April 29, 2006
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. - The U.S. National Synchronized Swimming Championships concluded this weekend at the International Swimming Hall of Fame Aquatic Center. The Cardinal claimed the 2nd place overall behind the Santa Clara Aquamaids.
More than 150 of the top athletes from the country made their way to U.S. Nationals to vie for titles in the solo, duet, and team events. The championships are an open-class meet, combining competition from NCAA programs and elite club programs.
The Cardinal squad shined in the duet event. Stanford sophomore and 2004 Olympian Sara Lowe teamed up with 2004 Canadian Olympian Courtenay Stewart to grab the duet title (96.167) with a strong and flawless performance. Lowe and Stewart are the first collegiate duet to claim gold in over 20 years. Stanford's Samantha Bongiovanni-Duclos and Poppy Carlig wowed the crowd with their high rockets and superb energy and claimed sixth place with a score of 91.4.
In the solo event, Lowe captured the silver medal with a score of 95.34. Lowe's elegant "Phantom of the Opera" routine moved the judges and brought the crowd to their feet. Stanford's accomplishments continued into the team event where the Cardinal secured a 2nd place finish. Swimming to music inspired by an "Invention" theme, the Stanford squad of Erin Bell, Bongiovanni-Duclos, Carlig, Hilary Homenko, Melissa Knight, Lowe, Elizabeth-Anne Markman, Katherine Norris, and Stewart impressed the judges with a technically executed routine to earn a score of 96.1.
Solo Finals
- Christina Jones (Santa Clara Aquamaids) 96.16
- Sara Lowe (Stanford University) 95.33
- Kanako Kitao (Walnut Creek Aquanuts) 93.75
- Kate Hooven (Santa Clara Aquamaids) 93.41
- Becky Kim (Ohio State University) 92.75
- Layla Smith (Santa Clara Aquamaids) 91.83
- Brooke Abel (Riverside Aquettes) 91.33
- Barb Nesbitt (Riverside Aquettes) 90.83
Duet Finals
- Sara Lowe, Courtenay Stewart (Stanford University) 96.2
- Christina Jones, Andrea Nott (Santa Clara Aquamaids) 96.1
- Annabelle Orme, Kim Probst (Walnut Creek Aquanuts) 94.1
- Janet Culp, Jennie Culp (Santa Clara Aquamaids) 93.3
- Barb Nesbitt, Caitlin Stewart (Riverside Aquettes) 93.2
- Samantha Bongiovanni-Duclos, Poppy Carlig (Stanford University) 91.4
- Karen Meyer, Jillian Penner (Walnut Creek Aquanuts) 91.2
- Carly Grimshaw, Chelsea Luker (Ohio State University) 90.7
Team Finals
- Santa Clara Aquamaids - 97.0
- Stanford University - 96.1
- Ohio State University - 94.7
- Walnut Creek Aquanuts - 94.6
- Santa Clara Aquamaids - 92.9
- Riverside Aquettes - 92.75
- Ohio State University - 91.9
- Univ. of Alabama Birmingham - 91.3