Cal Wins First Pac-12 Title Since 2015, Snaps Stanford’s 4-Year Streak

2021 PAC-12 WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Final Team Scores

  1. Cal, 1519.5
  2. Stanford, 1445
  3. UCLA, 1169
  4. USC, 1006
  5. Utah, 951.5
  6. Arizona, 827
  7. Washington State, 533

The 2021 Pac-12 Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships came to a close in Houston, with the last two days a tight duel for the team title between Cal and 4-time defending champion Stanford. On the final day of competition, Cal pulled away from Stanford to win the 2021 team title and snap the Cardinals’ 4-year streak. This is now Cal’s 5th team championship title in conference history, the 2nd-most titles.

Cal had a dominant meet by winning 7 individual events, placing second in 10 events, and winning all 5 relays. Junior Izzy Ivey won Swimmer of the Meet thanks to her three individual Pac-12 titles earned throughout the meet: 100 fly (50.87), 100 back (51.13), 100 free (47.54). Freshman Isabelle Stadden and junior Alicia Wilson both earned two runner-up finishes and won and individual event, worth 88 points a piece. Stadden won the 200 back (1:50.83) on the final day while Wilson kicked things off on day one with her 200 IM win.

Senior Robin Neumann had a breakout performance in the 200 free final, winning her first Pac-12 title (1:43.40) after 11 A-finals and five 3rd-place finishes throughout her four years at this meet. Sophomore Rachel Klinker won the last individual event, the 200 fly (1:52.82), to distance the Bears away from the rest of the teams.

Sophomore Ayla Spitz, senior diver Briana Thai, sophomore Eloise Riley, 1650 free runner-up Sarah Dimeco, and double breaststroke runner-up junior Ema Rajic all scored more than 75 points towards Cal’s 1,519.50-point team total.

CAL SCORING BREAKDOWN

Scoring breakdown provided by Andrew Mering.

YEAR POINTS EVENT PLACE TIME POWER EVENT PLACE TIME POWER EVENT PLACE TIME POWER
Ivey, Izzy JR 96 100 Fly 1 50.87 837 100 Back 1 51.13 797 100 Free 1 47.54 828
Stadden, Isabelle FR 88 200 IM 2 1:55.80 766 100 Back 2 51.17 794 200 Back 1 1:50.83 797
Wilson, Alicia JR 88 200 IM 1 1:53.65 840 400 IM 2 4:04.22 785 200 Back 2 1:52.67 743
Neumann, Robin SR 86 500 Free 4 4:39.96 739 200 Free 1 1:43.4 803 100 Free 2 47.94 790
Klinker, Rachel SO 82 500 Free 7 4:42.99 696 100 Fly 3 51.79 768 200 Fly 1 1:52.82 832
Spitz, Ayla SO 81 500 Free 3 4:38.05 766 200 Free 2 1:44.1 772 200 Back 4 1:53.21 728
Thai, Briana SR 78 1 mtr Diving 3 312.05 3 mtr Diving 4 315.45 Platform Diving 5 270.15
Riley, Eloise SO 76.5 50 Free 2 22.24 742 200 Free 6 1:47.56 635 100 Free 5 48.77 717
Dimeco, Sarah SO 76 500 Free 6 4:41.91 711 400 IM 6 4:12.67 655 1650 Free 2 16:06.45 676
Rajic, Ema JR 73 200 IM 10 1:58.93 671 100 Breast 2 58.45 824 200 Breast 2 2:07.19 786
Garcia, Elise JR 68.5 50 Free 7 22.32 728 100 Fly 9 52.78 700 100 Free 4 48.73 721
Harrison, Ali SR 61 100 Fly 14 53.9 627 100 Breast 6 1:00.4 703 200 Breast 6 2:11.38 679
Laughlin, Tea FR 55 200 IM 17 2:00.4 627 100 Back 4 52.51 711 200 Back 9 1:54.11 704
Gantriis, Emily FR 45 50 Free 17 22.23 744 200 Free 7 1:47.61 633 100 Free 14 49.38 668
Haigh, Kayla FR 26 1 mtr Diving 14 244.55 3 mtr Diving 18 217.35 Platform Diving 19 171.8
Tuck, Natalie SR 25 200 IM 18 2:01.65 588 100 Breast 20 1:03.08 546 200 Breast 14 2:16.75 540
Allen, Mara FR 22 500 Free 17 4:49.47 607 200 Free 14 1:49.05 575 100 Free 32 51.24 507
Skorus-Neely, Alexa SR 22 200 IM 15 2:01.21 602 100 Breast 24 1:04.53 449 200 Breast 17 2:18.08 500
Graham, Cassie SO 21 1 mtr Diving 21 204.15 3 mtr Diving 20 193.25 Platform Diving 15 187.35
Bailey, Elizabeth SR 19 100 Fly 22 55.4 520 100 Back 23 56.65 447 200 Fly 13 2:02.68 494
Riley, Isabella FR 8 50 Free 44 24.29 350 100 Back 20 55.99 495 200 Back 22 2:00.96 504
Davidson, Emma SO 3 50 Free 34 23.53 509 100 Breast 22 1:03.89 493 100 Free 30 51.03 527

Stanford still holds the most overall team titles with 23 while Arizona remains with the 3rd-most with four. In 2021, Stanford settled for second place by 74.5 points. Stanford’s last runner-up finish as a team came from the 2016 Pac-12s, where USC won their first Pac-12 team title.

All-Time Pac-12 Team Championship Titles

  • 1st: Stanford — 23
  • 2nd: Cal — 5
  • 3rd: Arizona — 4
  • 4th: UCLA — 2
  • 5th: USC — 1

Earning 3rd place by 63 points were the UCLA Bruins, cracking the top three teams for the first time since 2006. Junior Claire Grover was part of a three-way tie for second in the 50 free, along with picking up a 4th-place finish in the 100 breast. Freshman Sam Baron also was an event runner-up in the 100 fly as well as swimming to 4th in the 200 fly. USC settled for fourth place this year with only 15 scoring athletes while UCLA had 25, contributing to the Bruins’ team finish.

Looking at UCLA’s history at the Pac-12 championships, the Bruins placed 3rd from 1987-1991, followed by runner-up finishes in 1992, 1993, 1995, and 1996. The Bruins didn’t place top-3 again until their 2001 and 2003 team titles and their 2004 runner-up finish. UCLA finished second as a team in 2006.

Utah took 5th place as a team over Arizona by 124.5 points, another noteworthy finish. Utah did not being competing in the Pac-12s until 2012. Their best team finishes were a three-peat 6th place from 2014-2016. At the 2021 meet, Utah has now beaten Arizona for the first time at this meet.

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Elizabeth Pelton
3 years ago

Go bears!!

Lisa Schaffer
3 years ago

Way to go Bruins! Every swimmer and diver scored. That speaks volumes. I’m impressed and inspired by your grit and unity. The best is yet to come! And gotta say – roll on you Bears. Congrats on the victory!

Jewelindapool
3 years ago

Roll on you Bears! 🎉🎉

Champs
3 years ago

Spread Butter 💪🏽

About Nick Pecoraro

Nick Pecoraro

Nick has had the passion for swimming since his first dive in the water in middle school, immediately falling for breaststroke. Nick had expanded to IM events in his late teens, helping foster a short, but memorable NCAA Div III swim experience at Calvin University. While working on his B.A. …

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