Feb. 18, 2007
No.1 Stanford synchronized swimming defeated UAB and Wheaton College on Saturday in a tri-meet by a score of 102 to 81 (UAB), 72 (Wheaton). The Cardinal were then victorious over UAB in a figure and elements competition, defeating them 22 - 20.
On Saturday Stanford faced off against a familiar opponent in UAB and met Wheaton College for the first time this year. Though UAB only used six athletes in their team swim, they looked very strong and utilized their high lifts along with their high-energy routines to impress the judges. The Cardinal trio of Elizabeth-Anne Markman, Sara Lowe and Courtenay Stewart turned in a strong performance, placing first and earning 16 points for the team. The Stanford trio of Samantha Bongiovanni-Duclos, Melissa Knight and Taylor Durand completed a solid routine to place second, earning 14 points.
The duets were next, and Stanford swept the top two spots for the second event in a row. The strong combination of Lowe and Stewart captured first to earn 15 points, while the duet of Markman and Bongiovanni-Duclos placed second, earning 13 points.
The solo event saw Lowe once again swim to the top spot, earning 14 points. The event was also a chance for Gayle Lee to swim solo for the first time this season. She swam Honorary and it allowed her to showcase her upright height and explosive jumps, along with her expressiveness.
The Stanford team swim had a different look to it this time around, as Poppy Carlig joined the team routine for the first time season. The team Used the past week to rework patterns and personnel and it paid off with the team earning first place and 18 points after a very strong team routine.
"Overall, I was really impressed with the team swim," commented assistant coach Bridget Finn. "This was probably our best team performance of the year, they did a great job."
Stanford added 12 points from their elements, which added to their total points, giving them the victory and a final score of 102.
On Sunday, Stanford faced UAB for the third time in the season. The meet began with five of the six elements, as Stanford averaged a score of 75.108 to earn 12 points, while UAB averaged a score of 74.145 for 11 points.
Durand competed in the figure portion of the competition for Stanford. She received a score of 80.705, good enough for 10 points, while UAB averaged a score of 76.579 to earn 9 points.
The Cardinal captured first with a total score of 22, with UAB tallying a final score of 20.
The team returns to action at home on March 3 (1:00pm) as they take on University of Arizona. Stanford is also preparing for the Regional Championships in two weeks, which could qualify the team for the Collegiate Nationals.