2023 PAC-12 WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Today is the third day of racing at the 2023 Women’s Pac-12 Championships in Federal Way, Washington. Up for grabs tonight are the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back and 400 medley relay.
Stanford had a successful prelims session this morning with a total of 17 A finalists. They have 3 of the top 5 places in the individual races tonight, as well as the top place in the 400 medley relay. Taylor Rick takes on the 200 Free, an event in which she is the defending champion. Claire Curzan placed first in the 100 back and 2nd in the 100 fly, just behind her teammate Torri Huske.
UCLAs Paige McEachern swam hard this morning to win the top seed of the 400 IM by over two seconds while USC has the advantage on the 100 breast by Kaitlyn Dobler And Isabelle Orgers are placed 1st and 2nd en route to tonight’s final.
WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINAL
- NCAA Record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin (STAN) – 2018 NCAA Championships
- PAC-12 Record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin (STAN) – 2018 NCAA Championships
- PAC-12 Championship Record: 3:56.53, Katie Ledecky (STAN) — 2018 PAC-12 Championships
- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 4:03.62
- 2022 NCAA Call Time: 4:11.60
Top 8:
- Leah Polonsky (CAL) – 4:05.27
- Paige McEachern (UCLA) – 4:06.17
- Lucy Bell (STAN) – 4:06.28
- Justina Kozan (USC) – 4:09.33
- Sam Tadder (STAN) – 4:10.01
- Charlotte Hook (STAN) – 4:10.22
- Ashley McMillan (USC) – 4:11.79
- Rosie Murphy (UCLA)-4:12.10
Cal sophomore Leah Polonsky hit first in a season-best time of 4:05.27, almost a second ahead of the runner-up Paige McEachern. Polonksy built up an early lead of almost 3 seconds at the halfway point and managed to hold off the field as they slowly made their way back to her.
Lucy Bell rounded out the top three with a personal best of 4:06.28. She nearly caught Maceachern in the last 100, when Bell shared a 55.54 to Maceachern’s 56.45.
Justina Kozan from USC was the only other athlete to break the 4:10 barrier. Although well behind her 2019 personal best, her time marked a season record by more than half a second.
WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY — FINAL
- NCAA Record: 48.84, Kate Douglass (UVA) – 2023 ACC Championships
- PAC-12 record: 49.17, Torri Huske (STAN) — 2022 NCAA Championships
PAC-12 Championship Record: 49.34, Louise Hansson (USC) – 2019 PAC-12 Championships- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.92
- 2022 NCAA Call Time: 52:35 p.m
Top 8:
- Torri Huske (STAN) – 49.27 (CR)
- Mia Kragh (CAL) – 51.63
- Julia Heimstead (ARIZ) – 52.03
- Lizzy Cook (CAL) – 52.34
- Gigi Johnson (STAN) – 52.38
- Gabby Dang (UCLA) – 52:39
- Emma Wheal (STAN) – 52.67
As expected, this race was a battle between Torri Huske And Claire Curzan from Stanford. Huske stopped the clock at 49.27, just a few hundredths off the time she posted in November. Curzan also broke the 50 second mark but was disqualified for a false start. Huske’s time marked a new Pac-12 Championship Record by just under a tenth.
The 2nd place behind Huske belonged to Cal Mia Krahwho set a personal best by nearly two-tenths of a second.
Arizona Jr Julia Heimstead earned third place, bettering the personal best time she set in the prelims to a 52.03. This is the first dive in what is arguably the hardest double of the night as she will return in the 200 free.
WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL
- NCAA Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin (CAL) – 2015 NCAA Championships
- PAC-12 Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin (CAL) – 2015 NCAA Championship
- PAC-12 Championship Record: 1:40.37, Simone Manuel (STAN) – 2017 PAC-12 Championships
- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:42.84
- 2022 NCAA invitation time: 1:45.42
Top 8:
- Taylor Rick (STAN) – 1:43.04
- Kayla Wilson (STAN) – 1:43.74
- Morgan Tankersley (STAN) – 1:44.04
- Mia Motekaitis (CAL) – 1:44.11
- Ayla Spitz (CAL) – 1:44.94
- Lillie Nordmann (STAN) – 1:45.65
- Natalie Mannion (STAN) – 1:45.79
- Julia Heimstead (ARIZ) – 1:46.68
Stanford dominated this event with a sweep of the top three spots. Taylor Rick, the defending NCAA champion, placed 1st with a season-best time of 1:43.05. Ruck established her lead early on with the fastest opening of the field at 50:30.
Kayla Wilson And Morgan Tankersley hit 2nd and 3rd, both with season best times. Rounding out the Stanford squad was Lily Nordman And Natalie Mannion, 6th and 7th overall earned.
from Cal Mia Motekaitis And Ayla Spits improved on their morning swim for 4th and 5th. Motekaitis’ swim was just a few tenths off the personal best time she set on Wednesday in the 800 free relay.
WOMEN’S 100 Breaststroke — FINAL
- NCAA Record: 55.73, Lilly King (IU) – 2019 NCAA Championships
- PAC-12 record: 56.93, Kaitlyn Dobler (USC) – 2022 NCAA Championships
PAC-12 championship record: 57.31, Kaitlyn Dobler (USC) – 2022 PAC-12 Championships- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 58.10
- 2022 NCAA invite time: 59.87
Top 8:
- Kaitlyn Dobler (USC) – 57.10 (CR)
- Isabelle Odgers (USC) – 58.92
- Claire Grover (UCLA) – 59.37
- Allie Raab (STAN) – 59.57
- Eva Carlson (UCLA) – 59.80
- Jade Neser (CAL) – 59.95
- Iza Adame (ASU) – 1:00.62
- Emily Lundgren (WSU) – 1:00.95
USC’s duo of Kaitlyn Dobler and Isabelle Odgers got the job done tonight with a 1-2 finish. Dobler, the defending champion, led the way as she won her third straight Pac-12 title at the event. She clocked a 57.10, just outside her best time of the season of 56.94. Dobler’s time was also a new Pac-12 Championship record, with her previous swim last year.
Odgers had an equally strong swim to finish 2nd with a 58.92, just 0.04 short of her personal best from a double meet earlier in the month.
Behind them was a slew of athletes who broke for a minute. UCLAs Clare Grover set a personal best to finish third, while Stanford’s Allie Rab improved by almost a second from this morning to hit 4th. Raab entered the race in 20th place.
WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – FINAL
- NCAA Record: 48.74, Katharine Berkoff (NCSU) – 2022 NCAA Championships
- PAC-12 Record: 49.23, Regan Smith (STAN) – 2022 NCAA Championships
- PAC-12 Championship Record: 49.50, Regan Smith (STAN) – 2022 PAC-12 Championships
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.89
- 2022 NCAA invitation time: 52.46
Top 8:
- Claire Curzan (STAN) – 49.46
- Isabel City (CAL) – 50.79
- Lucie Nordmann (STAN) – 51.91
- Annika McEnroe (CAL) – 52.23
- Alex Crisera (STAN) – 52.60
- Aria Bernal (USC) – 52.67
- Hanna Henderson (USC) – 53.05
- Gigi Johnson (STAN) – 53.16
After being disqualified for a false start earlier in the session, Claire Curzan bounced back to win the 100 backstroke in a personal best of 49.46. Curzan led from the start with a 24.06 on the first 50, then split 12.80 and 12.60 on the next 25s.
from Cal Isabel City was about a second and a half back to take 2nd in a personal best of 50.79. She shaved 0.02 off her previous best set at NCAAs last March.
Cal sophomore finished fourth Annika McEnroe, who was just outside the best time she set this morning. McEnroe entered the game in 5th place with a 53.12, but threw a time by more than a second to qualify for this final in 3rd place.
Stanford’s Lucy Nordman And Alex Crisera were the only other athletes besides the top two to improve in their morning swims. Nordmann hit a season-best to finish third, while Crisera did the same to finish fifth.
LADIES 400 EXCHANGE RELAY – TIME FINALS
- NCAA Record: 3:21.80, Virginia – 2023 ACC Championships
- Pac-12 Record: 3:25.09, Stanford – 2018
- Pac-12 championship record: 3:25.14, Stanford – 2018
- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 3:31.38
Results:
- Stanford–3:25.79
- Kal – 3:31.10
- UCLA – 3:35.32
- ASU-3:35.81
- Arizona – 3:37.05
- Washington State – 3:39.05
- Utah–3:41.84
Stanford’s team of Curzan (49.76), Raab (59.44), Huske (49.74) and Ruck (46.85) dominated the final event of the evening with a finishing time of 3:25.79. The Stanford splits were the fastest in the event.
Cal officially placed 2nd with a 3:31.10, as USC’s team was disqualified. UCLA and Arizona State found themselves in a close race for 3rd place, with only a few tenths separating them heading into the final leg. Clare Grover held off Lindsay Looney on the anchor leg for UCLA to round out the top three.
TEAM SCORE THROUGH DAY 2
- Stanford–1149.5
- Cal – 874.5
- USC-817.5
- UCLA-701.5
- ASU-541
- Arizona–452
- Utah–363
- Washington State – 263