Trojans Return To Action Against Oregon State, Minnesota

Meet set for Friday at 2 p.m.

Hali Helfgott

Maddie Meisel

Women's Swimming & Diving | January 17, 2019

USC's No. 9 men's and No. 7 women's swim teams resume the 2018-19 season with their first meet of the spring semester against the Oregon State women and the Minnesota men's and women's teams on Friday (Jan. 18) at 2 p.m. while Trojan divers will compete at the Bruin Diving Invitational Friday through Sunday (Jan. 18-20).

The Trojan men are 3-0 to start the season while the women's squad is 4-0 and has also posted a second-place finish at the SMU Classic.

FAST TIMES

USC's fall semester of swimming netted a slew of NCAA A and B cuts and spots in the nation's top 25 list.

Junior Louise Hansson leads both squads with an impressive eight times among the NCAA's top 15 fastest times, including the nation's leading times in the 100y fly (49.80, matching her NCAA winning time last season) and the 200y fly (1:51.52). Both are NCAA A cuts, as is her 1:42.56 in the 200y free. She also has B times in the 50y (22.10) and 100y free (47.88), the 100y (51.43) and 200y back (1:53.10) and the 200y IM (1:55.49).

Senior Maddie Wright has the USC women's other A cut, a 1:52.48 in the 200y fly, good for third best in the nation. She also owns NCAA B cuts in the 500y free (4:43.90, USC's top time this year) and in the 100y fly (52.37).

Senior Riley Scott also has four B times in the 200y (1:58.97) and 400y IM (4:12.15) and the 100y (59.55) and 200y breast (2:08.13), the latter two times both among the nation's top 10.

Many Trojans have posted multiple B times including senior Elizabeth Stinson in the 500y (4:45.55) and 1650y free (16:21.52), junior Kirsten Vose in the 100y free (48.90) and 100y (1:00.33) and 200y breast (2:11.74), junior Tatum Wade in the 100y (48.65) and 200y free (1:44.37), 200y IM (1:56.56) and 200y back (1:57.19), sophomore Maggie Aroesty in the 100y (1:00.31) and 200y breast (2:08.93) and the 200y IM (1:59.09), sophomore Marta Ciesla in the 50y (21.85) and 100y free (47.89), sophomore Caitlin Tycz in the 100y (52.21) and 200y fly (1:54.89), junior Catherine Sanchez in the 100y (52.49) and 200y fly (1:55.57), freshman Isa Odgers in the 100y (1:01.32) and 200y breast (2:11.45) and the 200y IM (1:59.17) and 400y IM (4:15.55) and freshman Makenna Turner in the 100y (53.68) and 200y fly (1:57.38).

USC's 800y free relay of Hansson, Wade, Vose and Wright own the nation's top time (6:56.33), the 400y free relay of Hansson, Wade, Vose and Ciesla is third best in the country (3:11.96) and Troy's 400y medley relay of Hansson, Scott, Tycz and Ciesla is ranked sixth (3:31.15).

For the men, seniors Patrick Mulcare (1:38.91 in the 200y back) and Carsten Vissering (50.88 in the 100y breast) both own the nation's top times – and NCAA A cuts -- in their respective specialties. Mulcare also has a B time in the 200y IM (1:45.19) and the 100y back (45.90) while Vissering also has a B cut in the 200y breast (1:45.22). Others with multiple B cuts include senior Alex Valente in the 100y (45.95) and 200y fly (1:44.33), freshman Alexei Sancov in the 100y (43.54), 200y (1:34.22) and 500y free (4:21.91), freshman Victor Johansson in the 500y free (4:17.06) and the 1650y free (15:17.22), sophomore Nikola Miljenic in the 50y (19.36) and 100y free (42.91) and the 100y fly (47.06) and junior Mario Koenigsperger in the 100y (52.54) and the 200y breast (1:56.31). Others with single B cuts include senior Kyle Grissom in the 50y free (19.60), freshman Owen Kao in the 500y free (4:21.59), sophomore Mark Jurek in the 200y fly (1:45.29) and senior Walker Bell in the 200y fly (1:45.82).

USC's 200y medley relay of Mulcare, Vissering, Grissom and Miljenic is second-best in the country at 1:23.84 and its 400y medley relay with Mulcare, Vissering, Miljenic and Sancov is seventh at 3:06.39, both NCAA A cuts.

SMU Classic

The Trojans finished second at the 2018 SMU Classic, posting a combined five individual A heat victories. Louise Hansson swept the 100y (51.84) and 200y (1:53.10) back while Riley Scott took the 100y breast (1:59.55) and 200y IM (1:59.52). Marta Ciesla won the 50y free (22.18).

Texas Invitational

The Trojans won five individual races as well as two relays in the 2018 Texas Invitational. Louise Hansson won a pair of races, taking the 100y fly in 49.80, matching her NCAA-title-winning time from last year while capturing the 200y fly in 1:51.52, both NCAA-leading times. Maddie Wright was second behind Hansson in the 200y fly (1:52.48) and fourth in the 100y fly (52.38) … USC went 1-2 in the women's 200y breast as Maggie Aroesty hit the wall first in 2:08.93 with Riley Scott right behind in 2:09.01, Scott (59.99) and Aroesty (1:00.31) went 2-3 in the 100y breast as well … Patrick Mulcare claimed the 200y back in a nation's leading 1:38.91 while Carsten Vissering won the 100y breast in 50.88, breaking his school record also en route to the top time in the country … USC's women's 800y free relay of Hansson, Tatum Wade, Kirsten Vose and Wright won in 6:56.33 while the men's 200y medley relay of Mulcare, Vissering, Kyle Grissom and Nikola Miljenic won the 200y medley relay in 1:23.84 … Marta Ciesla was second in the 50y (22.03) and 100y free (47.89). Alex Valente was third in the 100y fly (45.95), Miljenic second in the 50y free (19.36), fourth in the 100y free (42.91) … Wade (1:56.77) and Vose (157.91) went 2-3 in the 200y IM. Wade was also third in the 200y free (1:44.37) and seventh in the 100y free (48.65) while Vose was fourth in the 100y breast (1:00.33). Caitlin Tycz (1:55.35) and Catherine Sanchez (1:55.57) went 4-5 in the 200y fly.

Newest Additions
Three women's swimmers will further bolster USC's spring efforts, led by junior transfer Courtney Caldwell, who was an All-American sprinter at North Carolina state before joining the Trojans. Also competing this semester is Australian sophomore freestyler and butterflyer Jemma Schlicht as well as New Zealand freshman sprinter Laticia Transom, who has been competing in Australia.

TEAM OUTLOOK
The USC women features an upperclassmen-laden squad with 12 seniors and 10 juniors, led by defending junior NCAA 100y fly champion and Trojan co-captain Louise Hansson. Her co-captain is senior Lily Dubroff.

Hansson was a three-time All-American as a 2018 sophomore, her season highlighted by capturing USC's first national title in the 100y fly with the second-fastest time ever (49.80) at the 2018 NCAA Championships. She complemented the win with a career-best third in the 200y fly while leading USC's 200y medley relay to seventh.

Senior Maddie Wright is USC's other returning individual All-American from last season after reaching the 200y fly for the second year in a row. Other All-Americans returning include fellow 200y medley relay finalists sophomore Marta Ciesla and senior Riley Scott.

Additionally, redshirt junior All-Americans Kirsten Vose and Hanni Leach are also back after missing last season due to injuries. Vose was an NCAA individual finalist in the 200y breast and 200y IM as a freshman and a two-time All-American in the 400y free relay while Leach earned All-American honors as part of USC's 2017 200y and 400y medley relays.

Scott (100y breast) and sophomore Maggie Aroesty (200y breast) return as the defending Pac-12 champions in the breaststroke and both were NCAA B final first-place finishers in each distance as well.

USC returns four veteran divers, led by three-time NCAA participant senior Madi Witt and multiple Pac-12 finalist junior Naomi Gowlett.

USC Head Coach Dave Salo, in his 13^th year directing the Trojans, also has a host of newcomers who figure to lend immediate dual meet and postseason scoring, including Isa Odgers and Makenna Turner.

The Trojans' men's team is coming off of sixth place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships and a third at the Pac-12s and will be led by a pair of returning 2018 individual All-American in seniors Patrick Mulcare and Carsten Vissering.

Mulcare is a three-time NCAA finalist in the 200y back while Vissering is a two-time finalist in the 100y breast and the only returning member of USC's 2018 NCAA title-winning 200y medley relay. Both were 2017 Pac-12 champions in their specialties.

Senior co-captain Kyle Grissom is USC's only other returning All-American as part of Troy's 200-yard freestyle relay. Junior diver Henry Fusaro is Troy's lone returning 2018 Pac-12 champion (3-meter) and is a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier while senior Pac-12 butterfly finalist and veteran NCAA participant Alex Valente is back, too.

Salo brought in a talented class of newcomers to bolster the Trojans' lineup, led by Swedish distance freestyler Victor Johansson, freestyler Alexei Sancov and freshman butterflyer and medley swimmer Ariel Spektor.

Joining Hansson as co-captain for the women's team is senior Lily Dubroff while senior Billy Monjay joins Grissom as men's team co-captain.

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