MICHAEL MANTEL Sophomore Kristen Tinney and the rest of the Bruins hope to defend their Pac-10 title at Long Beach.
By Oshin Aivazian
Daily Bruin Contributor
The most intense competition of swimming in the western United States is under way in Long Beach – the Pac-10 Championships.
The UCLA swimming team is confident that they can repeat their past role as champions, especially since the meet is so close to home.
The loss to USC in the last swim meet of the season two weeks ago has in no way discouraged the team.
“We had the best heart and we gave it all we have,” swimmer Stacy Kearny said. “We know at the Pac-10s we’re going to beat them.”
The support of fans, which has provided the Bruins with a driving force all season, is expected to be as large as in past home meets.
“We love you UCLA fans!” the team yelled after the USC meet, hoping that the same rowdy crowd would join them in Long Beach.
The opponents the Bruins will face in the Pac-10 Championships are all too familiar – among them Stanford, California and USC.
With two meets against the Trojans in the past month, the Bruins have probably encountered crosstown rival USC in the pool as many times as they’ve driven past them on the freeway.
“We know what to expect,” diving coach Tom Stebbins said. “We’re prepared to try our best.”
The diving team looks to add valuable points to the overall team score, as they compete in the separate diving portion of the Pac-10 Championships, held in Tucson, Ariz.