Artistic Swimming Podium CelebrationArtistic Swimming Podium Celebration
Liz Corman
Artistic Swimming

Artistic Swimming: 2025 Year in Review

STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford snatched its 10th national championship in program history, reaching the pinnacle of collegiate artistic swimming for the first time since 2021 to cap an impressive 2025 campaign. The Cardinal finished 2025 with five meet wins and its fourth-consecutive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) title along with claiming its 10th national title. 

Story of the Season

Stanford started the season with a pair of wins including a season-opening clinch against defending national champions Incarnate Word at Avery Aquatic Center. Despite claiming one event title against the Cardinals, Stanford’s depth showed well to provide a 63-54 win. Freshmen Megumi Field and Dalia Ovadia claimed the duet title in their collegiate debut while the trio of Calista Liu, Lindi Schroeder and Yara Elian took second place in trio competition. 

Following a second-place outing against Wheaton College that saw Stanford only compete in the duet and team events, the Cardinal trekked up to Columbus, Ohio, and claimed its second-consecutive title at the Jessica Beck Invitational. Stanford swept all four event titles on the day with the veteran and promising youthful presence paving the way. 

In the duet, Ovadia and Field claimed their second win of the season while the two combined with Audrey Kwon to take the trio crown with a score of 218.7. Emmanuella Tchakmakjian - Stanford’s lone entrant in the solo - took the solo crown by over 33 points with a score of 171.5. In the team event, Stanford cleared hosts Ohio State by 20 points with Elian, Field, Kwon, Liu, Ovadia, Schroeder, Tchakmakjian, Ivy Davis and Miko Begossi combining for a first place finish. 

The Cardinal continued its dominant run with a fourth-consecutive crown at the MPSF Championships in Wheaton, Mass., claiming four event titles to remain as the conference’s lone champion. Megumi Field was named the MPSF Swimmer and Rookie of the Meet, claiming first place in the Tech A, duet, trio and team events, accumulating an MPSF record 74 points toward Stanford’s total. Field and Ovadia grabbed the duet title with a score of 226.74 while the duo combined with Audrey Kwon again for a trio win with a score of 256.11. 

Claiming valuable team points, Calista Liu, Lindi Schroeder and Yara Elian took second in the trio event. Meanwhile, Stanford bookend the podium in the team event with the group of Elian, Field, Kwon, Liu, Ovadia, Schroeder, Tchakmakjian, Davis and Begossi claiming first place while the group of Elisa Brunel, Ella Rau, Yujin Chang, Emily Ding, Cambell McMillan, Atira O’Neil, Manu Pindi and Haley Chu claimed third. 

Following its MPSF crown, the Cardinal returned to The Farm for one last tune-up before the USA Artistic Swimming Collegiate Nationals, hosting the USAAS Western Regionals and one final duel on Senior Day. Stanford claimed three event titles in its penultimate meet with Tchakmakjian finishing her career on The Farm with a win in the solo with a score of 179.04. The Cardinal took the top two spots in the trio while the lone duet group for Stanford grabbed third. Stanford took the top two spots in the team event to firmly grasp its final meet win and bring considerable momentum into the postseason. 

With hardware on the line in Ypsilanti, Mich., Stanford took a valuable win on day one of the USAAS Collegiate National Championships with Field and Ovadia claiming the duet title with a score of 241.06 to finish the campaign unbeaten in four meets in the event. 

Stanford also got support on day one in Tech A with Yara Elian claiming third place while Ovadia just missed a podium placement with a fourth-place outing. In her final meet, Tchakmakjian took second place in the solo as the Cardinal looked poised for the podium through one day in The Mitten. 

Day two brought all the dramatics for Stanford starting with the trio of Field, Ovadia and Kwon snatching Stanford’s second event title of the meet, posting a first-place score of 261.25. Earning fourth place, and valuable points, was the trio Schroeder, Liu and Elian. 

Looking to claim its third-consecutive gold in the team event, Stanford seized the moment and claimed its third-straight team event title with Begossi, Davis, Elian, Liu, Schroeder, Field, Ovadia and Kwon taking the top spot. Grabbing fourth - and the final points needed to claim the overall title - was Brunel, Chang, Chu, Ding, McMillan, O’Neil, Pindi and Rau as an entire team performance pushed Stanford to its 10th national title in program history. 

Dalia Ovadia claimed High Point Scorer honors having factored into Stanford’s three event crowns while head coach Megan Abarca was named Coach of the Year. 

All-Cardinal

Following the MPSF Championship, Stanford garnered multiple all-conference honors with Megumi Field, Dalia Ovadia and Calista Liu being named to the All-MPSF First Team. Head coach Megan Abarca was tabbed the conference Coach of the Meet having led the Cardinal to its fourth consecutive MPSF title. 

The Cardinal also led the way on the national scene garnering six USAAS All-Americans. Stanford claimed six of the 22 slots with Dalia Ovadia, Calista Liu, Megumi Field, Yara Elian, Lindi Schroeder and Audrey Kwon being named All-Americans. Ovadia, Liu, Field and Kwon claim their first All-American honors while Elian nabs her third and Schroeder ends her Stanford career as a four-time All-American. Ovadia and Liu also earned USAAS DI Varsity All-Collegiate honors for their efforts in the Collegiate National Championship.

For its efforts In the classroom, Stanford racked up 12 placements on the MPSF All-Academic list including eight members who earned the honor in 2024. Among those listed were Cambell McMillan, Atira O’Neil, Manu Pindi, Ella Rau, Emmanuella Tchakmakjian, Miko Begossi, Elisa Brunel, Yujin Chang, Ivy Davis, Emily Ding, Yara Elian and Lindi Schroeder.

From Paris

Stanford showed well on the world’s stage with five Cardinal having spent time at the 2024 Paris Olympics heading into the 2025 campaign. 

Stanford head coach Megan Abarca helped lead Team USA to its first medal in artistic swimming in 20 years - and third all-time - as an assistant coach. Freshman Megumi Field and Audrey Kwon teamed up with alumnae Jacklyn Luu ‘21 to help propel the U.S. to its medal finish while Calista Liu served as a reserve for the team.