The Pac-12 Conference Look-Back: Women’s Record Books (Part 1)

This is the first article in a many-part series that will attempt to cement the history of swimming in the Pac-12 Conference as, for all intents-and-purposes, it ceases to exist as we knew it on August 2, 2024 when ten of the 12 members leave for other conferences.

While the implosion of the Pac-12 Conference will more than likely be historically noted as a series of administrative failures in the changing, media-driven landscape of college athletics, the legacy of PAC-12 women’s swimming should be anchored in the performances of its powerhouse athletes working with world-class coaches over generations.

Taking less than a year, the dissipation of the Pac-12 marks the end of one of the most dominant swimming conferences ever.  With just Washington State and Oregon State remaining, the Pac-12 will be left with no teams that have won a conference title and only two individual conference champions ever from either school. Furthermore, this drastic reduction has raised questions about the conference’s viability and future direction. Discussions and rumors about potential new homes for the remaining schools or the survival of the Pac-12 in a significantly altered form have been rampant.

Despite these challenges, the legacy of Pac-12 women’s swimming remains a testament to the excellence and dedication of its athletes and coaches. The conference has fostered an environment of high performance, innovation, and competitive spirit. As the PAC-12’s future hangs in the balance, the achievements of its swimmers will continue to inspire and influence the world of swimming, reminding us of the enduring impact of athletic excellence amidst the shifting sands of college sports.

So, with this in mind and breaking the fourth wall, my goal with this series of  pieces is to memorialize the PAC-12, highlighting and paying respect to the very best from a conference that was the very best over much of the last four decades.  I will break down every event and do my best to encapsulate champions, record holders, and Olympic medalists. 

Over the 35 year history of the PAC-12, the Stanford Cardinal has dominated the conference winning 25 team titles, 225 individual PAC-12 titles, and 94 relay titles equating to a 48% winning percentage against all other schools.  

The Cardinal also boasts an impressive average overall placing of 1.51. This outstanding performance highlights Stanford’s consistent dominance in the sport. In contrast, the competition for second, third, and fourth places has been fiercely contested, with CAL, USC, and UCLA averaging closely at 3.05, 3.43, and 3.83, respectively. These tightly clustered scores demonstrate the intense rivalry among these top-tier programs. Nevertheless, Stanford’s commanding lead set it far apart, and underscores its unparalleled excellence and legacy in Pac-12 women’s swimming.

Average Overall Team Finish at the PAC-12 Championships

nThroughout its history, PAC 12 women have combined for 17 NCAA team titles, 222 individual NCAA women’s champions, 101 NCAA relay champions, and 21 individual diving champions.  Internationally, since 1980, conference athletes have produced 72 Olympic medals, including 31 gold, while also swimming to 41 world records, and 178 American records. 

Swimmers like Natalie Coughlin, Katie Ledecky, Simone Manuel, Jenny Thompson, Amy Van Dyken, Sippy Woodhead, Janet Evans, Katinka Hosszu, Missy Franklin, Rebecca Soni, Amanda Beard, Mary T. Meagher, Dana Vollmer, Regan Smith, Summer Sanders, Caitlyn Sandeno, Maya DiRado, Crissy Ahmann-Leighton, Misty Hyman, Caitlyn Leverenz and Kathleen Baker represented the absolute tip of the spear of what the PAC-12 offered during its existence.

Pac 12 Women @ NCAA Championships

Since the Games of the XXII Olympiad (1980), Stanford University again dominated its Pac-12 competition at the Olympic Games. Stanford swimmers have secured an astounding 14 Olympic individual gold medals, 10 silver medals, and 6 bronze medals. They have also set 9 world records and 100 American records.

California has also made a significant impact, earning 7 Olympic individual gold medals, 18 silver medals, and 14 bronze medals, while setting 5 world records and 51 American records. Southern Cal follows with 6 golds, 4 silvers, and 3 bronzes, along with 12 world records and 12 American records. Arizona has contributed 3 golds, 5 silvers, and 1 bronze, setting 2 world records and 6 American records. Washington, while not medaling at the Olympics, has set 2 world records and 3 American records. Arizona State has achieved 1 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals, with 2 world records and 5 American records.

In total, the Pac-12 women’s swimming teams have amassed 31 Olympic individual gold medals, 21 silver medals, and 20 bronze medals, along with setting 41 world records and 178 American records, highlighting the conference’s exceptional talent and competitive spirit over the past four decades.

Based on swimmers who attended the school at any point.