STANFORD, Calif. — With an opportunity to complete its most dominant season since 2021, Stanford Artistic Swimming embarks on its final test of the campaign, taking part in the USA Artistic Swimming Collegiate Championships in Ypsilanti, Mich. from March 28-29. Friday’s portion of the competition begins with the C & D Technical Elements at 9:30 a.m. ET, followed by Tech B, Tech A and then finishing the afternoon with the Solo, Duet, and Mixed Duet finals. Saturday’s event features the trio and team event finals starting at 9:15 a.m. ET, followed by the awards ceremony.
Stanford heads into the weekend having successfully defended its home pool on Senior Day back on March 4, dispatching perennial national title contenders Ohio State, as well as UCLA and UC San Diego in a quad meet at Avery Aquatic Center. Stanford took the top team honor with three event wins on the afternoon.
In her Senior Day finale, Emmanuella Tchakmakjian claimed the event win in the solo, scoring 55 points higher than her closest competitor with a score of 179.04 for her second win of the season in the solo. The Cardinal also secured the top two placements in the trio with Yara Elian, Calista Liu and Lindi Schroeder overtaking Megumi Field, Dalia Ovadia and Audrey Kwon for first place with a score of 235.49. The Cardinal wrapped up the meet in style, claiming the team event crown with a routine score of 276.04 for its second-consecutive team event win of the season.
Stanford heads into nationals having won its fourth MPSF Artistic Swimming title and remains the only institution to win the conference since Artistic Swimming was sponsored in 2022. Freshman Megumi Field was named the MPSF Rookie and Swimmer of the Meet having set an MPSF record with 74 individual points, courtesy of first place finishes in the duet, trio and team competitions. Field also claimed first in Tech A during the two-day meet.
Stanford goes up against familiar opposition having already seen seven of the 12 competing squads this weekend. The Cardinal, who won the national title back in 2021, has two quad-meet wins over 2022-23 champions Ohio State this season while also owning a head-to-head win over defending national champions Incarnate Word in Stanford’s season opener. Wheaton College is part of a list of colleges including Ohio State, Incarnate Word, UCLA, Michigan, UC San Diego and Texas Woman’s University that Stanford has faced this season while the Cardinal earns a first look at Minnesota, Boston University, Florida, Richmond and Arizona.