top times in the 100 butterfly (1:54.58) and the 500 free (4:48.37). He also finished second to classmate Mitchell Long in the 200 IM. Long posted a time of 1:55.41 in the event while Garcia went 1:56.48.
Freshman Ethan Bradley was also a double winner as he posted a meet-best time of 1:45.37 in the 200 freestyle and a mark of 1:54.81 in the 200 backstroke.
The 1000 free was won by freshman Jimmy Gaston with a time of 9:58.29, just beating out Gaucho sophomore Chris Day who touched the wall in 9:59.06.
Kevin Kuhn represented the UCSB sophomore class with wins in the 50 free (21.94) and 100 free (77.72).
Like the men, the Gaucho women dominated their side of the dual meet, capturing nine first-place finishes.
The women got the meet rolling with the top finish in the 400 medley relay. The team consisting of Kendall Neely, Sara Nicponski, Katie Ure and Nadia Dwidar posted the top time, finishing in 3:55.75.
In the distance events, Lindsay Gaudinier captured first in the 1000 free (10:29.17) while freshman Meagan Brown took the top place in the 500 free with a time of 5:11.03.
Freshman Alex Hilber beat out teammate, and school record-holder, Courtney Bauer in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:55.19. Bauer returned the favor in the 100 free, out-touching Hilber with a mark of 53.28. Senior Nadia Dwidar captured first in the 50 free with a time of 24.68.
Sophomore Kelsey Lewis took first in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:01.23. She also turned in the top-time while swimming exhibition in the 200 breast (2:25.04).
Sophomore Brittany Borowitz, who went 2:11.42 in the 200 individual medley, and junior Katie Ure, who went 2:10.40 in the 200 backstroke, rounded out the Gaucho first-place finishes.
The UCSB women’s swim team will be back in action on Nov. 7 when the Gauchos travel to UCLA to take on the Bruins and Oregon State at 1 p.m. Both teams will hit the waters of Campus Pool on Nov. 14 for their home opener against UC San Diego at 1 p.m.
