2020 Women’s Pac-12 Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2020 PAC-12 WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 26 – Saturday, February 29
• Federal Way, WA (Pacific Time Zone)
• Prelims 10:30 a.m./Wednesday & Thursday finals 6 p.m./Friday & Saturday finals 6:30 p.m.
• Defending Champion: Stanford (3x) (results) (diving)
• Live Video
• Women’s Fan Guide/Psych Sheets
• Estimated NCAA Invite Times/NCAA ‘A’ Cuts
• Championship Central/Record Book
• Diving Results
• Heat Sheet
• Live Results

The 2020 women’s Pac-12 Championships continue this morning in Federal Way with prelims of the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back. Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil looks to make it 2-for-2 as she’s the defending 200 free champion. Yesterday, Weitzeil took down the Pac-12 Meet Record twice in the 50 free. Teammate Izzy Ivey leads the way the Pac-12 this season in the 100 back.

USC’s Louise Hansson, the reigning NCAA Champion, headlines the 100 fly. Hansson is going for her 4th-straight title in the event. Arizona State’s Silja Kansakoski also looks to defend a title as the top seed in the 100 breast. She won that race in both 2017 and 2019. Stanford’s Brooke Forde is the 400 IM top seed. Forde, the 2019 NCAA 500 free champion, finished as the runner-up in the event at Pac-12s last season and took 3rd at NCAAs.

WOMEN’S 400 IM

• Pac-12 Record: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 2018, 3:54.60
• Meet Record: Katie Ledecky (Stanford), 2018, 3:56.53
• NCAA Record: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 2018, 3:54.60
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 4:10.00
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:03.62
• 2019 Champion: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 3:57.75

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

1. Brooke Forde, Stanford, 4:06.52
2. Allie Szekely, Stanford, 4:06.80
3. Hannah Kukurugya, Stanford, 4:11.84
4. Alicia Wilson, Cal, 4:11.96
5. Nora Deleske, ASU, 4:12.43
6. Katie Glavinovich, Stanford, 4:12.55
7. Charity Pittard, Utah, 4:13.41
8. Ella Kirschke, UCLA, 4:14.00

Stanford’s Brooke Forde (4:06.52) and Allie Szekely (4:06.80) won their respective heats by body lengths as the only swimmers under 4:10. The Cardinal put 4 in the A final, with Hannah Kukurugya (4:11.84) qualifying 3rd and Katie Glavinovich (4:12.55) taking 6th.

Cal’s Alicia Wilson, a 2019 WUGs champion, qualified 4th for the Bears in 4:11.96, but without Sarah Darcel they’ve only got one in the A final. Freshman Ashlyn Fiorilli dropped nearly a second as she took 9th for Cal. Fellow Cal freshman Sarah Dimeco (4:17.93) will join her in the B final.

Utah got their first championship finalist as freshman Charity Pittard matched her best in 4:13.41. UCLA’s Ella Kirschke (4:14.00) and ASU’s Nora Deleske (4:12.43) also qualified in the top 8. Kirschke’s swim was a best by almost 3 seconds.

UCLA’s Delaney Smith put up a lifetime best 4:14.99 to qualify 10th. Arizona freshman Axana Merckx lowered her best for 11th, just ahead of teammate Hannah Cox (4:16.30).

WOMEN’S 100 FLY

• Pac-12 Record: Louise Hansson (USC), 2019, 49.26
• Meet Record: Louise Hansson (USC), 2019, 49.34
• NCAA Record: Louise Hansson (USC)/Maggie MacNeil (Michigan), 2019/2020, 49.26
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 52.34
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.92
• 2019 Champion: Louise Hansson (USC), 49.34

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

1. Louise Hansson, USC, 50.45
2. Izzy Ivey, Cal, 51.92
3. Jemma Schlicht, USC, 52.17
4. Emma Wheal, Stanford, 52.30
5. Amalie Fackenthal, Stanford, 52.52
6. Amy Okada, UCLA, 52.80
7. Maddie Murphy, Cal, 52.82
8. Catherine Sanchez, USC, 52.92

UPDATE: ASU’s Ruby Martin won the swimoff in 53.89 to Gabrielle Anderson’s 53.98 and will swim in the B final. Cal’s Elizabeth Bailey won the swimoff with Arizona’s Alayna Connor, 54.88 to 55.85, for first alternate.

Defending champion Louise Hansson of USC led the heats with a 50.45. The Trojans will score big here, as they got 3 in the final. Jemma Schlicht was 3rd in 52.17. Catherine Sanchez took 8th in 52.92.

Cal’s Izzy Ivey (51.92) was the only woman other than Hansson to break 52. They’ll have 2 in the final with Maddie Murphy (52.82) at 7th. Stanford also got 2 in. Freshman Emma Wheal broke 53 for the first time, dropping almost a second in 52.30. Teammate Amalie Fackenthal qualified behind her in 52.52.

UCLA’s Amy Okada clipped her best to qualify 8th in 52.80. Freshman teammate Gabby Dang was 9th in 53.17. Utah’s Emma Lawless put up a lifetime best 53.31 to qualify 10th.

There will be a swimoff for 16th between UCLA’s Gabrielle Anderson and Arizona State’s Ruby Martin, as both finished in 54.31 this morning.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE

• Pac-12 Record: Missy Franklin (Cal), 2015, 1:39.10
• Meet Record: Simone Manuel (Stanford), 2017, 1:40.37
• NCAA Record: Missy Franklin (Cal), 2015, 1:39.10
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 1:45.12
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:42.98
• 2019 Champion: Abbey Weitzeil (Cal), 1:41.97

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS*

1. Katie Drabot, Stanford, 1:44.30
2. Robin Neumann, Cal, 1:44.37
3. Cierra Runge, ASU, 1:44.67
4. Laticia Transom, USC, 1:44.75*
5. Emma Nordin, ASU, 1:44.87
6. Tatum Wade, USC, 1:44.95
7. Erica Laning, ASU, 1:45.04
8. Morgan Tankersley, Stanford, 1:45.06
9. Kirsten Jacobsen, Arizona, 1:45.45*

UPDATE: A spokesperson for Cal has confirmed that Weitzeil injured her arm on the finish of the 50 free last night. She will be evaluated session-by-session to determine her status for the rest of the meet.

UPDATE 2: Transom’s DQ has been overturned and she’s now the 4th seed for finals. It was determined that noises at the start of the race may have sounded like the start buzzer, causing the false start. That pushes Arizona’s Kirsten Jacobsen to the B final. UCLA’s Olivia Andrew will now swim in the C final. Washington State’s Ryan Falk will be the first alternate.

Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil was noticeable absent here. Weitzeil, the defending champion, was a declared false start. She also pulled out of the 200 free relay last night. She was seen rubbing her arm in a post-race interview after the 50 free last night. USC’s Laticia Transom, the 2nd seed, was one of the favorites to win this race, but was disqualified in prelims for a false start. She had initially touched in 1:44.75.

Cal will still have Robin Neumann in this final as she qualified 2nd in 1:44.37, but not having Weitzeil here is a setback for the Bears in the team race. Stanford has 2 in the final. Katie Drabot was significantly faster than her 800 free relay leadoff, swimming to a 1:44.30. Teammate Morgan Tankersley was 7th in 1:45.06.

Just as they did in the 500 free on Thursday, ASU stepped up big here to get 3 A finalists. Cierra Runge leads the way for them as she qualified 3rd in 1:44.67. Emma Nordin, who made a huge drop in the 500 free to take the title last night, was 4th in 1:44.87. She swam her lifetime best on the 800 free relay leadoff at this meet with a 1:44.10. Erica Laning clipped her best for 6th in 1:45.04.

Arizona All-American Kirsten Jacobsen rounded out the top 8 in 1:45.45. She’s their first A finalist of the meet after winning the 500 free B final. Stanford’s Lauren Pitzer, who took 4th in this race last season, placed 9th in 1:45.73.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST

• Pac-12 Record: Sarah Haase (Stanford), 2016, 57.36
• Meet Record: Sarah Haase (Stanford), 2016, 58.02
• NCAA Record: Lilly King (Indiana), 2019, 55.73
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 59.93
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 58.60
• 2019 Champion: Silja Kansakoski (ASU), 59.12

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

1. Allie Raab, Stanford, 59.34
2. Silja Kansakoski, ASU, 59.90
3. Ema Rajic, Cal, 1:00.06
4. Claire Grover, UCLA, 1:00.18
5. Isa Odgers, USC, 1:00.42
6. Zoe Bartel, Stanford, 1:00.56
7. (TIE 7TH) Rachel Rhee, UCLA, 1:00.57
8. (TIE 7TH) Ellie Jew, Arizona, 1:00.57

Stanford’s Allie Raab, who had the fastest split of the field on Wednesday’s 400 medley relay, leads with a 59.34. That took a couple of tenths off her former best. ASU’s defending champion Silja Kansakoski, who is seeking her 2rd title in this event, was the only other woman under 1:00 in 59.90. Stanford has 2 in with Zoe Bartel at 6th in 1:00.56.

Cal’s Ema Rajic, the 2019 B final champ, was 3rd in 1:00.06. Teammate Ali Harrison was just out of the top 8 with a 1:00.75 for 9th. USC will also have a finalist as they battle Cal for 2nd in the team race. Isa Odgers qualified 5th in 1:00.42, shaving 2 tenths off her best.

UCLA got 2 in the final with Claire Grover, who just missed the podium as a freshman last season, taking 4th in 1:00.18. Teammate Rachel Rhee was within 2 hundredths of her best to tie Arizona freshman Ellie Jew for 7th in 1:00.57. Jew shaved a few tenths off her best. Teammate Mallory Korenwinder, a 2019 finalist, was 13th in 1:01.56.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK

• Pac-12 Record: Ally Howe (Stanford), 2017, 49.69
• Meet Record: Ally Howe (Stanford), 2017, 49.69
• NCAA Record: Beata Nelson (Wisconsin), 2019, 49.18
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 52.46
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.93
• 2019 Champion: Amy Bilquist (Cal), 50.46

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

1. Keaton Blovad, Cal, 51.74
2. Izzy Ivey, Cal, 51.80
3. Lucie Nordmann, Stanford, 52.23
4. Aria Bernal, Arizona, 52.33
5. Erin Voss, Stanford, 52.71
6. Alexandra Crisera, Stanford, 52.73
7. Audrey Reimer, Utah, 53.01
8. Chloe Isleta, ASU, 53.11

Cal’s Keaton Blovad, the 2019 bronze medalist and top returner in this race, led prelims with a 51.74. That’s within a few tenths of her best. In her 2nd swim of the morning, teammate Izzy Ivey (51.80) qualified 2nd. Stanford got 3 in with Lucie Nordmann leading the Cardinal in 52.23 for 3rd. Teammates Erin Voss (52.71) and freshman Alexandra Crisera (52.73) were 5th and 6th, respectively.

Arizona got a championship finalist for the 3rd event in a row. Aria Bernal qualified 4th in 52.33. Utah also added another championship finalist with Audrey Reimer taking 7th in 53.01. Reimer swam her best on the 400 medley relay as she led off in 52.69. ASU also got a swimmer in with Chloe Isleta clipping her best for 8th in 53.11.