No. 4/15 USC Swimming and Diving Set For Action Packed Weekend in Los Angeles – University of Southern California Official Athletic Site

Women’s Swimming & Diving | January 11, 2024

LOS ANGELES – The USC men’s (No. 15) and women’s (No. 4) swimming teams continue spring competition this weekend as the Trojans host UC San Diego and Utah (women only) for a 2 p.m. nonconference dual meet at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center on Saturday, Jan. 6. 
 
The No. 4 Women of Troy (3-0) look to extend their unbeaten streak, while No. 15 Troy (1-2) looks to reach the .500 mark in dual action. 

Friday’s meet will be live streamed here and live results will be available on the Meet Mobile App. 
 
DIVING IN ACTION:
USC’s diving squad will also be in action this weekend as they take on the three-day crosstown Bruin Diving Invitational. 10 Trojans will be in action for the first time this year at the Spieker Aquatics Center, competing in all three events. Additionally, USC will participate in the ‘team’ event on Saturday. 
 
Competition will begin at 10:30 a.m. each day of the diving invitational. This weekend’s diving invite features divers from 14 different programs, including three Pac-12 schools. Besides the host Bruins, schools entering divers include Stanford, USC, Utah, Cal Baptist University, BYU, Fresno State, Hawai’i, Minnesota, Northern Arizona University, Pepperdine, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, and Wisconsin.
 

BRUIN DIVING INVITE TIMELINE 

Jan. 12-14 (all times approximate)

Friday, Jan. 13
Men’s 3M – Prelims –10:30 a.m. PT / Finals – 12:15 p.m. PT
Women’s 1M – Prelims – 10:30 a.m. PT / Finals – 12:30 p.m. PT
Team Event 2 p.m. PT

Saturday, Jan. 14
Men’s Platform – Prelims – 10:30 a.m. PT / Finals – 12:15 p.m. PT
Women’s 3M – Prelims – 10:30 a.m. PT / Finals – 12:30 p.m. PT
UCLA vs. Utah – 11 a.m. PT

Sunday, Jan. 15
Men’s 1M – Prelims – 10:30 a.m. PT / Finals – 12 p.m. PT
Women’s Platform – Prelims – 10:30 a.m. PT / Finals – 1:15 p.m. PT
 
SO FAR THIS SEASON: 
In their first appearance at home this season, the Trojans captured all six ‘dual’ wins at the USC Invitational, taking down Hawaii, UCSB and UCSD in the process. The Women of Troy swept all four relays, with Troy also winning three of four relays (400y medley relay, 200y medley relay and 400y free relay). 
 
USC touched first in 11 individual events on both the men’s and women’s sides at the USC Invitational. Claiming 1-2-3-4 in a dominant 200y free performance was Claire Tuggle (1:45.50), Vasilissa Buinaia (1:46.07), Macky Hodges (1:47.81) and Hannah Kuechler (1:48.48). The Chmielewski twins led a 1-2 finish in the 500y free with Krzysztof (4:16.53) and Michael (4:27.36) touching first and second, respectively.

The USC women’s squad opened the season with a victory on the road, capturing the SMU Classic Invitational women’s team title. Troy finished third at the invite.  
 
In Dallas, the Trojans swept the ‘Swimmer of the Meet’ awards, with Justina Kozan winning on the women’s side, and Chris O’Grady claiming the men’s high point title. 

Kaitlyn Dobler captured the 100y breaststroke in a pool and meet record time of 57.35, lowering her previous meet record set last year (59.09). Dobler was the lone Trojan to earn NCAA automatic bids at the meet, meeting the standard in both the 100y (57.35) and 200y breaststroke (2:05.59). 
 
Additionally, 16 Trojans have picked up NCAA Provisional times. On the women’s side – Anicka Delgado (50y free – 22.05 / 100y free – 48.44 / 100y fly – 52.08), Justina Kozan (200y free – 1:46.14 / 400y IM – 4:03.25 / 200y fly – 1:56.55 / 100y back – 53.11 / 500y free – 4:38.47), Vasilissa Buinaia (50y free – 21.95 / 100y free – 47.40 / 200y free – 1:44.18), Claire Tuggle (100y free – 48.94 / 200y free – 1:44.54 / 500y free – 4:39.16 / 200y IM – 1:58.76 / 400y IM – 4:12.12), Minna Abraham (50y free – 22.44 / 100y free – 48.36 / 200y free – 1:41.38/ 500y free – 4:41.74 / 200y IM – 1:55.78 / 400y IM – 4:11.77), Caroline Famous (50y free – 22.34 / 100y Free – 49.78 / 100y fly – 53.47 / 100y back – 51.48 / 200y back – 1:56.04), Ella Flowers (400y IM – 4:15.74), Hannah Kuechler (200y free – 1:45.13 / 50y Free – 22.58 / 100y free – 48.78), Macky Hodges (200y back – 1:53.75 / 200y fly – 1:58.94 / 200y free – 1:45.06 / 200y IM – 1:58.07 / 400y IM – 4:12.62) and Katherine Adams (100y breast – 1:01.24 / 200y breast – 2:11.53 / 200y IM – 1:58.41). On the men’s side – Artem Selin (50y free – 19.12 / 100y free – 42.94), Krzysztof Chmielewski (500y free – 4:13.84/ 100y fly – 46.56 / 200y fly – 1:41.20 / 1650y free – 14:37.74*), Chris O’Grady (200y IM – 1:45.14 / 400y IM – 3:47.73 / 100y breast – 51.53 / 200y breast – 1:52.86), Vaggelis Makyrgiannis (100y back – 46.39 / 200y back – 1:42.16 / 200y free – 1:35.79), Michal Chmielewski (100y fly – 47.00 / 200y fly – 1:42.17/ 100y back – 47.28) and Ben Dillard (100y breast – 52.58 / 200y breast – 1:52.50 / 200y IM – 1:43.24). 
 
In November, the Women of Troy opened Pac-12 competition with a pair of desert dual wins, downing No. 21 ASU and Arizona. Against No. 1 ASU and Arizona, Troy would come up short of a victory, falling to 0-2 to start the season. 
 
At the mid-season championship invite, USC set a batch of school records and turned in some of the top times in the country. The Women of Troy opened the meet with a statement win, claiming the 200y medley relay in a school record time of 1:34.07 as Caroline Famous, Kaitlyn Dobler, Anicka Delgado and Vasilissa Buinaia combined to take the event. USC closed out the evening with another major swim in the 800y freestyle relay, as Claire Tuggle, Buinaia, Justina Kozan and Minna Abraham posted an NCAA leading time of 6:53.54 to earn an automatic cut and claim the victory. Thursday saw senior Ben Dillard (200y IM) and the Women of Troy’s 400y medley A-relay each set school records during the second day of action at the Texas Hall of Fame Swimming Invitational. Dillard, whose previous season best was a 1:47.73, dropped over four seconds to clock a 1:43.24 en route to a fourth-place finish. The third day of action was highlighted by freshman Minna Abraham’s 200y freestyle school record (1:41.38) and a women’s 200y freestyle relay record (Buinaia, Delgado, Dobler and Abraham – 1:27.07). The final day of action included one of the biggest swims of the season for freshman Krzysztof Chmielewski, who dominated both the 1650y freestyle and the 200y fly. Chmielewski entered the meet with the country’s top time in the mile at 14:41.62, but further solidified the top spot after firing a 14:37.74 in Austin to take the event and win by a margin of 22 seconds. That time would have been good enough for fifth place at last year’s NCAA meet. The Trojan rookie would later return to blast a 1:41.61 and claim the 200y fly championship final. 
 
After impressive performances during the month of November, Krzysztof Chmielewski and Minna Abraham each earned Pac-12 ‘Swimmer of the Month’ honors.
 
USC men’s and women’s swimming opened spring action with wins over UNLV at home on January 6. The Women of Troy swept the Rebels as Trojan Anicka Delgado contributed a pair of individual event wins en route to a Pac-12 Women’s Swimmer of the Week award. 
 
MID-SEASON ADDITIONS: 
Boasting an already talented squad, USC swimming had added two stars to their roster for the spring with the arrival of freshmen Sanberk Oktar and Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Hansen. 
 
Oktar hails from Instanbul, Turkey, where he was a European and World Junior Champion in the 200y individual medley and a Turkish 17-18 age group national record holder (1:59.89). The 2022 Islamic Games 200 IM silver medalist prepped at Fenerbahce and with the Zafer Sports Club. He’s been on the Turkish national team for five years. 
 
Hansen, an accomplished breaststroker, is a three-time Australian School Sport Champion and Queensland State Champion. The Brisbane native prepped at the Iona Swim Club, the Rackley Swim Club and Cannon Hill Anglican College.