2020 Women’s Pac-12 Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2020 PAC-12 WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 26 – Saturday, February 29
• Federal Way, WA (Pacific Time Zone)
• Prelims 10:30 a.m./Finals 6 p.m.
• Defending Champion: Stanford (3x) (results) (diving)
• Live Video
• Women’s Fan Guide
• Estimated NCAA Invite Times
• NCAA ‘A’ Cuts
• Championship Central
• Record Book
• Friday Finals Heat Sheet
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

The 2020 women’s Pac-12 Championships continues tonight with finals of the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 3-meter diving, and 200 medley relay. Even without 2019 champion Abbey Weitzeil, who is out due to injury, the women’s 200 free will be an exciting race to watch. Stanford’s Katie Drabot leads the way, followed closely by Cal’s Robin Neumann and ASU’s Cierra Runge. ASU’s Emma Nordin, the 500 free champion, is the #5 seed. USC’s Laticia Transom, who swam the fastest 800 free relay split, will also be in the mix after her prelims DQ was overturned.

Louise Hansson of USC (100 fly) and Silja Kansakoski of ASU (100 breast) are the defending champions in their respective events. Hansson is the reigning NCAA Champion and record holder, and will race for a 4th-straight title in this event. Stanford’s Brooke Forde, the 2019 runner-up, headlines the 400 IM. Cal’s Keaton Blovad leads the way in the 100 back. Teammate Izzy Ivey is the 2nd seed in both of her events, as she’ll swim the 100 fly/100 back double.

WOMEN’S 400 IM

• Pac-12 Record: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 2018, 3:54.60
• Meet Record: Katie Ledecky (Stanford), 2018, 3:56.53
• NCAA Record: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 2018, 3:54.60
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 4:10.00
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:03.62
• 2019 Champion: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 3:57.75

1. GOLD: Brooke Forde, Stanford, 4:01.53
2. SILVER: Alicia Wilson, Cal, 4:04.99
3. BRONZE: Allie Szekely, Stanford, 4:06.09

Stanford’s Brooke Forde ran away with this one, leading from the start as she raced to a 4:01.53. Cal’s Alicia Wilson smashed her best time by over 2.5 seconds to take silver in 4:04.99. She came from behind on the freestyle leg to swim past Stanford’s Allie Szekely, who was 3rd in 4:06.09.

The Cardinal made up 4 of the top 5 tonight. Hannah Kukurugya was 2 tenths away from her best as she took 4th in 4:08.79. Katie Glavinovich was 5th in 4:10.85.

UCLA’s Ella Kirschke made another huge drop. She took 2.5 seconds off her best from prelims with a 4:11.53 for 6th. ASU’s Nora Deleske (4:14.45) and Utah’s Charity Pittard (4:17.99) were off their prelims times.

Arizona freshman Axana Merckx held off teammate Hannah Cox as they went 1-2 in the B final. Mercx lowered her best to a 4:12.33, while Cox ran down UCLA’s Delaney Smith (4:12.64) for 2nd in 4:12.63. Smith, after making a big drop in prelims, dropped another 2 seconds tonight. Cal freshman Ashlyn Fiorilli clipped her best from prelims in 4:14.33.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY

• Pac-12 Record: Louise Hansson (USC), 2019, 49.26
• Meet Record: Louise Hansson (USC), 2019, 49.34
• NCAA Record: Louise Hansson (USC)/Maggie MacNeil (Michigan), 2019/2020, 49.26
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 52.34
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.92
• 2019 Champion: Louise Hansson (USC), 49.34

1. GOLD: Louise Hansson, USC, 49.94
2. SILVER: Izzy Ivey, Cal, 51.14
3. BRONZE: Jemma Schlicht, USC, 51.99

USC Louise Hansson became the first woman in history to win 4-straight Pac-12 titles in the 100 fly. Hansson was dominant, winning by over a second in 49.94. Teammate Jemma Schlicht gave them 2 on the podium as she took bronze in 51.99. Catherine Sanchez was 8th for the Trojans in 53.09.

Cal’s Izzy Ivey took silver in her first race of the night. She was within a few tenths of her best in 51.14. She’ll return shortly for the 100 back final. Teammate Maddie Murphy was 7th tonight in 52.78.

Stanford freshman Emma Wheal lowered her best from prelims. She was just shy of the podium in 52.16. UCLA’s Amy Okada made a charge on the back half to close the gap. She finished 5th, shaving a couple of tenths off her best from prelims in 52.37. Stanford’s Amalie Fackenthal was 7th in 52.57.

Arizona State went 1-2 in the B final. Freshman Jade Foelske won the heat in 52.98, coming from behind to out-touch freshman teammate Lindsay Looney (53.23).

WOMEN’S 200 FREE

• Pac-12 Record: Missy Franklin (Cal), 2015, 1:39.10
• Meet Record: Simone Manuel (Stanford), 2017, 1:40.37
• NCAA Record: Missy Franklin (Cal), 2015, 1:39.10
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 1:45.12
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:42.98
• 2019 Champion: Abbey Weitzeil (Cal), 1:41.97

1. GOLD: Laticia Transom, USC, 1:42.47
2. SILVER: Emma Nordin, ASU, 1:43.45
3. BRONZE: Robin Neumann, Cal, 1:44.02

USC’s Laticia Transom nearly missed this race. She was disqualified in prelims for a false start, but it was ultimately overturned. She dropped nearly a second from her best tonight to win the final by a second. Transom won the title in 1:42.47. Teammate Tatum Wade was just shy of the podium and within 2 tenths of her best with a 1:44.37 for 4th.

ASU’s Emma Nordin, the 500 free champion, also made a big drop. She broke 1:44 for the first time to take the silver in 1:43.45. ASU had 3 in that final, with 500 free bronze medalist Cierra Runge finishing 5th in 1:44.51. Runge chased down teammate Erica Laning on the final 50, as Laning broke 1:45 for the first time in 1:44.78 for 6th.

Cal’s Robin Neumann took the final podium spot in 1:44.02. Stanford’s Katie Drabot, the top seed out of prelims, was 7th in 1:45.06 after clocking a 1:44.30 in prelims. Teammate Morgan Tankersley, the 500 free silver medalist, was also off her prelims time with a 1:45.92 for 8th.

UCLA’s Kenisha Liu, who swam her lifetime best to lead off the 800 free relay with a 1:44.37, clipped Cal freshman Ayla Spitz to win the B final in 1:45.09. Spitz was within 2 tenths of her best from the relay leadoff as she nearly ran Liu down in 1:45.20.

Fellow Cal freshman Rachel Klinker broke 1:46 for the first time with a lifetime best 1:45.47 ahead of Stanford’s Lauren Pitzer (1:45.94). Arizona’s Kirsten Jacobsen, who was moved back to the B final after Transom’s DQ was overturned, finished in 1:46.52 for 6th in that heat.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST

• Pac-12 Record: Sarah Haase (Stanford), 2016, 57.36
• Meet Record: Sarah Haase (Stanford), 2016, 58.02
• NCAA Record: Lilly King (Indiana), 2019, 55.73
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 59.93
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 58.60
• 2019 Champion: Silja Kansakoski (ASU), 59.12

1. GOLD: Allie Raab, Stanford, 59.35
2. SILVER: Silja Kansakoski, ASU, 59.64
3. BRONZE: Zoe Bartel, Stanford, 59.77

Stanford’s Allie Raab took it out with the lead. Though 2019 champion Silja Kansakoski of ASU outsplit her by half a second on the final 25, Raab held on to her lead to win it in 59.35. Thats just a hundredth off her lifetime best from prelims. Kansakoski took the silver in 59.64, pulling ahead of Stanford’s Zoe Bartel (59.74) as they rounded out the podium.

Cal’s Ema Rajic was closely behind in 4th. Rajic was just a tenth behind Raab going into the final lap, but she fell off the pace as she wound up 4th in 59.92. UCLA’s Claire Grover was 5th in 1:00.21, followed by USC’s Isa Odgers (1:00.59). UCLA freshman Rachel Rhee (1:00.70) and Arizona freshman Ellie Jew (1:00.72) nearly tied again as they were a couple of tenth shy of their matching 1:00.57s from prelims.

USC freshman Nicole Pavlopoulou won the B final in 1:00.67 as she outpaced Cal’s Ali Harrison (1:00.75) on the back half.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK

• Pac-12 Record: Ally Howe (Stanford), 2017, 49.69
• Meet Record: Ally Howe (Stanford), 2017, 49.69
• NCAA Record: Beata Nelson (Wisconsin), 2019, 49.18
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 52.46
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.93
• 2019 Champion: Amy Bilquist (Cal), 50.46

1. GOLD: Izzy Ivey, Cal, 51.06
2. SILVER: Keaton Blovad, Cal, 51.60
3. BRONZE: Aria Bernal, Arizona, 52.00

In her 2nd race of the night, Cal’s Izzy Ivey raced to her first Pac-12 title. Ivey outsplit teammate Keaton Blovad on the back half to take the win in 51.06. Blovad made it a 1-2 finish for the Bears, just a couple of tenths shy of her best in 51.60. Arizona got their first medal of the meet as Aria Bernal rounded out the podium in 52.00, clipping 3 hundredths off her best.

Stanford freshman Alexandra Crisera swam a personal best 52.28 for 5th, just behind teammate Lucie Nordmann (52.26). Erin Voss was 6th for the Cardinal in 52.49. There was a tie for 7th between ASU’s Chloe Isleta and Utah’s Audrey Reimer in 53.25.

UCLA freshman Sophia Kosturos dominated the B final by a second. She set a lifetime best 52.75 ahead of Utah’s Emma Lawless (53.71).

WOMEN’S 3-METER DIVING

• Meet Record: Cassidy Krug (Stanford), 2007, 420.90
• 2019 Champion: Maria Polyakova (UCLA), 350.70

1. GOLD: Carolina Sculti, Stanford, 378.55
2. SILVER: Morenike Agunbiade, USC, 343.70
3. BRONZE: Ruby Neave, UCLA, 334.85

Stanford’s Carolina Sculti, the 1-meter bronze medalist, took tonight’s title. Stanford had 3 in that final with Daria Lenz taking 4th and Mia Paulsen placing 8th.

USC’s Morenike Agunbiade took a close 2nd over UCLA’s 1-meter champion Ruby Neave. Both USC and UCLA got big points here. The Trojans’ Carly Souza finished 5th. UCLA’s Kaitlyn Shaheen was 6th, followed by teammate Hannah Butler.

WOMEN’S 200 MEDLEY RELAY

• Pac-12 Record: Stanford, (2018) – 1:33.11
• Meet Record: Cal, 2018, 1:34.13
• NCAA Record: Stanford, (2018) – 1:33.11
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:36.40
• 2019 Champion: Cal – 1:35.21

1. GOLD: Stanford, 1:35.93
2. SILVER: Cal, 1:36.45
3. BRONZE: USC 1:36.90

Cal (1:36.45) was out to the early lead with Keaton Blovad‘s 24.17 back split, but Stanford took over as Allie Raab clocked a 26.75 on the breast leg. Freshman Emma Wheal split a 23.01 on the fly to maintain their lead, though Cal’s Maddie Murphy was faster in 22.90. Anya Goeders anchored in 21.62 for the Cardinal to seal their 1:35.93 victory.

USC was 3rd as Louise Hansson (fly- 22.55) and Marta Ciesla (free- 21.61) swam the fastest splits of the field. Arizona (1:37.70) held off ASU (1:38.17) for 4th as Aria Bernal gave them the edge in a 24.40 back split. UCLA was disqualified for a false start on the final exchange.

Scores at the end of Day 3

The Stanford Cardinal built a healthy lead on the 3rd day of the championships and are well on their way to a 4th consecutive Pac-12 title.

1. Stanford – 1,027
2. Cal – 866.5
3. USC – 768
4. UCLA – 701.5
5. Arizona State – 635.5
6. Arizona – 530
7. Utah – 422.5
8. Washington State – 265