Abbey Weitzeil Breaks Simone Manuel’s Pac-12 Record in 50 Free

2019 PAC-12 WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 27 – Saturday, March 2
• Federal Way, WA (Pacific Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Stanford (2x) (results)
• Live results
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheets

Cal junior Abbey Weitzeil has broken the Pac-12 Record in the women’s 50 yard freestyle with the 3rd-fastest performance in event history.

Weitzel swam a 21.16 in the final of the race on Thursday, which ranks behind only her own American and  US Open Records of 21.12, which she set in 2016 during her gap year before beginning classes at Cal; and the NCAA Record of 21.15 set by Erika Brown at SECs last weekend.

Since starting college, Weitzeil’s previous best time in the 50 on a flat-start is 21.36.

The old Pac-12 record belonged to Olympic gold medalist Simone Manuel, who swam 21.17 at the 2017 NCAA Championships in Indianapolis (and 21.18 at the 2018 NCAA Championships in Columbus). Manuel previously had the 3 fastest times in Pac-12 history in the event.

All-Time Top 11 Performances, Women’s 50 Yard Free

1. Abbey Weitzeil, Canyons Aquatic Club, 21.12 – 2016 American Short Course Championships
2. Erika Brown, Tennessee, 21.15 – 2019 SEC Championships
3. Abbey Weitzeil, Cal, 21.16 – 2019 Pac-12 Championships
4. Simone Manuel, Stanford, 21.17 – 2017 NCAA Championships
5. Simone Manuel, Stanford, 21.18 – 2018 NCAA Championships
6. Simone Manuel, Stanford, 21.20 – 2018 Pac-12 Championships
7. Olivia Smoliga, Georgia, 21.21 – 2016 NCAA Championships
8. (TIE) Lara Jackson, Arizona, 21.27 – 2009 NCAA Championships/Olivia Smoliva, Georgia, 21.27 – 2017 NCAA Championships
9. –
10. (TIE) Abbey Weitzeil, Canyons Aquatic Club, 21.28 – 2016 American Short Course Championships/Liz Li, Ohio State, 21.28 – 2018 NCAA Championships

The next-fastest Cal Bear in history is Farida Osman, who went 21.32 in 2016, which was the school record until Weitzeil’s finals swim; followed by Liv Jensen.