PAC-12 – WOMEN
- Wednesday, February 24 – Saturday, February 27
- Federal Way, WA (Pacific Time Zone)
- Defending Champion: California (results)
- Live results
- Championship Central
Last night, Stanford erupted for a new NCAA, American and U.S. Open record in the 200 medley relay to kick off the swimming events of the 2016 Women’s Pac-12 Championships. Cal and USC followed.
In the 800 free relay, the Trojans ripped a 6:55.17 with a new-look foursome featuring freshmen Kirsten Vose and Allie Wooden along with SDSU transfer Anika Apostalon. Chelsea Chenault turned in the 2nd fastest split of the field with a 1:42.96 on the 3rd leg. Cal finished up second once again, with the Cardinal bringing up the rear thanks in part to a 1:42.96 showing by freshman Ella Eastin.
500 FREESTYLE PRELIMS
USC’s Chelsea Chenault took the top spot this morning comfortably, swimming a 4:39.32 to knock off just over six tenths from her previous season best. Oregon State’s Sammy Harrison pulled up for 2nd (4:42.74) ahead of Arizona senior Bonnie Brandon (4:43.19) and Stanford first year Leah Stevens (4:43.94).
The Trojans will make a big points run in this event, with four A-finalists and two B-finalists compared to Stanford’s two A finalists Stevens and Allison Brown (4:44.11) and Cal’s single B finalist Marina Garcia (4:49.75). Arizona, too, is going to rake in a lot of points with this event– they have Brandon in the A final, three swimmers in the B final, and two in the C final.
Top 8:
- Chelsea Chenault (USC), 4:39.32
- Sammy Harrison (OSU), 4:42.74
- Bonnie Brandon (ARIZ), 4:43.19
- Leah Stevens (STAN), 4:43.94
- Henriette Stenkvist (USC), 4:44.05
- Allison Brown (STAN), 4:44.11
- Allie Wooden (USC), 4:44.20
- Elizabeth Stinson (USC), 4:44.28
200 IM PRELIMS
It was all about Ella Eastin this morning, as the Stanford freshman set a new best time of 1:53.33 to top the field by over a second. She takes over as the NCAA’s fastest 200 IMer this season.
Cal made a big dent for tonight’s A final, as Kathleen Baker (1:54.69), Liz Pelton (1:55.98), and Celina Li (1:56.19) followed up for 2nd thru 4th and Kelly Naze touched 6th.
Ally Howe (STAN) touched in 7th, while USC will make up the rest of this championship final, with freshmen Riley Scott and Kirsten Vose grabbed 5th and 8th.
- Ella Eastin (STAN), 1:53.33
- Kathleen Baker (CAL), 1:54.69
- Liz Pelton (CAL), 1:55.98
- Celina Li (CAL), 1:56.19
- Riley Scott (USC), 1:56.76
- Kelly Naze (CAL), 1:56.83
- Ally Howe (STAN), 1:57.34
- Kirsten Vose (USC), 1:57.41
50 FREE PRELIMS
Farida Osman of Cal blasted a 21.56 to take the top seed by a huge margin. This is a new best for her, and it now ranks her as the 9th-fastest performer in SCY history. USC’s Anika Apostalon dropped a 21.89, and those were the only two under 22 seconds. Stanford’s Lia Neal placed third this morning with a 22.01.
The rest of the top 8 is seriously packed, with 3rd-8th separated by just 21 hundredths. The top twenty was 23.0 or faster.
- Farida Osman (CAL), 21.56
- Anika Apostalon (USC), 21.89
- Lia Neal (STAN), 22.01
- Linnea Mack (UCLA), 22.09
- Amy Bilquist (CAL), 22.10
- Janet Hu (STAN), 22.11
- Katrina Konopka (ARIZ), 22.19
- Katarzyna Wilk (USC), 22.22
3-METER DIVING PRELIMS
Stanford swept the top two spots going into finals, with senior Alex Clay and sophomore Gracia Leydon-Mahoney taking first and second in prelims of the 3-meter diving event.
- Alex Clay, 340.45
- Gracia Leydon-Mahoney, 324.45
- Eloise Belanger (UCLA), 322.95
- Mara Aiacoboae (ASU), 322.50
- Madison Will (USC), 318.60
- Annika Lenz (UCLA), 303.00
- Lilly Hinrichs (STAN), 294.05
- Karolyn Loftus (ARIZ), 286.55