FEDERAL WAY, Wash. & TUCSON, Ariz. – Another night – another flurry of conference titles for Stanford women's swimming and diving. Records fell and the Cardinal extended its lead on the rest of the conference in the team race.
Torri Huske led a sweep in the 100 fly as three Cardinal swimmers grabbed the three podium spots in the process. Huske became the first Stanford swimmer to break the 50-second barrier in the event, and her time of 49.43 is the fastest in the nation by 31-hundreths of a second. Regan Smith (49.87) joined her first-year teammate in breaking 50 seconds, while Emma Wheal closed hard to earn third in 50.02.
Those three marks are the three fastest times in program history.
Smith followed that historic performance by setting the Pac-12 record in the 100 back – blazing a time of 49.50 in the individual event to win the conference title. Roughly an hour later, Smith broke that record by splitting 49.23 on the opening leg of Stanford's winning 400 medley relay team.
Taylor Ruck joined Smith on the podium in the 100 back in third (51.21), while Lucie Nordmann (52.17) and Alex Crisera (52.53) finished fifth and sixth.
Ruck, Smith and Huske were joined by Allie Raab in a winning effort in the 400 medley relay. The four finished less than half a second off the Pac-12 record, and their time of 3:25.54 is the third-fastest time in the country this season. Stanford has won all four relays held thus far, with only the 400 free relay remaining.
Brooke Forde claimed Stanford's other individual title on the night, winning her third straight Pac-12 crown in the 400 IM. Her time of 4:00.76 is the fastest time in the nation and gives the defending national champion in the event an NCAA A standard.
The Cardinal has won the last seven Pac-12 titles in the event – dating back to 2016.
Allie Raab, Morgan Tankersley and Daria Lenz all reached the podium on the night. Lenz opened the day with a bronze finish on the platform with a score of 273.05 – giving her a podium finish in all three diving disciples. Julia Wortman was fourth in 256.10.
Swimming her best individual race of the season, Raab lowered her time from the morning prelims to post a 59.49 to finish second in the 100 breast. That mark is an NCAA B standard and is her fastest of the season in the event. Tankersley was third in the 200 free in 1:44.28, and she was joined by Lillie Nordmann in sixth (1:44.85).
Stanford maintains its lead in the team race entering the final day of competition with a score of 1,221.5 points. No. 10 USC is second with 993.5 points, while No. 8 California is third with 946.5.
The 2022 Pac-12 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships will conclude tomorrow with the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly and 1650 free.
