Women's Swimming & Diving | January 22, 2018

The No. 9 USC women's swimming and diving team puts its unbeaten record on the line this week when it hosts Pac-12 unbeaten rivals No. 3 California on Friday (Jan. 26) at 2 p.m. and No. 2 Stanford on Saturday (Jan. 27) at noon at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
 
The Trojans enter the weekend at 7-0 overall, 4-0 in the Pac-12. California is also 7-0, 4-0, while Stanford is 5-0, 4-0. USC has won two of its last three meets against the Bears, including a home win in 2016, 153-147. The last time the Trojans hosted Stanford in 2016, the Cardinal edged USC, 152-148.
 
Cal and Stanford are both coming off home sweeps of the Arizona schools last week. Among the top Bears are Olympian Abbey Weitzeil, ranked first in the nation in the 50y free (21.44) and second in the 100y free (46.95). Fellow Olympian Kathleen Baker owns the top time in the 100y back (50.62), 200y IM (1:53.24) and is third in the 200y back while teammate Amy Bilquist is second in the 200y back, ninth in the 100y back and eighth in the 50y free. Noemie Thomas has top 6 times in the 100y and 200y fly.
 
Stanford is led by Olympian Katie Ledecky, who owns the nation's top times in the 500y (4:27.84), 1000y (9:09.34) and 1650y free (15:03.31) and the 400y IM (3:59.69). Janet Hu has a pair of top 10 times in the 50y and 100y free and joins Ally Howe with top 10 times in the back events. Katie Drabot (1:51.74) and Ella Eastin (1:52.03) are currently 1-2 in the 200y fly and Eastin is tied for first in the 200y IM (1:53.24). Ledecky, Eastin and Brooke Forde are 1-2-3 in the country in the 400y IM. Olympian Simone Manuel swam for the first time this season last week, returning from a year-long injury by winning both the 50y and 100y free.
 
The Trojans' strong start to the 2017-18 season has seen the women open with dual meet wins over San Diego, Oregon State, CSU Bakersfield, Washington State, Arizona State, Arizona and Wisconsin, as well as winning the SMU Classic in Dallas. USC also contributed in a major way to the Pac-12's win over Team USA in the exhibition USA College Challenge in mid-October on the Trojan campus.
 
FAST TIMES
The Trojans have posted numerous strong NCAA consideration times and have even registered a handful automatics. USC women A cuts include sophomore Louise Hansson's 1:43.19 in the 200y free, 100y fly (50.41) and 200y fly (1:52.66), junior Riley Scott in the 100y breast (58.64) and freshman Maggie Aroesty's 2:06.88 in the 200y breast. USC also has A cuts in the 400y and 800y free relays and the 200y and 400y medley relays.
 
USC Women With NCAA B Cuts
Maggie Aroesty: 400y IM (4:10.18), 100y breast (59.96), 200y IM (1:57.94).
Marta Ciesla: 50y free (22.23), 100y free (48.76).
Lily Dubroff: 100y fly (53.97).
Louise Hansson: 50y free (22.74), 100y free (47.57, 0.04 off A), 200y IM (1:55.80), 100y back (52.79), 200y back (1:52.26).
Lexie Malazdrewicz: 100y free (49.46), 200y free (1:45.81).
Becca Mann: 500y free (4:44.53), 1650y free (16:11.53), 400y IM (4:16.56)
Abby Miller: 100y back (54.94).
Isabella Rongione: 500y free (4:45.46),1650y free (16:24.74).
Catherine Sanchez: 50y free (22.95), 100y fly (52.79), 200y fly (1:57.11).
Riley Scott: 200y breast (2:07.99), 200y IM (1:55.63), 400y IM (4:14.35).
Elizabeth Stinson: 500y free (4:45.37), 1650y free (16:14.11).
Carly Souza: 1-Meter (279.04), 3-Meter (298.35), Platform (247.75).
Caitlin Tycz: 100y fly (53.23), 200y fly (1:57.15).
Tatum Wade: 200y free (1:45.57), 500y free (4:45.95), 200y fly (1:58.24), 200y IM (1:56.69).
Hannah Weiss: 100y back (52.35), 200y back (1:56.22), 100y fly (54.29).
Madi Witt: 1-Meter (266.90), 3-Meter (304.20), Platform (252.50).
Maddie Wright: 100y fly (52.61), 200y fly (1:54.05), 500y free (4:47.21).
 
2017-18 HIGHLIGHTS
* Scott's 58.64 in the 100y breast leads the nation entering January competition. Areosty's 2:06.88 in the 200y breast is third best with Scott's 2:07.99 seventh best. Hansson's 50.41 in the 100y fly is second best and her 1:52.66 in the 200y fly is third best while Maddie Wright's 1:54.05 is fifth best. Hansson's 1:43.19 in the 200y free is fourth best and her 47.57 in the 100y free is sixth best. Freshman Marta Ciesla's 50y free of 22.23 is tied for 15^th in the country.
 
* SMU CLASSIC: The USC women won eight A heats and six B heats to capture the six-team 2017 SMU Classic, finishing with 331 points, edging second-place Louisville by a half point. Sophomore Louise Hansson earned Swimmer of the Meet honors with wins in the A heats of the 100y fly (51.56), 200y back (1:52.26) and 200y IM (1:55.80). Junior Riley Scott swept the A 100y (59.56) and 200y breast (2:08.20) and won the B heats of both IM races. Freshman Maggie Aroesty won the 400y IM (4:10.18) and took the B heats of both breast events. Freshman Marta Ciesla won the 50y free (22.63) and junior Maddie Wright won the 200y fly (1:54.97).
 
* USA College Challenge: The Trojans had four women and four men race for the Pac-12 team that defeated Team USA, 326.5-286.5 in the two-day, USC-hosted USA College Challenge on Oct. 21-22 that pitted current Pac-12 swimmers against current U.S. national teamers. Sophomore Louise Hansson won two races, taking the 100y fly in 51.28, 0.03 off Kendyl Stewart's pool record, and later won the 100y free in 47.57 to lower Anika Apostalon's pool mark by 0.21. Freshman Maggie Aroesty crushed the 200y breast to win with a PR of 2:06.88, breaking former Trojan and Olympic champion Rebecca Soni's pool record of 2:07.86. Junior Riley Scott was just off Soni's pool record for third (2:07.99). Hansson was later second in the 200y free in 1:43.19, also under the old pool record, while junior Maddie Wright was third in the 200y fly (1:55.09). Hansson also led off the final and first-place 400y free relay with a 47.58 while Aroesty (59.98) and Scott (1:00.16), finished fourth and fifth, respectively in the 100y breast. Meanwhile for the men, junior Patrick Mulcare (1:40.44) and freshman Robert Glinta (1:40.50) turned in a huge 1-2 finish Saturday in the 200y back, finishing just ahead of Olympic champ Ryan Murphy in third (1:40.62) and fellow former Cal swimmer Jacob Pebley in fourth (1:40.90). Mulcare broke Pebley's pool record of 1:41.55. Sunday's men action was highlighted for USC by Glinta's win in the 100y back as he won in 45.97, defeating Matt Grevers (46.10) and Murphy (46.15), the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champions in the event. Dylan Carter was second in the men's 100y free in 42.95, 0.22 back of Tom Shields, who lowered Trojan Vladimir Morozov's pool record of 42.93. Carter (1:34.16) was also second to Shields (1:33.70) on Sunday in the 200y free.
 
* TEXAS INVITATIONAL: Senior Santo Condorelli won the 100y free (42.10), freshman Marta Ciesla won the 50y free (22.23), junior Riley Scott won the 100y breast (58.64) while sophomore Louise Hansson won the 100y (50.41) and 200y fly (1:53.79) to highlight the Texas Invitational for USC. Hansson also joined Hannah Weiss, Riley Scott and Marta Ciesla to win the 200y and 400y medley relays. Freshman Maggie Aroesty (2:07.31) and Scott (2:08.22) went 2-3 in the 200y breast, Aroesty was third in the 100y breast (1:00.02) and Scott also took third in the 200y IM (1:55.63) with Hansson fourth (1:56.30). Junior Patrick Mulcare was second in the 200y back with a school-record 1:39.18 and was sixth in the 200y IM and seventh in the 100y back. Sophomore Tatum Wade was third in the 200y free (1:45.57), senior Hannah Weiss was third in the 100y back (53.84) while Condorelli was also fourth in the 50y free (19.48) and Ciesla was fourth in the 100y free (48.76).
 
* European SC: The Trojans had a huge week at the 2017 European Short Course Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, as current, incoming and former USC swimmers made it a Cardinal and Gold party. Romanian freshman Robert Glinta came back with hardware after winning bronze in the 100m back in 49.99 after reaching the final with a 50.30 in the semifinals. He was also fifth in the 50m back (23.19) 0.14 out of first, 0.07 off the podium. Swedish sophomore Louise Hansson also collected a medal, earning a silver as part of her country's 4x50m free relay, swimming the third leg. She also reached the final of the 100m fly, taking fourth in 56.56, 0.34 out of third. She qualified for the final with a 57.10 in the semis. She also reached the semifinals of the 100m free (53.19), finishing ninth, one spot from the final. Trojan NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist Katinka Hosszu was her usual dominant self, winning six gold medals for Hungary in the 100m, 200m and 400m IM and the 50m, 100m and 200m back. Fellow USC international great Vladimir Morozov captured four medals, helping Russia win gold in the 4x50m free and medley relays and a silver in the 4x50m mixed free relay in addition to his gold in the 50m free (he was first through prelims and semifinals, too), Incoming Swedish freshman Victor Johansson made a pair of final appearances, finishing fourth in the 400m free (3:39.35) and powering to fifth in the 1500m free (14:34.46).
 
* Hansson was named SwimSwam's Swimmer of the Month for October for her strong work at the SMU Classic and USA College Challenge.
 
* USC's women's captains for the 2017-18 season are senior Lexie Malazdrewicz and juniors Allie Wooden and Lily Dubroff. Seniors Jason O'Brien, Santo Condorelli and Ralf Tribuntsov serve as captains for the men.  
LAST YEAR
The women's team was ninth last year at the NCAA Championships and returns five of its seven All-Americans from last season, led by sophomore Louise Hansson, who was a six-time All-American as a 2017 freshman. Also back are a quartet of junior All-Americans in Hanni Leach, Riley Scott, Kirsten Vose and Maddie Wright. Others back with NCAA experience are senior Hannah Weiss, juniors Allie Wooden, Elizabeth Stinson and diver Maddie Witt as well as sophomores Becca Mann, who was an NCAA 'B' finalist last year, Tatum Wade and Catherine Sanchez.
 
The Trojan women finished third at the 2017 Pac-12 Championships a year after winning their first team title, led by Hansson and Scott. Hansson, the Swedish Olympian, won a Pac-12 title in the 100y fly in a school-record 50.39, took third in the 200y IM and tied for third in the 100y free. She was part of three relay records (both medleys and the 400y free) and her lead off 100y free (47.03) and lead off 200 (1:42.10) in the 800y free relay also set records.
 
Scott was USC's other Pac-12 winner, claiming her first conference crown in the 200y breast. She was also second in the 100y breast and won the B final of the 400y IM. Vose was a three-time finalist for the second year in row while Wade was USC's other three-time finalist. Wright challenged for a title in the 200y fly and finished second to go with an eighth in the 100y fly. Leach reached her first A final in the 100y back and Sanchez debuted as a 200y fly A finalist while divers Witt (3-meter, platform) and now sophomores Naomi Gowlett (1-meter, 3-meter) and Carly Souza (platform) also reached finals.
 
The women bring in a quartet of swimmers ready to make an immediate impact this year including current U.S. national teamer Isabella Rongione as well as Maggie Aroesty, Marta Ciesla and Caitlin Tycz.
 
NOTES
On Oct. 21, five members of the USC swim team visited the UCLA Children's Hospital through the Big Smiles Program.  For about 3 hours they painted, played games, and hung out with the kids. The five members were Thomas Reed, Allie Wooden, Marta Ciesla, Caitlin Tcyz, and Billy Monjay.