Watch: Huske, Dobler Shatter Pac-12 Championship Records (Race Videos)

2023 WOMEN’S PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 22 – Saturday, February 25, 2023
• Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, Federal Way, WA
• Defending Champions:
  • Women: Stanford (1x)
• Live Results
• Live Video
• Championship Central
• Fan Guide
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap
• Day 3 Finals Live Recap

The penultimate day of racing at the 2023 women’s Pac-12 Championships saw two meet records get crushed. First, Stanford’s Torri Huske blasted a 49.27 to win the 100 fly and then USC’s Kaitlyn Dobler clocked a 57.10 in the 100 breast. Soon after, Stanford’s Claire Curzan swam a 49.46 in the 100 back to lower her own 17-18 National Age Group record. Watch the PAC-12 Championship record rampage, and all other ‘A’ final swims from the session, below with race videos courtesy of Pac-12 Networks on Youtube and the Pac-12 Conference’s Instagram.

It’s no surprise that Stanford comfortably leads the team scores after day three where they took home two of those championship meet records and completed a podium sweep in the 200 free final. There were no shifts in team placements since day two and the gaps between second place (Cal) and third place (USC), between fourth place (UCLA) and fifth place (ASU), and between fifth and sixth place (Arizona) have all widened significantly.

Women’s 3-Meter – Final

• NCAA Record: 437.75, Christina Loukas (Indiana) – 2009
• PAC-12 Record: 420.90, Cassidy Krug (Stanford) – 2007
• PAC-12 Championship Record: 387.75, Blythe Hartley (USC) – 2006

Top 3:

1. Delaney Schnell (Arizona) – 373.60
2. Nike Agunbiade (USC) – 327.40
3. Holly Waxman (Utah) – 322.65

The final was shaping up to be a tight battle between Schell and Agunbiade after prelims where they finished 1-2 with 330.5 and 330.55 points, respectively. But the Arizona senior ultimately was untouchable, claiming first with a 50-point lead in the final. This victory for Schnell comes one day after she earned first place in the 1-meter final on Thursday.

WOMEN’S 400 IM — FINALS

• NCAA Record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin (STAN) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• PAC-12 Record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin (STAN) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• PAC-12 Championship Record: 3:56.53, Katie Ledecky (STAN) — 2018 PAC-12 Championships
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:03.62
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 4:11.60

Top 3:

1. Leah Polonsky (CAL) – 4:05.27
2. Paige Maceachern (UCLA) – 4:06.17
3. Lucy Bell (STAN) – 4:06.28

Cal sophomore Leah Polonsky, the 200 IM champion on Thursday, took home her second Pac-12 title of the meet. She built a three-second lead by the halfway mark and held strong to secure the win while UCLA’s Paige Maceachern fought off Lucy Bell of Stanford, who split a 55.54 on the freestyle compared to Maceahcern’s 56.45, to place second.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY — FINALS

• NCAA Record: 48.84, Kate Douglass (UVA) – 2023 ACC Championships
• PAC-12 Record: 49.17, Torri Huske (STAN) — 2022 NCAA Championships
• PAC-12 Championship Record: 49.34, Louise Hansson (USC) — 2019 PAC-12 Championships
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.92
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 52.35

Top 3:

1. Torri Huske (STAN) – 49.27
2. Mia Kragh (CAL) – 51.63
3. Julia Heimstead (ARIZ) – 52.03

Torri Huske dominated this race, placing first with a new Pac-12 Championship meet record time of 49.27. The previous record was set by Swedish Olympian Louise Hansson while she swam for USC. Cal’s Mia Kragh blasted a personal best time to snag second while Arizona’s Julia Heimstead also took down her lifetime best time, which she set in prelims, to round out the podium. In lane five, Claire Curzan of Stanford also finished under the 50-second mark, but was disqualified for a false start.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE — FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin (CAL) – 2015 NCAA Championships
• PAC-12 Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin (CAL) – 2015 NCAA Championships
• PAC-12 Championship Record: 1:40.37, Simone Manuel (STAN) — 2017 PAC-12 Championships
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:42.84
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:45.42

Top 3:

1. Taylor Ruck (STAN) – 1:43.04
2. Kayla Wilson (STAN) – 1:43.74
3. Morgan Tankersley (STAN) – 1:44.04

This podium sweep was a huge point scorer for Stanford and the three teammates displayed different race strategies. Ruck had early speed, splitting 23.95 on the first 50 and flipping with a half-a-second lead over the field. She was the fastest of the three on the second 50 as well (26.40), but only by .05. Both Wilson and Tankersley had faster final 50’s at 26.20 and 26.27, respectively, but regardless, Ruck’s lead was insurmountable.

Their 1-2-3 finish was largely the result of Tankersley’s heroic finish. Cal senior Mia Motekaitis was in second place at the 50, 100, and 150-yard marks. But, the Stanford senior had enough closing speed to run down and out touch Motekaitis who had a final 50 split of 26.87 and ultimately placed fourth (1:44.11).

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE — FINALS

• NCAA Record: 55.73, Lilly King (IU) – 2019 NCAA Championships
• PAC-12 Record: 56.93, Kaitlyn Dobler (USC) — 2022 NCAA Championships
• PAC-12 Championship Record: 57.31, Kaitlyn Dobler (USC) — 2022 PAC-12 Championships
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 58.10
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 59.87

Top 3:

1. Kaitlyn Dobler (USC) – 57.10
2. Isabelle Odgers (USC) – 58.92
3. Claire Grover (UCLA) – 59.37

USC’s Kaitlyn Dobler took down the second Pac-12 Championship record of the night, a mark she set at this competition last year. She beat her previous record by .21 to win the race by more than 1.5 seconds. Her teammate Odgers out touched UCLA’s Grover by .4 to complete a 1-2 finish for the Trojans.

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE — FINALS

• NCAA Record: 48.74, Katharine Berkoff (NCSU) – 2022 NCAA Championships
• PAC-12 Record: 49.23, Regan Smith (STAN) — 2022 Pac-12 Championships
• PAC-12 Championship Record: 49.23, Regan Smith (STAN) — 2022 Pac-12 Championships
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.89
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 52.46

Top 3:

1. Claire Curzan (STAN) – 49.46
2. Isabelle Stadden (CAL) – 50.79
3. Lucie Nordmann (STAN) – 51.91

Stanford’s Curzan bounced back after her 100 fly and won the 100 back by coming within .23 of the Pac-12 Championship meet record set by fellow 2020 U.S. Olympian Regan Smith in a relay at this meet last year. This swim lowered Curzan’s own 17-18 NAG record by .06. Cal’s Isabelle Stadden remained right on Curzan’s heels with a strong stroke and fast tempo.

WOMEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY – TIMED FINALS

• NCAA Record: 3:21.80, Virginia – 2023 ACC Championships
• Pac-12 Record: 3:25.09, Stanford – 2018
• Pac-12 Championship Record: 3:25.14, Stanford – 2018
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:31.38

Top 3:

1. Stanford – 3:25.79
2. Cal – 3:31.10
3. UCLA – 3:35.32

Stanford’s quartet of Curzan (49.76), Allie Raab (59.44), Huske (49.74), and Ruck (46.85) dominated the final event of the evening with a final time of 3:25.79. They clocked the fastest splits in the field on each leg. Notably, USC finished the race in second place but was disqualified.

Race video was not available at the time of publishing.

Team Scores Thru Day 3

1. Stanford – 1149.5
2. Cal – 874.5
3. USC – 817.5
4. UCLA – 701.5
5. ASU – 541
6. Arizona – 452
7. Utah – 363
8. Washington State – 263