Jan. 10, 2009
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STANFORD, Calif. - The No. 2 Stanford women's swimming team (15-0) opened its 2009 spring season in impressive fashion with a 109-82 victory over visiting Pacific (3-4) in a non-conference dual meet at the Avery Aquatic Center. The meet was contested in a 25-yard short course format, and featured 11 events.
With today's victory, the Cardinal women have won 14-straight home dual meets, and have defeated 36 of its last 37 opponents in head-to-head competition.
Returning to the pool for the first time since November 30, the Cardinal had at least the top two finishers in each of the first seven events. Stanford also welcomed back Nilasha Ghosh, who returned from injury to compete for the first time since the 2008 Pac-10 Championships. The junior finished second in both the 50 free (23.86) and 100 fly (55.84), while swimming the anchor leg for the Cardinal's second-place 200 medley relay (1:45.31).
Stanford received several strong efforts from its impressive freshman class, as Sam Woodward won both the 100 free (50.72) and the 200 IM (2:04.31), while Jessica Rodriquez captured the 200 free (10:08.91). Rodriquez' exhibition swim of 4:52.15 in the 500 free was the fastest time in the event, while Angela Duckworth placed second the 1,000 free (10:08.91).
The Cardinal opened the meet by winning the 200 medley relay, as the team of junior Elaine Breeden, sophomore Liz Smith, Woodward and freshman Betsy Webb posted a time of 1:44.41. Junior Whitney Spence followed with a victory in the 1,000 free (10:08.60), while sophomore Kate Dwelley won the 50 free (23.71) and junior Julia Smit captured the 100 fly (55.63).
Stanford also received scoring efforts in the 200 free from sophomore Liz Smith (second - 1:51.52), senior Madeline Rovira (fourth - 1:55.68) and freshman Jamie Bruce (fifth - 1:55.87), in the 50 free from Webb (third - 23.92), in the 200 IM from junior Meredith Ayres (second - 2:06.83) and senior Laura Wadden (third - 2:07.66), in the 100 fly from junior Stefanie Sutton (third - 57.05) and in the 100 free from junior Kelley Hug (second - 53.14) and freshman Charlotte Naylor (fourth - 55.80).
The Cardinal divers were also in action today at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center in Pasadena, Calif., opening their spring schedule at the Bruin Invite against USC, UC Irvine and host UCLA.
Sophomore Meg Hostage placed second in the 1-meter with an NCAA "B" standard score of 256.4, just behind UCLA's Marisa Samaniego (256.30). Senior Sarah Ohr finished fourth (238.05), while freshman Mary Beth Corbett was sixth (229.85) and junior Carmen Stellar was eighth (220.90) in the 16-diver competition.
Stanford took the third through sixth spots in a tightly-contested 3-meter competition, as only 6.80 points separated the top-five divers. Stellar placed third with a score of 234.50, followed by Corbett in fourth (234.15), Ohr in fifth (233.15) and Hostage in sixth (228.50). UCLA's Alyssa Robinson won the 16-diver competition by scoring a 239.95, while UC Irvine's Melanie Grosvenor was second (234.80).
The Bruin Invite will conclude on Sunday with the platform competition.
Stanford will face only Pac-10 opponents for the remainder of the dual meet season, beginning in two weeks in Arizona. The Cardinal swimmers and divers will visit Arizona State on Friday, January 23 before facing Arizona on Saturday, January 24.
Sarah Ohr had a pair of top-five finishes at the Bruin Invite |