Trojans Look To Defend Title At SMU Classic

The USC women's swimming and diving squad, coming off a fast season-opening Trojan Invite, sets it sights on Dallas it looks to defend its 2017 title at the 2018 SMU Classic, Friday and Saturday (Oct. 12-13).

In addition to USC and host SMU, the six-team field includes Iowa, Miami, Louisville and Virginia. The meet features a nine-event schedule per day with just one swimmer per team swimming in both A and B heats. A swimmer can compete in three events per day, but one must be a relay.

Friday's session begins at 4:30 p.m. PT with Saturday's at 11 a.m. PT. Live stats will be available here and live video available here.

Friday's schedule features the 400y medley relay, 400y IM, 200y free, 50y free, 1-meter diving, 100y fly, 100y back, 100y breast and the 800y free relay. Saturday's events include the 200y medley relay, 500y free, 200y breast, 200y back, 3-meter diving, 100y free, 200y fly, 200y IM and the 200y free relay.

Individual scoring is as follows for individuals: 16-13-12-11-10-9-7-5-4-3-2-1. For relays, it is: 24-20-18-16-14-12.

This is the 25^th of the SMU Classic, an event the Trojans have won five times, behind only SMU's seven. In addition to its win last year, when USC edged Louisville by 1.5 points, Troy has also won the event in 2013, 2012, 2010 and 2008.

Trojan junior Louise Hansson owns meet records in the 100y back (52.35), 200y back (1:52.26) and the 200y IM (1:55.80). Senior Riley Scott owns the 100y breast mark (59.56), senior Maddie Wright has the 200y fly record (1:54.97), sophomore Maggie Aroesty owns the 200y breast mark (2:08.01) and former Trojan Meghan Hawthorne has the 400y IM record (4:07.21). USC also owns the 400y free relay standard (3:21.49).

Hansson, the second-fastest woman in the 100y fly, has a chance to break Kelsi Worrell's meet record in the event, currently at 51.51. Hansson went 51.56 last week.

Joining Hansson in the Trojans' lineup will be Scott, Aroesty, Wright, juniors Kirsten Vose, Tatum Wade and Catherine Sanchez, sophomore Marta Ciesla and freshman Isa Odgers.

FAST TIMES

USC wasted little time posting NCAA B times this season, chalking up numerous consideration qualifying swims at the Trojan Invite.

Junior Louise Hansson posted a trio of B times in the 50y (22.10) and 100y free (47.94) as well as in the 100y fly (51.56). Senior Riley Scott matched her total with times in the 200y IM (1:58.97) and the 100y (1:00.55) and 200y breast (2:08.13).

Many Trojans posted a pair of B times including junior Kirsten Vose in the 100y free (49.51) and 100y breast (1:01.12), junior Tatum Wade in the 200y free (1:46.79) and the 200y IM (1:57.89), senior Maddie Wright in the 100y (53.49) and 200y fly (1:55.81), sophomore Maggie Aroesty in the 100y (1:01.39) and 200y breast (2:12.89), sophomore Caitlin Tycz in the 100y (52.99) and 200y fly (1:56.98) and junior Catherine Sanchez in the 100y (53.67) and 200y fly (1:57.07).

TEAM OUTLOOK
The USC women features an upperclassmen-laden squad with 12 seniors and 10 juniors, led by defending junior NCAA 100y fly champion and Trojan co-captain Louise Hansson. Her co-captain is senior Lily Dubroff.

Hansson was a three-time All-American as a 2018 sophomore, her season highlighted by capturing USC's first national title in the 100y fly with the second-fastest time ever (49.80) at the 2018 NCAA Championships. She complemented the win with a career-best third in the 200y fly while leading USC's 200y medley relay to seventh.

Senior Maddie Wright is USC's other returning individual All-American from last season after reaching the 200y fly for the second year in a row. Other All-Americans returning include fellow 200y medley relay finalists sophomore Marta Ciesla and senior Riley Scott.

Additionally, redshirt junior All-Americans Kirsten Vose and Hanni Leach are also back after missing last season due to injuries. Vose was an NCAA individual finalist in the 200y breast and 200y IM as a freshman and a two-time All-American in the 400y free relay while Leach earned All-American honors as part of USC's 2017 200y and 400y medley relays.

Scott (100y breast) and sophomore Maggie Aroesty (200y breast) return as the defending Pac-12 champions in the breaststroke and both were NCAA B final first-place finishers in each distance as well.

USC returns four veteran divers, led by three-time NCAA participant senior Madi Witt and multiple Pac-12 finalist junior Naomi Gowlett.

USC Head Coach Dave Salo, in his 13^th year directing the Trojans, also has a host of newcomers who figure to lend immediate dual meet and postseason scoring.

Players Mentioned

Maggie Aroesty

Marta Ciesla

Lily Dubroff

Naomi Gowlett

Louise Hansson

Hanni Leach

Isabelle Odgers

Catherine Sanchez

Riley Scott

Caitlin Tycz

Kirsten Vose

Tatum Wade

Madi Witt

Maddie Wright