The ASU swim team picked up a pair of losses on the road Friday night against the No.7/11 ranked Trojans of the University of Southern California.
Regardless of multiple first-place finishes, the Sun Devils could not keep up with their Californian counterparts. By the end of the of the meet, the ASU women fell 121-168, while the men’s side lost 126-173.
Among those keeping the team afloat throughout this tough matchup were various underclassmen, a testament to the program’s young talent. Evan Carlson, a sophomore, anchored the team’s second place finish in the 200 medley relay, as well as taking first in the 50 free, 100 free, and kicked off the 400 free relay to take yet another first-place win.
Khalil Fonder, one member of the program’s nationally recognized freshman class, got his own victory by finishing first in the 100 fly.
On the women’s front, the underclassmen continued to shine. Sophomores Caitlyn Wilson (1000 free), Nora Deleske (400 individual medley), Camryn Curry (200 medley relay, 50 free, 100 free, 400 free relay), Emma Nordin (500 free, 400 free relay), and Erica Laning (500 free, 400 free relay) all succeeded in getting atop the podium.
Nordin took first in the 500 free while Laning took second. Curry, Laning, Nordin and senior Marlies Ross dominated in the 400 free relay, taking the top spot.
Junior Chloe Iselta continued to put up great times for her backstroke events, coming in second place for both the 100 and 200 backstroke.
The diving team held their own against the Trojans. Graduate student David Hoffer and freshman Brandon Spencer placed second and third, respectively, in the 3-meter event. Meanwhile, sophomore Ashley McCool took first place in both the 1-meter and 3-meter.
Although the men's team managed to avoid getting swept in a single event, the meet resulted in only four first-place victories for the team, a lower number than the squad is used to. The women struggled most in the 100 breaststroke and 200 fly, which were the two events that gave them the hardest time during their last meet against Florida State.
It’s a quick turnaround for ASU's women’s swim and dive team, as they go head-to-head against the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, Nov. 3. The men's team will pick back up alongside the women's team on Wednesday, Nov. 14 as they travel to Austin, Texas to compete in the Texas Diving Invitational.
Reach the reporter at kcdoyle2@asu.edu or follow @kellydoyle06 on Twitter.
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