STANFORD, Calif - This weekend, the UC Santa Barbara Men's and Women's Swim teams will head to Northern California to compete in separate duals. The men will take on Stanford and the women will compete against San Jose State University.
For the Men
After a week away, the men's team is ready to start the weekend with a meet against Stanford University at the Avery Aquatic Center on Friday, Oct. 27. Given that Stanford is currently holding the eighth spot in the national CSCAA rankings ,this promises to be a challenging encounter for Santa Barbara that will require classic Gaucho determination to take home a win.
An athlete to watch is Austin Sparrow, who so far this season has taken home numerous wins for the Gauchos. In his most recent performance at the USC Invite, Sparrow showcased his skills with two remarkable top-five finishes, taking 3rd place in the 200-yard freestyle, clocking in at 1:37.01, and a strong 4th place in the 100-yard freestyle, finishing in 49.59 seconds. Beyond his individual achievements, Sparrow played a pivotal role in the weekend's relay events, contributing significantly to the Gauchos' 3rd-place finishes in the 100 freestyle relay (1:37.01), the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:21.26), and the 400-yard freestyle relay (2:57.21).
For the Women
Following the men's meet, the women will face the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Spartan Recreation Aquatic Center. This event marks the first head-to-head clash between these two teams since the 1982-83 season.
On the women's side, be sure to keep an eye out for Ashley Ray and Samantha Banos, who so far this season have shown exceptional performances in the pool. Based on her recent performances, Ray has consistently demonstrated exceptional skill, with a standout showing last weekend in Los Angeles. During the UCLA meet, she not only clinched a well-deserved second place in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.30) but was also instrumental in securing a third place finish in both the 400-yard medley relay (3:50.48) and the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:36.28).
Banos on the other hand, has been a consistent standout this season, contributing to the Gauchos' frequent top-three finishes. Last weekend, she competed for Colombia in the 2023 Pan American Games, securing 9th place in both the 400-yard Individual Medley (4:59.60) and the 200-yard butterfly (2:15.4). Her return this Saturday bolsters the Gauchos' bid for victory.
MPSF Top Results
In this week's MPSF weekly newsletter, six Gaucho swimmers were mentioned in the top results section for individual events. The men's team received significant acknowledgment for recording the best times of the season so far. Austin Sparrow tops the conference in the 200 freestyle (1:37.01), Taber DaCosta in the 500 freestyle (4:27.94), Kyle Brill in the 200 backstroke (1:44.95), Henry Adamson in the 100 breaststroke (54.94) and Corban McIntosh in the 200 breaststroke (54.94). As for the women's team, Samantha Banos was mentioned once again for her performance in the 200 butterfly (2:00.61), maintaining her top spot in the event for the second week in a row.
When and Where
The Men's meet on Friday at the Avery Aquatic Center in Stanford begins at 2:00 pm, and you can access final results on the team's schedule page afterward. Similarly, the Women's meet at the Spartan Recreation Aquatic Center on Saturday starts at 11:00 am, and final results are available on the schedule page following the event's conclusion.
