2019 Pac-12 – Women’s Swimming & Diving, Men’s Diving
- Wednesday, February 27 – Saturday, March 2
- Federal Way, WA (Pacific Time Zone)
- Defending Champion: Stanford (2x) (results)
- Live results (Coming soon)
- Live Video (Coming soon)
- Championship Central
The 2019 Pac-12 Championships begin on Wednesday in Federal Way, Washington, and the two-time defending Pac-12 (and NCAA) Champions from Stanford will be heavily favored to win yet again. According to the Swimulator, they enter the meet with a 240.5 point scoring advantage (in swimming events only) over their chief rivals Cal, with USC another 44 points behind the Golden Bears.
View the Psych Sheets here.
The Pac-12 has released their psych sheets, which unlike most conference psych sheets are much closer to having each athlete in just her 3 allotted individual events. There are a few exceptions (Amy Bilquist is one), but for the most part, we know exactly what each swimmer will race, at least individually, this week.. That helps us get a lot of clues as to who will be swimming what this week.
Highlights:
- Stanford senior Ella Eastin, who along with Louisville’s Mallory Comerford and Indiana’s Lilly King is probably one of the 3 candidates for Swimmer of the Year this season, will swim the 500 free, 400 IM, and 200 back at Pac-12s. The most surprising of those entries is the 500 free: an event where she’s just the 16th seed in 4:46.04. She swam that race at Pac-12s last year, and was 2nd behind teammate Katie Ledecky. Her lifetime best of 4:34.04, though, is better than anyone else in the conference has been this season. She won the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 fly at last year’s NCAA championship meet: the former two of which came in all-time fastest swims.
- USC sophomore Isabella Rongione, a National Age Group Record holder, isn’t on USC’s roster for the conference championship meet. She was 14th at Pac-12s in the 1650 last season.
- Amy Bilquist has 4 entries in the meet: the 50 free, 100 free, 100 back, and 200 back. In spite of her reputation as a sprinter, Bilquist has swum the 200 back instead of the 100 free as her day 3 event in all 3 seasons of her career to date.
- Stanford’s Katie Drabot won’t swim the 500 free at Pac-12s, instead focusing on the 200 free, 200 fly, and 200 IM. She was the runner-up at NCAAs last season in the 500. The 200 IM is the new event for her, though she does rank 7th all-time for Stanford with a 1:55.15.
- Stanford newcomer Taylor Ruck will swim the 50 free, 100 back, and 200 back at Pac-12s. Given the schedules that everyone else at Stanford has at this meet, that shouldn’t be taken as too strong of an indicator of what she’s going to swim at NCAAs.
- Stanford’s Brooke Forde is entered in the 200 IM and 400 IM (both of which she’s likely to swim based on schedule); and then has a day 4 choice between the 200 fly and 200 breast. She swam the 200 breast at NCAAs last season.
Below, see the list of swimmers, and their ranks within the conference, that have dropped each event. We searched for absences among the top 20 swimmers in the conference in each event this season.
500 free
- Brooke Forde, Stanford – 3rd
- Katie Drabot, Stanford – 6th
- Taylor Ruck, Stanford – 8th
200 IM
- no scratches
50 free
- Katie McLaughlin, Cal – 18th
400 IM
- Hannah Cox, Arizona – 5th
- Riley Scott, USC – 8th
- Ayumi Macias, Arizona – 16th
- Daniela Georges, Arizona – 17th
- Courtney Mykkanen, Cal – 20th
100 fly
- Katie Drabot, Stanford – 9th
- Lucie Nordmann, Stanford – 18th
- Mike Ranslem, Arizona – 20th
- Note – Jemma Schlicht, who is 7th in the conference, is seeded with a slower entry time at 27th.
200 free
- Louise Hansson, USC – 1st
- Taylor Ruck, Stanford – 3rd
- Ella Eastin, Stanford – 9th
- Brooke Forde, Stanford – 12th
- Jemma Schlicht, USC – 20th
100 breast
- Abbey Weitzeil, Cal – 7th
- Ella Eastin, Stanford – 16th
- Kenish Liu, UCLA – 17th
- Elsa Lindberg, Washington State – 18th
100 back
- Ella Eastin, Stanford – 2nd
- Daniela Georges, Arizona – 15th
1650 free
- Sarah Shimomura, Arizona – 16th
- Cameron Smith, Arizona Satte – 17th
- Isabella Rongione, USC – 18th
200 back
- Louise Hansson, USC – 4th
- Tatum Wade, USC – 18th
100 free
- Louise Hansson, USC – 2nd
- Taylor Ruck, Stanford – 4th
- Lucie Nordmann, Stanford – 11th
- Keaton Blovad, Cal – 13th
- Jemma Schlicht, USC – 20th
200 breast
- Erin Vose, USC – 9th
200 fly
- Ella Eastin, Stanford – 2nd
Where is Isabella rongione?
Correction* Jemma did not scratch the 100 fly. She is seeded 27th with a slower entry time.
Good catch, thanks!
How is she so good at every stroke? Usually IMers have at least one weak stroke, but she doesn’t seem to have one. How is that versatility even developed…or is it just natural?
Her Backstroke definitely seems to have been a big focus of development for this year. I feel like Meehan did a similar thing with her butterfly over the last couple of years (and we’ve seen how that paid off).
Her backstroke is needed for the medley relay if they want Ruck to anchor. Probably will help her IM also.
Katie McLaughlin swims for Cal (Under the 50 FR)
Ella actually swam the 500 last year at Pac-12s
Right, I think it’s more surprising that she’s swimming the 200 back. She was a 1:52 at their last meet, which is stunning, but she will still face steep competition to win it. She’s basically the female Andrew Seliskar (and vice versa)