UCSB’s men’s and women’s swim teams begin competition at the Big West Championships today at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach. The Gauchos have various conference titles to uphold from until Saturday.
For the most up-to-minute coverage of the meet, click here.
Senior and team captain, Anne Marie May, will be looking to uphold her titles in both the 50 and 100 freestyle. She has won both events in each of her previous three conference meets.
Senior Naomi Javanifard will be defending a pair of individual titles: the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.
The Gaucho women will also be looking to repeat as the conference’s 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay champs.
On the men’s side, UCSB looks to take home its third consecutive championship and fifth in the last seven seasons. The Gauchos have been solid in the run up to the Championships with two meet wins in their last three outings. The club has individuals in the top three times of six events as well as posting the top time in three of the five relays.
Junior Kevin Kuhn will attempt to defend his 100 freestyle crown while sophomore Kevin Ferguson will look to repeat as the 100 backstroke winner.
The Gaucho men are also the reigning 200 free relay, 400 free relay and 200 medley relay champions.
The UC Santa Barbara swim teams will take on the rest of the Big West this week as the Gauchos look to defend their league titles at the conference championships at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach.
In the women’s competition, UCSB is going for its record fifth consecutive Big West title, tying the Gauchos with former league member Nevada for the most consecutive league championships. The club has been dominant this season, posting top three times in 12 events and having an overall event leader in four of those competitions. UCSB also enters the meet having won three consecutive dual meets and won last season’s title by 135 points.
The Gaucho women’s program has won a total of 13 Big West team titles while the men’s program boasts 28.
The Big West Swimming and Diving Championships will be broadcast live on BigWest.TV. Coverage of daytime prelims will not be shown but catch all the night events at BigWest.TV after 6 p.m.
