Yulduz Kuchkarova and Chelsie Miller each won a pair of individual events and Bryce Hinde added another win for Kansas as the team opened its winter training trip with a double dual split against UCLA and San Diego Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Center. Kansas dropped a 168-126 decision to UCLA, but topped San Diego, 158.50-89.50.
Kuchkarova started the new calendar year just like she ended the last, sweeping the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events, and Miller continued to stockpile points for Kansas with wins in the 1,000-yard freestyle and 400-yard individual medley. Hinde won the 200-yard breaststroke in her fastest un-tapered time of the year and second-fastest overall, 2:20.99.
In all, Kansas posted 25 top-five performances during Saturday's meet, including three from Miller. In addition to winning two events, Miller was defeated for the first time in seven races this season in the 500-yard freestyle as she finished second to UCLA's Katy Campbell, a school record holder in the event and US National Team member. Miller's 1,000 free time of 10:05.43 was her second win in two swims in the event during the 2014-15 season and topped her previous season-best by more than four seconds.
On the diving boards, UCLA's Ciara Monahan and Danielle Repper finished first and second, respectively, in both the one- and three-meter competitions. Sydney Power was Kansas' top performer in three-meter diving with a 241.58 and Graylyn Jones was the leading Jayhawk scorer on the one-meter board with a score of 246.00 - an event she's qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships in.
Kuchkarova and Hinde joined Deanna Marks and Hanna Driscoll to open the meet with a third-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:45.76. Kansas then wrapped the first event wins from Miller (1,000 free) and Kuchkarova (100 back) around a third place finish by Haley Molden in the 200-yard freestyle (1:52.12). She was edged by UCLA's Carly Reid (1:51.57) who out-touched fellow Bruin Madison White (1:51.74) for the event win.
Kansas had three of the top five times in the 100 back, with Hannah Angell and Madison Hutchinson both swimming in the 58s to finish tied for third, and fifth, respectively. The event was perhaps topped only in strength by the 500 free, where four Jayhawks finished among the top six, with Sammie Schurig (5:03.50) and Lindsay Manning (5:03.63) swimming nearly identical times for fourth and fifth place behind Miller's (4:56.58).
Though not an event winner Saturday, KU's Pia Pavlic was one of the most active Jayhawks in the water. The sophomore from Slovenia swam season bests in the 50-yard freestyle (24.29) and 100-yard butterfly (56.38), the latter serving as the fastest by a Jayhawk this season.
In addition to Monahan's two wins in diving, Bruin swimmer Linnea Mack claimed two event wins during Saturday's meet. The third fastest in the Pac 12 this season in the 50 free, Mack was one of three Bruins under 24 seconds in the event Saturday with a 23.16. She then won the 100 fly, edging Pavlic, with a time of 55.20.
Following the conclusion of the event, the Jayhawks traveled south to San Diego where the team will train outdoors for the week before returning to Kansas for the start of the spring semester. Kansas' next competition is a double dual against William Jewell and Truman State in Liberty, Mo., on Jan. 24.
