FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - Hank Poppe and Brennan Pastorek produced podium finishes in the 100-yard breaststroke, highlighting Stanford's competition on Friday at the Pac-12 Championships.
Stanford entered the meet's third day of action holding the overall lead but slipped to fourth (385.5 points) after Friday's action. California (576) now leads the field, followed by Arizona State (414) in second and Arizona (387) in third.
The Cardinal's best event was the 100-yard breaststroke, where Hank Poppe (52.33) placed second with the fourth-fastest time in the Pac-12 this season and Brennan Pastorek (52.37) finished third.
Three other swimmers delivered a top-eight finish: Benjamin Ho (46.42) took fifth in the 100-yard backstroke, Alex Liang (3:45.28) placed seventh in the 400-yard individual medley and Mason Gonzalez (1:35.84) was eighth in the 200-yard freestyle.
Stanford is seeking its first Pac-12 crown since 2017, when the Cardinal repeated thanks to a podium sweep of the 1,650-yard freestyle and a balanced team effort. Stanford also won 31 consecutive conference championships from 1982-2012.
Saturday's action resumes with finals in the 1,650-yard freestyle, 200-yard backstroke, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard butterfly and 400-yard freestyle relay.