SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – After returning to the pinnacle of the Pac-12 in the 2021-22 season, Stanford women's swimming and diving swept the conference's annual swimming awards, the Pac-12 announced on Monday.
Greg Meehan, the Paul A. Violich Director of Women's Swimming, was honored as the Pac-12 Women's Swimming Coach of the Year, while Regan Smith took home Women's Swimmer and Women's Freshman Swimmer of the Year honors.
This is the fourth time Meehan has been named the conference's coach of the year, while Smith is the 15th swimmer in program history to win be named Women's Swimmer of the Year. She is the seventh Cardinal swimmer in the last eight seasons to be named the Freshman/Newcomer of the Year – joining teammates Brooke Forde, Taylor Ruck and Emma Wheal.
The Cardinal returned to form this season following an adversity-filled 2020-21 campaign. Meehan led the program to its fifth Pac-12 team title in the last six years – winning seven individual titles and sweeping all five relays at the conference meet, scoring 1,671.5 points in the process. Smith won conference titles in the 100 back (49.50), 200 fly (1:50.99) and was part of four winning relays.
A disappointing ninth-place finish at the national championships in 2021 was redeemed when Stanford returned to the podium in 2022 after taking third with 399.5 points. The Cardinal captured national titles in the 800 free relay, 200 free and 200 back –Smith was a member of the relay title and also won the 200 back, in addition to finishing second in the 200 fly. She is only the third swimmer in Stanford history to win a national title in the 200 back, and the first since Misty Hyman in 1998.
