Feb. 26, 2005
Federal Way, Wash. - No. 5 Stanford breezed to its second straight conference title by winning three more events on the fourth and final day of the 2005 Pac-10 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center. Stanford, who has won the meet 16 times in its 19 years of existence, finished with 1499 points to easily outdistance second-place Arizona (1237). Caroline Bruce was named the Swimmer of the Meet after winning three individual events and contributing to a pair of victorious relay teams during the four-day event.
"We had a really good night tonight and a great meet," said Stanford head coach Richard Quick, who captured his 14th Pac-10 title in 17 seasons as the team's head coach. "It was a great team effort, and I'm just really proud of our entire squad."
Bruce captured the 200 breast on Saturday by turning in the nation's fastest non-converted time of the season by with a personal-best and NCAA "A" mark of 2:09.76 that ranks her as the No. 2 all-time performer at Stanford. She defeated her closest competitor (2000 Olympic champion Agnes Kovacs of Arizona State) by 2.15 seconds.
Lacey Boutwell also swam a personal-best and NCAA "A" time of 48.85 to win her first Pac-10 100 free title. She is now Stanford's No. 4 all-time performer in the event.
Dana Kirk added her first 200 fly win at the Pac-10 Championships in an NCAA "A" time of 1:54.89, edging UCLA's Kim Vandenberg by one-tenth of a second.
Stanford picked up another NCAA "A" time in the 400 free relay when a team of Brooke Bishop, Boutwell, Erica Liu and Bruce finished second in 3:18.77.
Stanford had three swimmers finish in the top eight of the 1650 free, led by the second-place performance of Lauren Costella in an NCAA "A" time of 16:15.05. Desiree Stahley also picked up an NCAA "A" mark of 16:21.56 for a third-place showing, while Morgan Hentzen was fifth in 16:36.90.
Kristen Caverly supported Bruce in the 200 breast with a third-place finish in an NCAA "A" time of 2:13.01 that was just .05 seconds off her personal-best.
Laura Davis had a fifth-place showing in the 200 fly in a time of 1:58.44.
Bishop was Stanford's lone competitor in the championship final of the 200 back and took sixth in 1:59.55, while Sara Bowling was also sixth in the platform diving competition with 369.70 points.
Others to score for the Cardinal on Saturday included Ashley Daly (100 free, 13th, 51.48, 51.41 prelims), Elizabeth Durot (200 fly, 15th, 2:03.69, 2:02.20 prelims), Erin Glenn (1650 free, 13th, 16:54.57), Lisa Falzone (200 back, 18th, 2:03.35), Kirsten Gilbert (200 breast, 20th, 2:18.60), Sarah Jones (100 free, 20th, 51.83), Katie Lampe (platform diving, 19th, 262.20), Erin Lashnits (platform diving, 10th, 344.05), Liu (200 breast, 2:17.29, 2:17.11 prelims) and Caroline Rodriguez (200 back, 13th, 2:03.42, 2:03.31 prelims).
Durot added an NCAA "A" time of 16:12.97 in a 1650 free exhibition swim that ranks her as the No. 8 all-time performer at Stanford.Non-Stanford winners Saturday were USC's Kalyn Keller (1650 free, 16:12.80) and Jo Fargus (200 back, 1:55.87), Arizona State's Trisha Tumlinson (platform diving, 443.50 points), and an Arizona 400 free relay team of Ryann Hackett, Courtney Cashion, Jenna Gresdal and Lacey Nymeyer (3:18.01). All recorded NCAA "A" times.
Stanford's divers will next be in action at the 2005 NCAA Zone E Meet from March 10-12 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, while the swimmers begin preparing for the 2005 NCAA Championships to be held March 17-19 in West Lafayette, Indiana.
"It has to give us a little confidence for the NCAA Championships," said Quick of his team's Pac-10 title. "The team members feel they did well at this meet, but they know they can improve. We're on an improvement curve as a team that bodes well for the NCAA's. I'm pleased with were we are, and I know we're going to get better."
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Caroline Bruce now ranks among Stanford's all-time performers in the 100 breast (No. 2, 1:00.03), 200 breast (No. 2, 2:09.76), 400 IM (No. 3, 4:10.31) and 200 IM (No. 5, 1:58.15) with personal-best times in all four events this season
Stanford won eight of the 21 events contested at the 2005 Pac-10 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships with three individual wins from Caroline Bruce (200 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM), as well as two by Lacey Boutwell (50 free, 100 free), one by Dana Kirk (200 fly) and two from Cardinal medley relay teams (200, 400)
A total of 16 Stanford swimmers and divers now have 118 victories (includes four winners in each relay) this season
Ten Stanford swimmers now account for 30 NCAA "A" spots