March 15, 2012
AUBURN, Ala.-- Stanford Swimming opened up the 2012 NCAA Championships with an NCAA title and school record in the 200 free relay and are in second place after the first of three days. Maya DiRado added a third finish in the 200 individual medley and Betsy Webb with a school-record was fourth in the 50 free to highlight other Cardinal performers.
Cal leads the competition with 132 points, Stanford and USC are second with 118 points.
Senior Sam Woodward started off her final meet with a .18 advantage after the first 50 yards as Maddy Schaefer and Andi Murez extended the lead to nearly four-tenths of a second before Betsy Webb touched the wall at 1:26.86, ahead of Cal's Katherin Raetz' and the Bears' time of 1:27.22.After coming in with the nation's fastest time (1:28.07), the top five teams swam under that time in the prelims with Stanford finishing second at 1:27.36 behind Cal's mark of 1:27.11.
"It was a really big thing. We were really excited," said Murez. "It was faster than I have ever been before, so that is a really good thing for a night swim."
The Cardinal, which feature four swimmers in the national top-25 coming in, placed Webb (21.78) and Woodward (21.99) in the A Finals and freshman Maddy Schaefer in the consolation finals (22.18) of the 50 free. Webb and Woodward were fourth and sixth, while Schaefer was 12th oveall. Webb and Woodward shuffled the deck in the school-records finishing first and third in the record books.
It what was expected to be a three-woman race in the 200 IM from three strong Pac-12 women, DiRado had the lead after the first two turns, before Caitlin Leverenz took a near second and a half lead over Katinka Hosszu in the third 50 yards and the butterfly. Leverenz touched the wall at 1:53.31, ahead of Hosszu (1:53.43) and DiRado (1:55.23).
In diving, Stephanie Phipps reached the finals with a 1-meter prelim score of 308.03 and finished in eighth with a tally of 312.05. Phipps scored a best of 59.80 on a forward 2/12 somersault on her second time, posting 7.5's or better from five of the seven judges. She also had 55.20 points on a inward 1 1/2 somersault paced by 7.5's from the judges.
Stanford closed out the night with a consolation victory in the 400 medley relay (3:30.86).
NOTES: It was the first time since 1994 and sixth time in school-history the Cardinal had won the 200 free relay.... the previous school-record in the 200 free relay was 1:27.62, set in 2009 with Julia Smit, Kate Dwelley, Elaine Breeden and Woodward... Webb's previous best of 22.02 and the time of 21.78 broke Julia Smit's 2009 time (21.91). Woodward's time of 21.99 is third-fastest... the meet continues on Friday and Saturday on the Auburn campus with prelims starting at 9 a.m PT and the finals starting at 5 p.m. PT
VIDEO
Thursday Prelims:
http://ulive.cbssports.com/index-ncaa.html?media=303037
Thursday Finals:
http://ulive.cbssports.com/index-ncaa.html?media=308984
Friday Prelims:
http://ulive.cbssports.com/index-ncaa.html?media=303038
Friday Finals:
WatchESPN.com
Saturday Prelims:
http://ulive.cbssports.com/index-ncaa.html?media=303039
Saturday Finals:
WatchESPN.com
Full Results: http://results.teamunify.com/nsss/results/NCAA/2012Women/
Dive Results: https://secure.meetcontrol.com/divemeets/system/meetresultsext.php?meetnum=1994
Thursday Finishes for the Cardinal
*200 Free Relay: Winner-- Stanford (1:26.85, 1:27.36-prelims), Woodward, Schaefer, Murez, Webb (SR)
500 Free: Winner-- Shannon Vreeland, Georgia, (4:34.49, 4:39.55), 49. Taylor, Stanford, (4:40.64-prelims)
200 IM: Winner-- Caitlin Leverenz, Cal (1:51.77, 1:53.31-prelims), 3. DiRado, Stanford, (1:53.89, 1:55.23-prelims), 48. Taylor, Stanford (4:48.69-prelims)
50 Free: Winner-- Liv Jensen, Cal (21.48, 21.71-prelims), 4. Webb, Stanford, (21.78, 21.81-prelims) (SR), 6. Woodward (21.99, 22.00-prelims), 12. Schaefer, Stanford (22.26, 22.18-prelims), 26. Murez (22.53-prelims)
1-Meter: Winner-- Victoria Ishimatsu, USC (354.10, 331.55-prelims), 8. Phipps, Stanford, (312.05, 308.03-prelims)
400 Medley Relay: Winner-- California, (3:28.10, 3:28.14), 9. Stanford (3:30.86, 3:33.30-prelims), Lee, Olsen, Woodward, Webb