2017 Pac-12 Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2017 WOMEN’S PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 22 – Saturday, February 25
• Federal Way, WA (Pacific Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: USC (results)
• Live Results (also on Meet Mobile)
• Live Video 
• Pac-12 Record Book
• Championship Central

Swimmers are getting ready for day 3 finals at the 2017 Pac-12 Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Federal Way, Washington. Tonight, we’ll see competiton in the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 400 medley relay, and 3-meter diving.

Stanford’s Katie Ledecky will take on a tough 400 IM/200 free double tonight. In the 400 IM, she’ll be up against defending champ Ella Eastin and fellow Cardinal freshman Allie Szekely. Shortly afterwards in the 200 free, she’ll go head-to-head with teammate Simone Manuel.

The Cardinal’s Janet Hu will also headline a double, as she’s the top seed in both the 100 fly and 100 back. She’s not far from breaking 50 seconds in either race after turning in Meet Record times of 50.38 in the 100 fly and 50.29 in the 100 back this morning. She’ll have some tough competition in both races, with USC’s Louise Hansson and Cal’s Farida Osman and Noemie Thomas in the 100 fly. In the 100 back, she’ll go up against teammate Ally Howe, the defnding champion, as well as UCLA’s Linnea Mack and the powerhouse Cal backstroke duo of Amy Bilquist and Kathleen Baker.

WOMEN’S 400 IM

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 4:05.36
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 4:19.39
• Pac-12 Conference Record: Katinka Hosszu (2012)- 3:56.54
• Pac-12 Meet Record: Julia Smit (2010)- 3:58.23

1. Katie Ledecky, Stanford, 3:57.68
2. Ella Eastin, Stanford, 4:00.96
3. Allie Szekely, Stanford, 4:02.34

Stanford’s Katie Ledecky busted out a new American Record to win the 400 IM over defending champion Ella Eastin, touching the wall in 3:57.69 to take down the previous record of 3:57.89 done by Caitlin Leverenz in 2012. Eastin took silver in 4:00.96, while freshman teammate Allie Szekely rounded out the podium for Stanford in 4:02.34.

Arizona freshman Hannah Cox touched in 4:07.96 for 4th place. Cal’s Celina Li (4:09.49) also cleared 4:10 to take 5th.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 51.49
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 54.49
• Pac-12 Conference Record: Natalie Coughlin (2002)- 50.01
• Pac-12 Meet Record: Janet Hu (2017)- 50.38

1. Louise Hansson, USC, 50.39
2. Farida Osman, Cal, 50.40
3. Janet Hu, Stanford, 50.59

USC freshman Louise Hansson has played a huge role for the Trojans this season. Tonight, she won her first Pac-12 championship title, out-touching Cal’s defending champ Farida Osman by a hundredth, 50.39 to 50.40. Hansson snapped the Cardinl winning streak at this meet, as Stanford’s Janet Hu, who set the Meet Record at 50.38 this morning, took 3rd in 50.59.

Finishing just off the podium was Cal’s Noemie Thomas (50.87), followed by freshman teammate Maddie Murphy (51.62).

WOMEN’S 200 FREE

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:43.63
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 1:47.99
• Pac-12 Conference Record: Missy Franklin (2015)- 1:39.10
• Pac-12 Meet Record: Missy Franklin (2015)- 1:41.09

1. Simone Manuel, Stanford, 1:40.37
2. Katie Ledecky, Stanford, 1:40.50
3. Lia Neal, Stanford, 1:43.62

Simone Manuel jumped out to the early lead in the 200 free, but teammate Katie Ledecky was looming in the lane next to her. Ledecky made a big move on the final 50, but Manuel had just enough in the tank to hold her off, winning in a new Pac-12 Meet Record time of 1:40.37 ahead of Ledecky’s 1:40.50. Lia Neal touched 3rd in 1:43.62 for a Cardinal sweep of the podium.

Narrowly missing the podium were Cal’s Katie McLaughlin (1:43.75), Stanford freshman Katie Drabot (1:43.78), and USC freshman Stanzi Moseley (1:43.98).

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 59.04
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 1:02.49
• Pac-12 Conference Record: Sarah Haase (2016)- 58.02
• Pac-12 Meet Record: Sarah Haase (2016)- 58.02

1. Silja Kansakoski, ASU, 58.44
2. Riley Scott, USC, 58.98
3. Kirsten Vose, USC, 59.58

Arizona State freshman Silja Kansakoski dropped a personal best 58.44 to earn her place on top of the 100 breast podium. USC teammates Riley Scott (58.98) and Kirsten Vose (59.58) rounded out the medals. Also touching in a sub-1:00 time was Cal’s Marina Garcia, who just missed the podium at 59.86.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 51.45
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 55.09
• Pac-12 Conference Record: Natalie Coughlin (2002)- 49.97
• Pac-12 Meet Record: Janet Hu (2017)- 50.29

1. Ally Howe, Stanford, 49.69
2. Kathleen Baker, Cal, 50.27
3. Linnea Mack, UCLA, 50.56

Natalie Coughlin’s American Record finally went down tonight, as Stanford’s Ally Howe defended her title in record-breaking fashion. Howe is just the 2nd woman to ever break 50 seconds after winning gold in a blistering 49.69. Cal’s Kathleen Baker (50.27) dropped a personal best to take silver, as did UCLA’s Linnea Mack (50.56) for bronze.

Stanford’s Janet Hu returned to the pool with a 50.70 to finish just off the podium. Cal’s Amy Bilquist raced to the wall in 51.29 to take 5th.

WOMEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 3:33.40
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 3:34.96
• Pac-12 Conference Record: Stanford (2016)- 3:26.14
• Pac-12 Meet Record: Stanford (2016)- 3:26.25

1. Stanford- 3:26.75
2. Cal- 3:27.38
3. USC- 3:27.88

Stanford’s Simone Manuel came from behind on the anchor leg, splitting a 46.22 to help the Cardinal to victory. USC’s Anika Apostalon posted a 46.77 anchor leg, but the Trojans came up short to Cal, who got a 50.10 fly split from Noemie Thomas, for the silver. USC’s relay was also highlighted by freshman Louise Hansson‘s blistering 49.72 fly split.

TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY 3

1. Stanford University              1126   2. University of California, Berk    953
  3. University of Southern Calif      762   4. Arizona, University of            744
  5. University of California - LA     640   6. Arizona State University          491
  7. Utah, University of               309   8. Washington State University       235
  9. Oregon State University           184