ASU Swim & Dive: The Sun Devils set to face familiar face of USC

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

Arizona State Men’s and Women’s Swim and Dive will face the University of Southern California on Friday, Nov. 1 at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in Tempe.

Last year, ASU suffered a tough loss to the Trojans and Friday afternoon will be the Sun Devils’ shot at redemption. Here’s what we’ve seen so far from both teams:

Arizona State began the regular season victoriously in Salt Lake City, beating the Utes by sizable margins of 176-122 for the men’s squad, and a score of 165.50-132.50 for the Sun Devil women.

The meet against Utah was the fifth-straight season-opening win for both the men’s and women’s teams with multiple rookies coming out on top in their respective events. Freshman Jack Dolan (200 free), Jade Foelske (100 fly, 200 fly), and Alex Colson (200 IM) all started their careers as Sun Devils with a victory for Arizona State. The freshmen not only contributed to their individual events but also helped ASU win several relays. Dolan played an instrumental role in winning the men’s 400 relay as well as Lindsay Looney in the women’s 200 medley relay.

Youssef Selim, a veteran senior, also got a victory for the Sun Devils on the diving board and earned his first NCAA Zone qualifying score in the one-meter springboard after putting up a score of 341.85. Selim took second place in the three-meter board with a score of 336.30, where he also achieved a zone qualifying score.

USC’s swim and dive teams began the 2019-20 season with the Trojan Swimming Invitational Oct. 4-5 at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.

The team competed against UC San Diego, CSU Bakersfield, and Virginia, in addition to swimmers from Team Elite San Diego and the Trojan Swim Club.

Junior Marta Ciesla won the 100-yard free, sophomore Isa Odgers won the 200-yard breaststroke and senior Catherine Sanchez came out victorious in the 200-yard fly. For the men, sophomore Victor Johannsson led the squad with a victory in the 1650-yard free.

The captains for the Trojans consist of experienced upperclassmen including seniors Thomas Reed and Mark Jurek, as well as junior diver, Henry Fusaro. For the women, seniors Louise Hansson and Hanni Leach, and also diver, Carly Souza.

Hansson, on her second year of leading the team as a captain, is the defending NCAA champion in the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly. USC’s swim and dive team includes other returning All-Americans including women’s captain, Leach, redshirt seniors Kirsten Vose and Tatum Wade, junior Marta Ciesla, and sophomore Laticia Transom.

Other crucial returners include junior Maggie Aroesty, who was the 2018 Pac-12 200-yard breaststroke champion, in addition to Naomai Gowlett, the 2019 Pac-12 platform runner-up.

The men’s Trojans team has key returning veterans such as junior Nikola Miljenic, a two-time Pac-12 finalist and NCAA relay scorer, and sophomore Johansson, the 2019 Pac-12 champion in the 500-yard free and an NCAA scorer in the 1650-yard free. Fusaro is a 2018 Pac-12 champion on 3-meter and a two-time NCAA scorer. The sophomore for the Trojans, Alexei Sancov, is also expected to have a successful second season.

The matchup against ASU will be the Trojan’s first regular-season meet.