2024 Women’s Pac-12 Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2024 WOMEN’S PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Dates: Wednesday, February 28 – Saturday, March 2
• Location: Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, Federal Way, WA
• Defending champions: Stanford (2x)
• Live results
• Live video: Pac-12 Network
• Championship central
• Event schedule
• Preview: Fan guide
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

Day 3 Ups/Mids/Downs

Stanford has the most A-finalists on Friday night, but a bevy of B-finalists has Cal poised to extend its lead during a busy third finals session featuring five individual events in the pool: the 400 IM, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 100 backstroke.

After a 30-minute break, tonight’s session will conclude with the 3-meter diving and 400 medley relay finals.

SCORES AFTER DAY 2

1. Cal – 479
2. USC – 401
3. Stanford – 398
4. Arizona State – 357
5. UCLA – 349
6. Utah – 245
7. Washington State – 166
8. Arizona – 163

Stay tuned for live updates below:

400 IM – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin (Stanford) – 2018
• Pac-12 Record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin (Stanford) – 2018
• Meet Record: 3:56.53, Katie Ledecky (Stanford) – 2018
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:03.62
• 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 4:11.36

Top 8:

1. Caroline Bricker (Stanford) – 4:02.32
2. Paige MacEachern (UCLA) – 4:03.47
3. Leah Polonsky (Cal) – 4:05.11
4. Rosie Murphy (UCLA) – 4:06.00
5. Claire Tuggle (USC) – 4:08.01
6. Kathryn Hazle (Cal) – 4:08.12
7. Lucy Bell (Stanford) – 4:09.86
8. Samantha Tadder (Stanford) – 4:11.21

Separated by less than a tenth of a second after the third breaststroke leg, Stanford freshman Caroline Bricker pulled away from UCLA junior Paige MacEachern on the freestyle anchor leg to clinch an IM sweep at her first — and last — Pac-12s.

Bricker reached the wall with a winning time of 4:02.32, taking more than a second off her previous-best 4:03.49 from November. MacEachern dropped more than two seconds off her lifetime best with a runner-up finish in 4:03.47.

Cal junior Leah Polonsky placed 3rd in 4:05.11, about a second shy of her personal-best 4:03.90 from the 2022 Pac-12 Championships. She was joined in the A-final by freshman Kathryn Hazle, who scored 24 points for the Bears with her 6th-place showing in 4:08.12.

UCLA sophomore Rosie Murphy tallied her second lifetime best of the day, dropping more than four seconds in total — from 4:10.67 to 4:08.88 to 4:06.00 — between prelims and finals. Her best time before November was a 4:12.10 from her 8th-place finish at last year’s Pac-12s, marking an impressive six-second drop this season.

USC sophomore Claire Tuggle also set her second personal best of the day after having never been sub-4:10 before prelims. The Virginia transfer lowered her best time from 4:10.33 to 4:09.61 to 4:08.01, placing 5th just about a tenth of a second ahead of Hazle and validating her decision to choose the 400 IM over the 200 free today.

Stanford sophomore Lucy Bell (4:09.86) and junior Samantha Tadder (4:11.21) rounded out the A-final to help the Cardinal cut into Cal’s lead to start the session.

100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 48.25, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2024
• Pac-12 Record: 48.96, Torri Huske (Stanford) – 2022
• Meet Record: 49.27, Torri Huske (Stanford) – 2023
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.69
• 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 52.20

Top 8:

1. Mia Kragh (Cal) – 50.89
2. Gigi Johnson (Stanford) – 51.17
3. Lillie Nordmann (Stanford) – 51.58
4. Caroline Famous (USC) – 51.64
5. Morgan Brophy (Cal) – 51.75
6. Charlotte Hook (Stanford) – 51.89
7. Anicka Delgado (USC) – 52.01
8. Julia Heimstead (Arizona) – 52.03

Cal junior Mia Kragh broke the 51-second barrier for the first time to capture the 100 fly crown in 50.89, just a couple tenths ahead of Stanford sophomore Gigi Johnson (51.17).

Kragh had recently lowered her lifetime best from 51.30 to 51.20 at February’s dual meet against Stanford. Johnson had never been under 52 seconds before today, when she qualified 2nd in prelims with her previous-best 51.72.

The middle of the pack featured a tight race between Stanford junior Lillie Nordmann (51.58), USC senior Caroline Famous (51.64), and Cal junior Morgan Brophy (51.75), who were all separated by less than two tenths. Famous knocked about a quarter of a second off her previous-best 51.78 from prelims while Brophy dipped under 52 seconds for the first time after posting a previous-best 52.19 in prelims and December. Nordmann narrowly missed her personal-best 51.52 from November.

Stanford sophomore Charlotte Hook made it three Cardinal in the A-final with a 6th-place effort in 51.89. USC senior Anicka Delgado (52.01) and Arizona senior Julia Heimstead (52.03) rounded out the top 8.

200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin (Cal) – 2015
• Pac-12 Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin (Cal) – 2015
• Meet Record: 1:40.37, Simone Manuel (Stanford) – 2017
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:42.84
• 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 1:45.31

Top 8:

1. Minna Abraham (USC) – 1:42.42
2. Kayla Wilson (Stanford) – 1:43.24
3. Aurora Roghair (Stanford) – 1:43.48
4. Ieva Maluka (Arizona State) – 1:43.94
5. Amy Tang (Stanford) – 1:43.95
6. Lindsay Looney (Arizona State) – 1:44.15
7. Mia Motekaitis (Cal) – 1:44.53
8. Julia Heimstead (Arizona) – 1:46.60

USC freshman Minna Abraham cruised to victory in the 200 free with a winning time of 1:42.42, more than a second off her personal-best 1:41.38 from November.

Stanford sophomore Kayla Wilson was within a second of Abraham with a runner-up finish in 1:43.24, a few tenths off her lifetime best from NCAAs last year. Her teammate, junior Aurora Roghair, was right behind her in 1:43.48, more than a second slower than her best time (1:42.44) from a month ago. A third Cardinal swimmer, junior Amy Tang, took 5th place with a personal-best 1:43.95, improving upon her previous-best 1:44.13 from prelims.

Arizona State had a strong showing thanks to the duo of sophomore Ieva Maluka (1:43.94) and senior Lindsay Looney (1:44.15). Maluka dropped almost a second off her previous-best 1:44.83 from November while Looney missed her lifetime best by just a hundredth of a second.

Cal fifth-year Mia Motekaitis was the Bears’ lone representative in the A-final, placing 7th (1:44.53) just a blink slower than her prelims performance. Arizona senior Julia Heimstead completed her tough 100 fly/200 free double with an 8th-place finish (1:46.60).

100 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 55.73, Lilly King (Indiana) – 2019
• Pac-12 Record: 56.93, Kaitlyn Dobler (USC) – 2022
• Meet Record: 57.10, Kaitlyn Dobler (USC) – 2023
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 58.02
• 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 59.73

Top 8:

1. Kaitlyn Dobler (USC) – 57.51
2. Emily Lundgren (Washington State) – 59.45
3. Hannah Brunzell (Cal) – 59.47
4. Jade Neser (Cal) – 59.56
5. Alicia Henry (Cal) – 59.58
6. Lucy Thomas (Stanford) – 59.60
7. Eva Carlson (UCLA) – 59.62
8. Eleni Gewalt (Arizona) – 1:00.13

Kaitlyn Dobler didn’t break any conference records in this race, but the USC senior still glided to victory by almost two seconds to seal her fourth consecutive Pac-12 title in the event.

Washington State sophomore Emily Lundgren clocked her first sub-1:00 time with a runner-up finish in 59.45, lowering her lifetime best by more than half a second. She touched the wall just .02 seconds ahead of Cal fifth-year Hannah Brunzell (59.47), who added almost half a second from prelims.

Brunzell led a 3-4-5 finish for the Bears along with fifth-year Jade Neser (59.56) and junior Alicia Henry (59.58). Henry shaved .04 seconds off her best time from December.

Stanford freshman Lucy Thomas placed 6th in 59.60, within a second of her personal best (58.65) from NCAAs last year. UCLA junior Eva Carlson was just a hundredth of a second off her best time from last February with her 7th-place finish in 59.62.

100 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 48.26, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2023
• Pac-12 Record: 49.23, Regan Smith (Stanford) – 2023
• Meet Record: 49.46, Claire Curzan (Stanford) – 2023
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.88
• 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 52.36

Top 8:

1. Isabelle Stadden (Cal) – 50.39
2. Caroline Famous (USC) – 50.90
3. Natalie Mannion (Stanford) – 52.38
4. Gigi Johnson (Stanford) – 52.86
5. Fay Lustria (UCLA) – 53.02
6. Katrina Marty (Arizona State) – 53.48
7. Amy Zhang (UCLA) – 53.71
8. Isabella Riley (Cal) – 53.87

After three runner-up finishes in a row, Cal senior Isabelle Stadden finally topped the Pac-12 podium in the 100 back with a win in 50.39.

Stadden was just about a tenth shy of her personal-best 50.26 from December. Last year, she placed 6th at NCAAs last year in this event (51.03).

After placing 4th in the 100 fly (51.64) earlier in the session, USC senior Caroline Famous stayed within half a second of Stadden with a 2nd-place showing in 50.90.

The rest of the field reached the wall more than a second behind Stadden and Famous. Stanford sophomores Natalie Mannion (52.38) and Gigi Johnson (52.86) were the only other swimmers under 53 seconds tonight. Neither UCLA sophomore Fay Lustria (53.02) or Amy Zhang (53.71) could replicate their swims from prelims, but they still combined for 48 points by placing 5th and 7th, respectively.

3M DIVING – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 43775, Christina Loukas (Indiana) – 2009
• Pac-12 Record: 420.90, Cassidy Krug (Stanford) – 2007
• Meet Record: 387.75, Blythe Hartley (USC) – 2006

Top 8:

1. Emilia Nilsson Garip (Utah) – 368.35
2. Eden Cheng (UCLA) – 322.30
3. Brooke Earley (Arizona) – 312.15
4. Holly Waxman (Utah) – 303.60
5. Lauren Hallaselka (UCLA) – 292.80
6. Savana Trueb (UCLA) – 291.70
7. Lauren Burch (Stanford) – 280.50
8. Grace Lee (USC) – 279.05

Utah freshman Emilia Nilsson Garip completed a sweep of the springboard diving events with a 3-meter win (368.35). She dominated the competition by more than 46 points.

UCLA sophomore Eden Cheng (322.30) led a 2-5-6 finish for the Bruins. USC junior Grace Lee placed 8th with 279.05 points while Trojan fifth-year Nike Agunbiade won the B-final after placing 2nd in last year’s A-final.

Joining Nilsson Garip in the top 4 was junior Holly Waxman (303.60), who placed 12th in Thursday’s 1-meter diving final.

400 MEDLEY RELAY – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 3:21.80, Virginia – 2023
• Pac-12 Record: 3:25.09, Stanford – 2018
• Meet Record: 3:25.15, Stanford – 2018
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:31.38
• 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 3:32.90

Top 8:

1. USC – 3:27.28
2. Cal – 3:28.05
3. Stanford – 3:31.64
4. Arizona State – 3:32.86
5. UCLA – 3:33.77
6. Arizona – 3:35.29
7. Washington State – 3:36.32
8. Utah – 3:38.32

For the second night in a row, USC picked up the relay victory with a 400 medley relay win in 3:27.28. The Trojans’ quartet of senior Caroline Famous (51.59 backstroke), senior Kaitlyn Dobler (57.27 breaststroke), senior Anicka Delgado (51.28 butterfly), and freshman Minna Abraham (47.14 freestyle) beat Cal by almost a second to end the session 140 points behind the Bears — and 25.5 behind Stanford. Dobler’s breast split was more than two seconds faster than anyone else in the field.

Cal senior Isabelle Stadden (50.74 backstroke), fifth-year Hannah Brunzell (59.29 breaststroke), junior Mia Kragh (50.82 butterfly), and junior Leah Polonsky (47.20 freestyle) helped the Bears hold off Stanford (3:31.64) for 2nd place by more than three seconds with a runner-up finish in 3:28.05. Kragh had the only sub-51 fly split in the field.

The Cardinal failed to hit the NCAA ‘A’ cut in this event with their 3rd-place showing in 3:31.64, but the good news looking ahead is that each swimmer on the relay is expected to be back next season.

Arizona State (3:32.86) touched less than a second ahead of UCLA (3:33.77) for 4th place.

Scores After Day 3

1. Cal – 964
2. Stanford – 849.5
3. USC – 824
4. UCLA – 754
5. Arizona State – 643.5
6. Utah – 407.5
7. Arizona – 395
8. Washington State – 306.5