2017 Women’s Pac-12 Championships: Day 2 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 preparing for day 2 finals of the 2017 Pac-12 Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Federal Way, Washington, with the action kicking off at 6 p.m. Pacific Time. Tonight, we’ll crown the Pac-12 champions in the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 200 free relay, and women’s 1-meter diving.

Stanford freshman Katie Ledecky will be chasing her own NCAA and American Record in the 500 free tonight after breaking the Pac-12 Meet Record with a quick 4:28.37 this morning. Stanford’s Ella Eastin and Cal’s Kathleen Baker will square off with USC’s Kirsten Vose and Louise Hansson in the 200 IM. Finally, a highly anticipated showdown between Stanford’s Simone Manuel and Cal teammates Abbey Weitzeil and Farida Osman will take place in the 50 free.

WOMEN’S 1-METER DIVING

1. Kassidy Cook, Stanford, 338.35
2. Maria Polyakova, UCLA, 335.75
3. Naomi Gowlett, USC, 328.15

Stanford’s Kassidy Cook edged out UCLA’s Maria Polyakova by less than 3 points to win a close contest for gold. Not far behind was USC’s Naomi Gowlett, who took 3rd with 328.15 points. Arizona got a huge boost from diving, with Karolyn Loftus (6th), Kaitlyn Costello (7th), and Sally Hackett (8th) all scoring in the final.

WOMEN’S 500 FREE

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 4:36.30
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 4:47.79
• Pac-12 Conference Record: Katie Ledecky (Stanford)- 4:26.46
• Pac-12 Meet Record: Katie Ledecky (Stanford)- 4:28.37

1. Katie Ledecky, Stanford, 4:25.15
2. Katie Drabot, Stanford, 4:35.69
3. Katie McLaughlin, Cal, 4:36.04

Stanford’s Katie Ledecky tore through the water, setting a new NCAA, American, and U.S. Open Record to win gold in 4:25.15. That took over a second off her previous record of 4:26.46 from the Ohio State Invite. Fellow Cardinal freshman Katie Drabot (4:35.69) had a fantastic swim to take silver, as did bronze mealist Cal’s Katie McLaughlin (4:36.04) as both swimmers dropped seconds from their best times.

A tight race for 4th saw Stanford freshman Megan Byrnes and Arizona freshman Hannah Cox battle down the stretch. Byrnes got to the wall in 4:39.14, just ahead of Cox’s 4:39.66.

WOMEN’S 200 IM

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:55.35
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 2:01.59
• Pac-12 Conference Record: Ella Eastin (Stanford)- 1:51.65
• Pac-12 Meet Record: Julia Smit (Stanford)- 1:52.31

1. Ella Eastin, Stanford, 1:52.34
2. Kathleen Baker, Cal, 1:52.74
3. Louise Hansson, USC, 1:53.72

Stanford’s Ella Eastin kept the streak going for the Cardinal, coming within 3 hundredths of the Meet Record to win back-to-back titles in 1:52.34. Cal’s Kathleen Baker was just a few tenths back, coming in t 1:52.74 for silver. USC freshman Louise Hansson continues to impress, as she picked up bronze in 1:53.72.

Stanford’s Ally Howe and USC’s Kirsten Vose battled down the stretch for 4th place.Vose had the slight edge after breaststroke, but Howe rocketed home to out-touch her with a 1:55.74 to Vose’s 1:55.91.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 21.80
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 22.99
• Pac-12 Conference Record: Lara Jackson (Arizona)- 21.27
• Pac-12 Meet Record: Farida Osman (Cal)- 21.32

1. Simone Manuel, Stanford, 21.29
2. Farida Osman, Cal, 21.49
3. Abbey Weitzeil, Cal, 21.50

Stanford has yet to lose a race at this meet, as Simone Manuel came in clutch to win gold in a new Pac-12 Meet Record time of 21.29. Defending champ Farida Osman wound up 2nd in 21.49, just a hundredth ahead of teammate Abbey Weitzeil (21.50).

UCLA’s Linnea Mack blazed to a 21.67 to finish just off the podium, followed closely by Stanford’s Lia Neal (21.70) and Arizona’s Katrina Konopka (21.71). USC’s Anika Apostalon also cleared 22 seconds, posting a 21.91 for 7th place. Rounding out the top 8 was Cal’s Amy Bilquist (22.13).

Notably, Cal freshman Maddie Murphy had a big swim in the B-final, turning in a personal best 21.96.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE RELAY

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:28.98
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 1:29.75
• Pac-12 Conference Record: Arizona (2009)- 1:26.20
• Pac-12 Meet Record: Stanford (2016)- 1:26.77

1. Stanford- 1:26.44
2. Cal- 1:26.49
3. Arizona- 1:27.95

The Stanford 200 free relay squad of Simone Manuel, Lia Neal, Janet Hu, and Ally Howe took down the Pac-12 Meet Record in a fingernail finish against Cal. The Cardinal touched just 5 hundredths ahead of the Bears. Manuel got the Cardinal off to an early lead with her 21.44, while Howe clocked a 21.49 on the anchor leg to hold off a hard-charging Farida Osman (21.21). Notably, Cal’s Kristen Vredeveld split a 21.70 on the B-relay, which made her the team’s 3rd fastest performer overall.