COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Simone Manuel highlighted the prelims and evening sessions during the first day of the Art Adamson Invitational with a pair of the nation’s best freestyle swims to date. Manuel produced an A-cut 21.81 in the 50-yard freestyle during the morning, lowered it to a Stanford record 21.59 in the evening and then went 45.81 during the 100-yard freestyle leg of the 400-yard medley relay.
“Simone Manuel will get a lot of credit, and deservedly so, for her performances tonight, but we had great performances all around,” said head coach Greg Meehan. “Grace Carlson, Heidi Poppe, Janet Hu, Sarah Haase and Julia Anderson were among those who stood out. The fact that our ‘B’ and ‘C’ relays were competitive across the board is really exciting.”
Manuel’s program record 50 free tops Betsy Webb and Maddy Schaefer’s 21.78 set in 2012 and 2014, respectively, but her 100-yard free split is what had the swimming world buzzing. The Sugar Land, Texas, native already owns the 100-yard free American record, 46.75 set in March, a mark she clearly showed she is ready to lower.
Stanford won both relays, the medley and 200-yard freestyle relay, and added Manuel’s 50 free first-place showing to take three of the first six events at the three-day invitational. The freshman, swimming just 100 miles from her hometown, was on both squads and contributed to the freestyle relay win along with classmate Janet Hu, senior Maddy Schaefer and sophomore Lia Neal. Hu doubled up as a winner in the medley relay with Manuel, while freshman Ally Howe and junior Sarah Haase helped the Cardinal win by more than four seconds.
Schaefer was second in the 50 free with a 21.93 and Hu followed at 22.08.
Julia Anderson narrowly missed a personal record in the 500-yard freestyle by clocking at 4:43.89 to finish third.
Kassidy Cook, another Texas native, was third in the 3-meter diving competition.
Meehan added, “All around, we are racing well, but more importantly we are learning what we need to focus in on for success in March.”
Stanford is in second place with 359.5 points behind host Texas A&M (384) in the eight-team field. The 200-yard medley relay, 400-yard IM, 100-yard fly, 200-yard free, 100-yard breast, 800-free relay and one-meter diving will be contested tomorrow.
A-cuts
200-yard free relay - 1:27.25
400-yard medley relay - 3:29.48
Simone Manuel - 50 free - 21.59
B-cuts
Julia Ama - 50 free, 22.82
Julia Anderson - 500 free, 4:43.89
Grace Carlson - 200 IM, 1:59.00
Lindsey Engel - 200 IM, 2:00.32; 50 free, 22.97
Ally Howe - 200 IM, 1:59.17
Janet Hu - 50 free, 22.08
Lia Neal - 50 free,22.50
Maddy Schaefer - 50 free - 21.93
