MALIBU, Calif. – This Saturday, the UC Santa Barbara Men’s and Women’s Swim teams will gear up for an exciting tri-meet in Malibu, Calif., where they’ll face off against the UC San Diego Tritons and the Pepperdine Waves.
The Basics
The event is scheduled to kick off at 11:00 am, taking place at the Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool. The Gauchos’ performance will be individually tallied in two distinct matchups against Pepperdine and UC San Diego, yielding a total of three key outcomes for the day. The scoring breakdown will encompass the following contests: Pepperdine vs. UC Santa Barbara, Pepperdine vs. UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara vs. UC San Diego.
This meet will be the Gauchos final tune up before their first large meet at the Mid-Season Zippy Invitational in Akron, Ohio, surely giving them a boost of excitement to give their all against two tough competitors.
Athletes of the Week
After a solid performance against Stanford University last weekend, Kyle Brill was named MPSF male athlete of the week. Putting up a pair of impressive second place finishes against the nationally ranked Stanford Cardinal, Brill was recognized for his prowess and determination in the 200 backstroke (1:45.24) and 400 individual medley (3:53.65).
Along with Brill’s honor, five other Gauchos were mentioned in the top results section for individual events. Austin Sparrow continues to assert his dominance in the conference, taking the lead in the 200 freestyle by surpassing his previous record of 1:37.01, clocking in at an impressive 1:36.47 in the duel against Stanford. Meanwhile, Taber DaCosta (500 FR), Kyle Brill (200 BK), Henry Adamson (100 BR), and Corban McIntosh (200 BR) have impressively maintained their top rankings in their respective individual conference events for a consecutive week. Samantha Banos, not to be outdone, has held her position at the forefront in the 200 Butterfly for an impressive three weeks running.
Who to Watch
As always, keep an eye out for some thrilling performances this weekend, courtesy of our timeless stars, including Samantha Banos, Kyle Brill, and Austin Sparrow. In addition to these outstanding athletes, don’t miss out on Senior Regan Nibarger’s remarkable achievements. During last weekend’s clash against San Jose State, Nibarger made a splash by securing two first-place finishes for the Gauchos. She played a pivotal role in the 400 relay team’s gold-winning effort, clocking in at 3:27.77, and later clinched the top spot in the 100-yard freestyle, boasting an impressive time of 51.85.
Where to Watch
Admission to the meet will be completely free, however due to limited bleacher space, Pepperdine encourages bringing a chair or blanket to sit on the hillside. For those who can not attend in person a live stream link will be available closer to meet day. Lastly, final results will be available on the swim schedule page following the conclusion of the event.
