May 23, 2012
STANFORD, Calif.-- Stanford's swimmers and divers will prepare for the U.S. Trails in June with berths to the London Olympics on the line.
Nearly four dozen past or present Stanford swimmers from the men's and women's teams will take part in the U.S. Trials in June.
The U.S. Swim Trials will be in Omaha from June 25 to July 2, while the U.S. Diving Trials will be June 17 to June 24 in Federal Way, Wash., just outside of Seattle.
Some Cardinal greats, past and present, have already qualified for their country's Olympic teams. Alum Tobias Oriowol will swim for Team Canada after winning the 200 back at Trials back in late March.
Fellow alums Markus Rogan (Austria) and Jason and David Dunford (Kenya) have already qualified for their Olympic teams.
Incoming freshman Tom Kremer, a Palo Alto native, is slated to swim for Israel. Senior Geoff Cheah is still trying to qualify as a member of Hong Kong's team.
Rogan was a silver medalist in the 100 and 200 back in 2004, also swam in 2008, and he will be making his third Olympics. The Dunfords as well as Oriowol also competed in Beijing.
At the U.S. Diving Trials, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, Kristian Ipsen will compete along with alums Dwight Dumais and Cassidy Krug. Incoming freshmen divers Lillian Hinrichs and Kelly Markle will be at the site of this year's Pac-12 Championships as well.
Ipsen won the NCAA title in the 3-Meter in March and is a 24-time senior or junior national champion, while Krug is a 10-time national champion and member of the U.S. National team since 2005.
Six Cardinal are current members of the U.S. swimming national team-- Bobby Bollier, Eugene Godsoe, Chad La Tourette, Elaine Breeden, Kate Dwelley, and Maya DiRado. Breeden is a returning silver medalist from the 4x100 medley team in 2008.
On American soil, La Tourette's has the fastest 1500-meter free time, swimming in Charlotte earlier this month to a time of 15.06.73.
Jason Dunford actually has the second-fastest 100-meter long course fly at 52.13, swam at Winter Nationals, better than Michael Phelps' time of 52.23, swam in March, and behind Tyler McGill's time of 51.95. Godsoe ranks eighth (52.67) and Bollier is 22nd (53.07). Godose also ranks seventh in the 100 back (54.22).
Breeden ranks fifth in the 200 fly (2:09.67) and seventh in the 100 fly (58.68) according to rankings on the usaswimming.org website. Breeden (15th) and Dwelley (11th) rank in the top-15 of the 200 individual medley.
Swimmers have a few more tuneups prior to Trials, swimming at the Santa Clara Invite at the beginning of June and the Mutual of Omaha Swim Meet in early June.
A Stanford female diver or swimmer have won 55 medals since Marjorie Gestring Bowman won gold in the springboard in 1936. Headlined by Summer Sanders (four medals in 1992), Jenny Thompson (12 medals over four Olympics) and Janet Evans (five medals in 1988 and 1992), a Stanford woman has been at every Olympics since 1948.
The Stanford men have been represented as far back as 1920 when Clarence Pinkston and Norman Ross each won gold, combining for 49 medals. Led by greats Pablo Morales (five medals in 1984 and 1992) and John Hencken (five medals in 1972 and 1976), a Stanford male swimmer or diver has been at every Olympics since 1956.
Cardinal backstroker Matthew Swanston just missed the Canadian Olympic cut, finishing third in the 100 back at Trials in March. Alum Paul Kornfeld was also at Canadian Trials, retiring following the Fellow Canadians Michael Zoldos and Alexandra Gabor, incoming freshman Julia Ama (Brazil), Natalie Durant (Great Britain), Eirik Ravnan (Norway) and Sebastian Wigstrom (Norway) are also members of foreign national teams, but unlikely to compete at the Olympics.
Cardinal Expected to Compete at U.S. Trials:
(current and former swimmers from Stanford)
US Swim Trials-- June 25 – July 2 in Omaha, Neb.
(Current and Former Swimmers Only)
Women: Chen, DiRado, Giberson, Hammes, Lee, Majeau, Murez, Olsen, Schaefer, Simmons, Sims, Stein, Taylor, Thayer, Webb, Whitford, Woodward, Breeden, Smith, Dwelley
Men: Andrews, Bollier, Cosgarea, Davis, Edwards, Gunderson, Hallowell, Hartley, Holston, Hommel, La Tourette, Lane, Manouso, Montgomery, Mosko, Nolan, Offutt, Peske, Pickard, Priestley, Saeta, Shaw, Stephens, Stoehr, Thompson, Zoldos, Lovelace, Criste, Godsoe, Wayne
US Diving Trials-- June 17 – June 24 in Federal Way, Wash.
D. Dumais, Krug (alumni) Ipsen (current) Markle, Hinrichs (incoming freshmen)
Already in the Olympics From Stanford
Jason Dunford (Kenya) (also in 2008)
David Dunford (Kenya) (also in 2008)
Markus Rogan (Austria) (also in 2004 and 2008)
Tobias Oriwol (Canada) (also in 2008)