Results | Pac-12 Championships Home | Event Schedule | Day One Recap | Day Two
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – It was another record-setting night for Stanford at the 2017 Pac-12 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. The Cardinal won four events, set two more American records and swept the podium in two events on Friday night.
Stanford has won all 11 of the 14 events through the first three days of the conference meet. A team champion will be crowned on Saturday and Stanford leads with 1,126 points. Cal is second at 953, and USC is third with 762.
On another incredible night for the Cardinal, junior Ally Howe took the headlines with the fastest 100-yard backstroke in American history. Howe topped a record held by legendary swimmer Natalie Coughlin since 2002. Howe finished in 49.69 and joins Coughlin as the only women to break 50 seconds in the event.
"We are just really excited for Ally, and super proud of her," Meehan said. "She set herself up in the first 25 (yards) when she got out really quick, and once she got her feet on the wall that fast, we knew something special was going to happen."
Howe's feat was the second American record of the night for Stanford. Freshman Katie Ledecky set up a Stanford podium sweep with a new American and NCAA standard of 3:57.68 in the 400 individual medley.
"Katie is a great swimmer," Meehan said. "She can probably do any event and do it really well. I was really proud of how her teammates pushed her to do those things. She was surrounded by three other Stanford swimmers in the IM and three others in the 200 free and I think that says a lot about our group."
Sophomore Ella Eastin was second with a time of 4:00.96, and freshman Allie Szekely earned the bronze at 4:02.34. Stanford made up half the final as sophomore Leah Stevens was sixth at 4:10.00.
All ?? in the 200 free
— Stanford WSwim/Dive (@stanfordwswim) February 25, 2017
?? @simone_manuel (1:40.37)
?? @katieledecky (1:40.50)
?? @LiaNeal (1:43.62)#GoStanford #Pac12Swim
Just minutes later, the Cardinal monopolized the podium again. Stanford's three freestyle Olympians finished 1-2-3 in the 200 free. Junior Simone Manuel earned the Pac-12 title with a school record finish of 1:40.37. She out-touched Ledecky at 1:40.57, while senior Lia Neal touched the wall at 1:43.62 to cap another sweep.
To finish off the third night, Howe, sophomore Kim Williams, junior Janet Hu and Manuel won the 400-yard medley relay in 3:26.74. Stanford has won all four relays at the meet.
Before the finals even begun, Hu set two school records in the prelims. She knocked off a six-year-old mark held by Elaine Breeden in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 50.38, and shortly thereafter, topped teammate Ally Howe's record in the 100 back – for the time being -- with a time of 50.29. Hu finished third in the finals in the 100 fly and fourth in the 100 back.
Senior diver Kassidy Cook, who won the 1-meter on Wednesday, was second on the 3-meter with a score of 367.50, while freshman Haley Farsworth was sixth at 301.50.
WHAT'S AHEAD
Saturday features finals in the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, platform diving and the 400 free relay. Prelims begin at 10:30 a.m., and finals begin at 6 p.m. Events will be live streamed on Pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app, while Saturday night's finals will air live on all seven Pac-12 Networks starting at 6:30 p.m. PT.
SOCIAL SCENE
For the latest updates, you can follow Cardinal women's swimming and diving all year long on instagram, twitter and snapchat (@StanfordwSwim).
That NCAA/American record-breaking feeling for @allyjoyhowe #GoStanford #Pac12Swim pic.twitter.com/5ZYhgF2V25
— Stanford WSwim/Dive (@stanfordwswim) February 25, 2017