March 25, 2009
Meet Central
San Antonio, Texas - The Stanford synchronized swimming team is back to defend their national collegiate title this weekend at the Josh Davis Natatorium on the campus of The University of the Incarnate Word. The Cardinal will compete from Thurs.-Sat., March 26-28 as they attempt to capture their fifth-consecutive national title.
More than 200 of the top athletes from the collegiate scene will vie for titles in the solo, duet, trio and team events. The Championships are an open-class meet, combining competition from NCAA Divisions I, II, and III and NAIA colleges and universities.
The Cardinal will feature a team that will look much different than years past after losing several former national champions to graduation. However, the 2009 squad completed an undefeated regular season and captured the West Regional title. The young team appears poised to make another run at the collegiate title.
Stanford has decided to go with a lineup of two trio teams, two duet teams, while competing in both `A' elements and `B' figures, as well as the team competition.
The trio teams include the West Regional Champion squad of Taylor Durand, Maria Koroleva and Olivia Morgan, as well as the experienced group of Erin Bell, Debbie Chen and Michelle Moore.
The duet pairs include freshmen Koroleva and Morgan who won the regional title earlier this month and Chen and Durand, both veterans of collegiate nationals.
This year, the Cardinal will compete in both `A' elements and `B' figures after only completing in elements last season. To add the figures event, Stanford will not have an athlete in the solo competition.
Finally, in the team competition, Stanford will go with the same team seen at the Avery Aquatic Center earlier this month that won the West Regional title. The team is comprised of Bell, Alex Bollaidlaw, Chen, Durand, Koroleva, Moore, Morgan and Corinne Smith.
Stanford will be without head coach Heather Olson, who did not make the trip after giving birth to her first child, Kemmerick Patrick Olson, on March 7. Assistant coach Alison Bartosik will take over the main coaching duties for the duration of the competition.