2024 Women’s Pac-12 Champs Fan Guide: Stanford Battling Losses Amid Their Bid for a 3-Peat

2024 Pac-12 Championship (Women’s Fan Guide)

• Dates: Wednesday, February 28 – Saturday, March 2
• Location: Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, Federal Way, WA
• Defending champions: Stanford (2x)
• Live Results
• Live Video
• Championship Central
• Women swimming & diving teams: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington State

SCHEDULE

Wednesday (2/28)

• 200 medley relay
• 800 free relay

Thursday (2/29)

• 500 free
• 200 IM
• 50 free
• 1-meter diving
• 200 free relay

Friday (3/1)

• 400 IM
• 100 fly
• 200 free
• 100 breast
• 100 back
• 3-meter diving
• 400 medley relay

Saturday (3/2)

• 1650 free
• 200 back
• 100 free
• 200 breast
• 200 fly
• platform diving
• 400 free relay

2023 REVIEW

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Stanford – 1725.5
2. USC – 1267.5
3. Cal – 1260.5
4. UCLA – 1030.5
5. Arizona State – 837
6. Arizona – 607
7. Utah – 594
8. Washington State – 420

Stanford earned their 2nd-straight women’s Pac-12 title last season, winning by a massive margin. USC managed to bump out Cal, which was having a pretty down year, for 2nd by 7 points. UCLA also cracked 1000 points for 4th.

We saw a ton of roster turnover from last year’s teams, especially when it comes to Stanford. The Cardinal graduated a hugely impactful senior class from last year, including such swimmers as Morgan Tankersley, Taylor Ruck, and Lucie Nordmann. Additionally, Torri Huske, who won all 3 of her individual events at last year’s Pac-12s, took an Olympic redshirt this season, and fellow standout Claire Curzan transferred. The 9 members of Stanford’s team last year who aren’t on the roster this season accounted for a stunning 570 points at last year’s meet, not to mention the massive relay value many of them provided.

Combine Stanford’s losses with a Cal team that’s really beginning to hit their stride in their 2nd year under Dave Durden, a USC team that has been on fire all season, and a suddenly surging Arizona State, we should be in for a very fun Pac-12 Championships.

Of course, before we go any further, we should point out that this will also be the last Pac-12 Championships. After this season, the different teams the currently make up the Pac-12 will be heading to a number of different conferences from different areas of the country. That being said, regardless of what happens at this meet, it will be historic in nature.

SWIMMERS TO WATCH

ARIZONA: Kelsey Wasikowski (freshman breast/IM), Julia Heimstead (senior free/fly), Paige Armstrong (sophomore back), Emma Kinsey (freshman fly)

Arizona has some promising underclassmen on their roster this season, which could be very good for this year but definitely bodes well for the future. The Wildcats are led, however, by senior Julia Heimstead, who is a top flyer in the conference. Heading into this meet, Heimstead is the #3 100 flyer in the Pac-12 this season, having gone 51.61, which is also her career best, at the Minnesota Invite. She’s historically been a better 200 flyer than 100 flyer, though that appears to have possibly flipped this year. In the 200 fly, Heimstead holds a season best of 1:55.14, which is good for 8th in the conference. She’s also a very strong 200 freestyler, having been 1:44.73 in the event already this season.

Additionally, Heimstead is Arizona’s fastest sprinter on the roster this year. She leads the Wildcats in the 50 free (22.41) and 100 free (48.54) this season.

Freshman Emma Kinsey should provide some great depth in the fly events. In the 200 fly, Kinsey has been 1:57.51 this season, which is the 13th-fastest time in the Pac-12. She’s also put up a very solid 53.50 in the 100 fly this year. Arizona has Maddy Burt, who holds a season best of 52.94, in the 100 fly as well.

Freshman Kelsey Wasikowski leads the Arizona breaststroke group into this meet. In her first year with the Wildcats, Wasikowski leads the roster in the 100 breast, having clocked a 1:00.14 so far this season. She’s also the top 200 breaststroker on Arizona so far this season, holding a season high of 2:12.18. Additionally, Wasikowski is Arizona’s top 200 IMer this season, having gone 1:59.33 in the event at the Minnesota Invite.

Sophomore Paige Armstrong is back to continue leading this backstroke group. So far this year, Armstrong has been 53.39 in the 100 back, which cracks the top 10 in the conference. She’s also Arizona’s top 200 backstroker this season, coming in with a season best of 1:56.97.

ARIZONA STATE: Lindsay Looney (senior fly/free), Erin Milligan (junior sprint free), Ieva Maluka (sophomore free/IM), Deniz Ertan (sophomore distance free), Charli Brown (sophomore back)

The Arizona State women’s team is currently having the best season I personally can remember them having. The Sun Devils have plenty of veteran leadership to draw on as they head into this final Pac-12 Championship, one which should be extremely competitive.

Senior Lindsay Looney is set to lead ASU into this meet. Looney is a terrific 200 flyer, already having gone 1:52.61 this season, which is good for 3rd in the conference and just 0.28 seconds off the leading time. Looney’s an excellent freestyler as well. She holds a season best of 1:44.14 in the 200 free, while she’s also been 4:38.97 so far this season in the 500 free.

Deniz Ertan is looking fantastic in her first season in Tempe after spending her freshman year at Georgia Tech. The distance freestyler has clocked a 4:40.32 in the 500 free already this season, though, where she’s really great is the 1650. Ertan holds a season best of 15:53.23 in the mile, which is good for 2nd in the Pac-12 this year and 4th in the NCAA (prior to the start of the conference championships). She’s also shown to be a strong 400 IMer, boasting a season high of 4:11.32 there, which ranks her 10th in the Pac-12 this season.

Another sophomore, Ieva Maluka, is having a great year as well. Maluka has arguably been best in the 200 IM to this point n the season. In the 200 IM, she’s tied for the top time in the conference with Cal’s Leah Polonsky. She’s also been very strong in the 100 and 200 free, holding season bests of 48.85 and 1:44.83. They’ll have to choose whether Maluka does the 200 free or the 100 back on that day of the meet, as she also holds ASU’s top time in the 100 back this season with a 52.92.

Speaking of the 100 free, junior Erin Milligan is set to lead the ASU sprint group into this meet. Milligan is the top Sun Devil in the 100 free so far this season, having been 48.71 in the event. She’s been very good in the 50 free as well, holding the team-leading time of 22.34. Milligan is a really decent 200 freestyler as well, coming into the meet with a season best of 1:46.61 there.

Sophomore Charli Brown has developed into a very good backstroker for the Sun Devils. Brown has been 52.99 in the 100 back this season, which is ASU’s 2nd-fastest time and the 6th-fastest time in the conference. She’s been just as good in the 200 back, where she’s been 1:55.23 to this point in the season and is ranked 7th in the Pac-12.

CALIFORNIA: Rachel Klinker (grad student free/fly), Isabelle Stadden (senior back), Eloise Riley (grad student free), Mia Motekaitis (grad student free/back), Hannah Brunzell (fifth year breast), Leah Polonsky (junior IM)

This Cal team is absolutely loaded with veterans. Many of their top swimmers who will likely make the most impact at this meet are either upperclassmen or fifth years.

Rachel Klinker is a great example. Klinker is in grad school and using her fifth year of eligibility this season. She’s been a highly impactful swimmer for the Golden Bears for the past 4 years and she’s looked fantastic so far this season. Klinker has already been 1:52.33 in the 200 fly this season, a time which leads the Pac-12. That time is just off her career best of 1:52.19. She’s also been 4:40.94 in the 500 this season, which is just off her career mark of 4:40.30.

Eloise Riley is another grad student using her fifth year to stay at Cal. Riley has been a critical sprinter for the Golden Bears throughout her career. She’s looked really good so far this season, having been 22.19 in the 50 free already, which is 2nd on Cal’s team only to Stephanie Akakabota (22.11). Riley is the leading Cal swimmer in the 100 free this season, holding a season high of 48.47 in the event, which is 7th in the Pac-12. She’s been solid in the 200 free as well, having gone 1:45.63 at Cal’s dual meet with Stanford.

Fifth year Mia Motekaitis has returned to the Golden Bears as well, though, unlike Klinker and Riley, she didn’t spend her entire college career at Cal. Motekaitis spent her first two NCAA season at UC Davis, where she was an MPSF Champion in the 500 free. She exploded after making the move to Cal, winning Cal’s Most Improved Award in 2022.

This year, Motekaitis has already been under 4:40 in the 500 free, having gone 4:39.33 at the Minnesota Invite. She’s been very good in the 200 free this season, holding a top mark of 1:42.89, which ranks 3rd in the conference.

Hannah Brunzell is a fifth year transfer who came to Cal from N0rthwestern, where she was a standout for a few years. Brunzell has found a lot of success in her season with the Golden Bears, leading the team in the 200 breast with a 2:08.65. She’s also been 59.50 in the 100 breast. Brunzell holds career bests of 58.50 and 2:06.60.

Senior Isabelle Stadden is once again one of the premier backstrokers in the NCAA. She leads the Pac-12 by a full half-second in the 100 back this season, having gone 50.26 at the Minnesota Invite. Stadden is even better in the 200 back, where she’s been 1:49.21 already this season. She’s the only swimmer who went under 1:50 in the event prior to the start of the conference championships this season.

Junior Leah Polonsky is a fantastic IMer. Polonsky leads the Pac-12 this season in the 200 IM, having been 1:55.46. More specifically, she’s tied for 1st with Arizona State’s Ieva Maluka. She’s 5th in the conference in the 400 IM, where she’s been 4:08.59 this season. Polonsky is a great 200 flyer as well, ranking 5th in the conference this season with a 1:53.89.

This team has really seen a turnaround this year from last. After finishing 2nd at the 2022 Pac-12 Championships with a score of 1400.5, Cal’s program went through a period of turbulence, amid the university’s investigation into the conduct of then-head-coach Teri McKeever, which saw her suspended indefinitely and eventually removed as the head coach. With longstanding Cal men’s coach Dave Durden acting as interim coach in McKeever’s absence and Cal officially combining the programs under Durden after moving on from McKeever, The Golden Bears women’s team was noticeably less sharp than usual last year.

Having won the Pac-12 title as recently as 2021, the Golden Bears slipped all the way to 3rd last season, down 140 points from their performance in 2022. This season, however, Cal has looked much better, putting them firmly within contention to win this year’s Pac-12 Championship.

STANFORD: Lucy Bell (sophomore fly/IM), Charlotte Hook (sophomore fly/IM), Caroline Bricker (freshman breast/IM), Lillie Nordmann (junior free/fly), Aurora Roghair (junior free)

Sophomore Charlotte Hook is the team’s most recognizable returning star. Last year, Hook took 2nd in the 200 fly (1:52.90), 6th in the 400 IM (4:10.22), and 7th in the 200 IM (1:57.49). Hook has put up strong swims already this season, having gone 1:53.96 in the 200 fly, 1:57.79 in the 200 IM, and 4:12.80 in the 400 IM.

Fellow sophomore Lucy Bell is having a terrific season so far. Bell currently leads the Pac-12 in the 400 IM, holding a season best of 4:03.25, which she swam at the Texas Invite. To be clear, Bell is tied with USC’s Justina Kozan for the top time in the conference. Bell has also been 1:55.67 in the 200 IM this season, which ranks 4th in the conference. She’s highly ranked in the fly events as well. Bell has been 1:52.62 in the 200 fly this season, which puts her 4th in the conference, while her 100 fly season best of 51.76 is also good for 4th in the rankings.

Junior Lillie Nordmann is another Stanford flyer who has been on fire this season. Nordmann is the #2 100 flyer in the conference this season, having gone 51.52 in the event at the Texas Invite. She’s also 2nd in the 200 fly, where she’s been 1:52.41 this season.

Aurora Roghair, another junior, is the top 500 freestyler in the Pac-12 this season, holding a season best of 4:37.10. Roghair also leads the 1650 free in the conference this season, having gone a 15:52.83 at the Texas Invite. In the 200 free, Roghair is currently ranked 2nd in the Pac-12 with her season best of 1:42.44.

Freshman Caroline Bricker has been a huge boost to Stanford in the breaststroke events this season. Bricker is currently the #2 200 breaststroker in the conference, having swum a 2:06.85 in the event at the Texas Invite. Bricker has also been good in the 100 breast, where she holds a season best of 59.39.

UCLA: Rosie Murphy (sophomore back/IM), Paige MacEachern (junior fly/IM), Ana Jih-Schiff (junior breast), Maya Wilson (senior sprint free)

Rosie Murphy is one of UCLA’s top-ranked swimmers in the conference this season. The sophomore has already gone 1:53.25 in the 200 back this year, which ranks 3rd in the Pac-12. A great IMer as well, Murphy holds a season best of 1:57.45 in the 200 IM, which comes in at 7th in the conference. In the 400 IM, Murphy’s season best of 4:10.67 is good for 8th in the conference rankings.

Junior Paige MacEachern is the Bruins’ top IMer to this point in the season and is set to make some noise at this meet. She’s a terrific 400 IMer, having already put up a 4:06.15 in the 400 IM, which is good for 4th in the conference. In the 200 IM, MacEachern holds a season best of 1:57.20, which ranks her 6th in the Pac-12, just ahead of Murphy. MacEachern is a strong 200 flyer as well, leading UCLA’s team this season with a 1:57.08.

Ana Jih-Schiff returns to lead UCLA’s breaststroke group. Jih-Schiff has already been under 2:10 in the 200 breast this season, coming into the meet with a top time of 2:09.81. She’s also a very good 100 breaststroker, having posted a season best of 1:00.17. The Bruins have some nice depth in the 100 breast, as Sarah Bennetts leads the team this year with a top time of 1:00.09.

Senior Maya Wilson should be big for the Bruins individually and on relays. She leads the roster this season with a 48.84 in the 100 free. Wilson has also been 1:46.47 in the 200 free this season. Between she and Brooke Schaffer, UCLA’s sprint group is in good hands. Schaffer leads the roster in the 50 free this year with a 22.60, while she’s also been 48.93 in the 100 free, and 1:47.04 in the 200.

USC: Kaitlyn Dobler (senior breast/sprint free), Vasilissa Buinaia (grad student sprint free), Minna Abraham (freshman free/IM), Justina Kozan (sophomore free/fly/IM), Macky Hodges (freshman free/back/IM)

This USC roster is much improved from last year and they’ve been performing on a whole new level all season in head coach Lea Maurer’s 2nd season at the helm. Senior Kaitlyn Dobler has been a mainstay for the Trojans for the past 4 years and she’s once again one of the unquestioned top breaststrokers in the NCAA. Dobler has already been 56.99 in the 100 breast this season, which makes her one of two swimmers in the NCAA to have gone under 57 this season. Dobler is primarily a 100 breaststroker, however, she’s gone 2:06.28 in the 200 this season, which is still good for 4th in the NCAA this season, even with most of the women’s conference championships already having been completed. On top of that, Dobler has been close to top form in the 50 free this season, having gone 22.29. She holds a career best of 21.91 in the event, which she swam at the 2021 NCAA Championships.

With Dobler just part of the equation, USC has built a very strong sprint free group. Vasillisa Buinaia, a grad student from Russia who has previously been on the Russian National Team has been a huge addition to the Trojans. Buinaia leads the Pac-12 in the 50 free this season, having been 21.95. She’s also notched the top time in the 100 free with a 47.40. USC actually has the top two performers in the 50 and 100 free in the conference this season. Anicka Delgado is 2nd in the 50 free with a 22.05, while Minna Abraham is 2nd in the 100 free with a 47.90.

Abraham, a freshman, looks like she is ready to make a huge impact at Pac-12s and NCAAs in the next few weeks. On top of her strong 100 free time, Abraham is one of the top 200 freestylers in the NCAA already, having clocked a 1:41.38 at the Texas Invite. Abraham is a solid 500 freestyler as well, holding a season best of 4:41.74. That being said, she’s a little better in the 200 IM, where she’s been 1:55.78 so far this season.

Another freshman, Macky Hodges, is an impactful addition in the free events among many others. Hodges has already been 1:45.06 in the 200 free this season, which actually makes her only the 4th-fastest on USC’s roster, but 13th in the conference. Hodges has also been 4:43.76 in the 500 free and 1:58.07 in the 200 IM, so it could go either way in terms of which event she’ll race on that day. Where Hodges has been strongest this season is the 200 back, however, where she’s been 1:53.75 this season, which leads the Trojans and is 4th in the Pac-12.

Sophomore Justina Kozan is a force to be reckoned with in a number of events this season. Where she’s been best to this point in the season is the 400 IM, an event in which Kozan is tied for the top time in the conference with a 4:03.25. Kozan is a great 200 IMer as well, but she’ll be in the 500 free instead. She’s 2nd in the Pac-12 this season with a 4:38.47 in the 500. On the last day of the meet, we’ll likely see Kozan in the 200 fly, where she holds a season best of 1:56.55.

We would be remiss not to mention senior Caroline Famous as well. Famous is the Trojans’ leading 100 backstroker this season, having put up a very impressive 50.78 at USC’s dual meet against Cal. She’s not quite as fast in the 200 back, where she’s only been 1:56.04 this season, but Famous is a very good 50 freestyler too, tying for 4th in the conference this season with a 22.16.

UTAH: Norah Hay (junior back), Summer Stanfield (grad student back/fly), Erin Palmer (sophomore sprint free), Cameron Daniell (senior distance free)

Summer Stanfield has returned using her fifth year eligibility to help lead the Utes into this meet. Stanfield is a versatile swimmer, excelling in fly, back, and IM events. Last year, her highest finish at Pac-12s (12th) came in the 400 IM. This season, Stanfield leads Utah’s team in the 400 IM with a season high of 4:17.12. Stanfield also leads the Utes in the 200 IM (2:00.23) and 200 fly (1:58.80) this year. That being said, the event in which Stanfield has been excelling in most this season is the 200 back, where she holds a season best of 1:55.90, which comes in 8th in the Pac-12.

Though Stanfield has been best in the 200 back this season, she’s not actually Utah’s top performer in the event this year. Junior Norah Hay has been the fastest backstroker on the roster to this point in the season, giving Utah a very talented backstroke duo to rely on at this meet. Hay has already been 1:54.70 in the 200 back this year, good for 6th in the conference, which means Utah has 2 swimmers ranked in the top 8 in that event. She’s also the leading 100 backstroker on the roster, coming into this meet with a season best of 53.73.

Sophomore Erin Palmer is a talented 50 freestyler, coming into this meet with a season best of 22.41, which is good for 12th in the Pac-12. That time stands as her career best in the event. She’s not quite as fast in the 100 free, where she’s been 50.15 this season, which is also a career best, but she certainly has the momentum to get under 50 seconds at this meet. Palmer is a very good 100 breaststroker as well, having been 1:01.03 in the event this season, which is also her career best and leads the Utes.

Senior Cameron Daniell is a great distance swimmer, one who could score for the Utes in both the 500 and 1650 free. Daniell holds a career best of 16:41.68 in the 1650 free, which she swam at last year’s Pac-12s. That being said, she clocked a 16:46.80 at Utah’s dual meet with BYU a couple weeks ago, a time which, when altitude adjusted, comes in at 16:26.80. Now, that’s not a guarantee that Daniell will have gone that fast outside of high altitude, or that she’ll that fast this week, but it is absolutely a promising swim for the senior.

WASHINGTON STATE: Mira Szimcsak (freshman distance free), Maddy Parker (freshman sprint free), Dori Hathazi (sophomore free/fly), Anna Rauchholz (sophomore back), Emily Lundgren (sophomore breast/IM)

As this Washington State team continues to develop under head coach Matt Leach, the number of stars on the team continues to grow. That is evidenced by the number of leading swimmers on the Washington State roster who are underclassmen (freshman/sophomores) this season. One such swimmer is sophomore Emily Lundgren, who is the school record holder in the 100 (1:00.55) and 200 (2:08.33) breast and was one of Washington State’s two qualifiers for NCAAs last year. Lundgren is currently 5th in the Pac-12 this season with a 2:09.37, while she’s also been 1:00.55 in the 100 breast, which is her personal best and WSU program record.

Fellow sophomore Dori Hathazi was the other Cougar to qualify for NCAAs last season. One of the top 200 flyers in the Pac-12, Hathazi set the program record with a 1:55.92 last season, and has already lowered it this season to 1:55.74. That time currently ranks 10th in the conference this season. Hathazi is a good 100 flyer as well, having been 53.72 in that event this season, while she’s also been 4:48.12 in the 500 free this year.

Anna Rauchholz, another sophomore, is the Cougars’ leading backstroker this season. Rauchholz comes into the Pac-12 Championships with a season best of 53.84 in the 100 back. She’s not as strong in the 200 back, only having been 2:01.90 to this point in the season, but the Cougars have senior Kiana Swain there. Swain is the top 200 backstroker on the roster this season, holding a season best of 1:57.20.

Freshman Mira Szimcsak has been a great addition to the roster this season, giving the Cougars a strong distance freestyler. Szimcsak leads the team in the 500 free, where she’s been 4:46.92 already this season. She’s also looking like a podium threat in the 1650 free, where she’s been as fast as 16:38.18 this season.

Freshman Maddy Parker is set to lead the Washington State sprint crew this week. Parker holds the top time on the team in the 50 free, having gone 22.75 already this season. She also leads the roster in the 100 free, coming in with a 49.43.

SHOWDOWNS

500 Free

The 500 free is one of the deeper events in the conference this season, which should make for a great race this week. It’s Stanford’s Aurora Roghair who leads the conference this season, having already been 4:37.10. While that makes Roghair the top seed by more than a second coming into meet, 5 other swimmers in the conference have been under 4:40 already this season. USC’s Justina Kozan is the 2nd-fastest on the season, having clocked a 4;38.47, while fellow Trojan Claire Tuggle has been 4:39.16. Stanford’s Natalie Mannion clocked a 4:39.18 at mid season, while Arizona State’s Lindsay Looney was 4:38.97, and Cal’s Mia Motekaitis was 4:39.33. On top of that, ASU’s Deniz Ertan has been 4:40.32 this season and Cal’s Rachel Klinker has been 4:40.94.

Impressively, nearly all of those times stand as the swimmers’ career bests as well. The only exceptions are Looney, who went 4:38.29 at last year’s Pac-12s, Ertan, who was 4:38.04 at last year’s ACC Championships (when she was on Georgia Tech), and Klinker, who clocked her top time of 4:40.30 at the 2022 Minnesota Invite.

All things considered, Roghair should be viewed as the favorite coming into the meet, especially since she’s the only swimmer in this field who has been under 4:38, and she’s done so this season. That being said, I would keep a close eye on the Arizona State swimmers, because it feels like head coach Bob Bowman will have them ready for the 500, especially Ertan, who is in her first season at ASU.

200 Fly

The 200 fly is another event where the Pac-12 has exceptional depth this season. Cal’s Rachel Klinker enters the meet as the top seed, having been 1:52.33 in their dual meet with Stanford just over a week ago. In that same dual meet, Stanford’s Lillie Nordmann clocked a 1:52.41, which will put her as the #2 seed in the event this week. Cal’s Lea Polonsky was also very quick in that meet, posting her season best of 1:53.89.

In Stanford’s dual meet with Arizona State earlier this month, Lindsay Looney put up her season top time of 1:52.61. Moreover, Lucy Bell went her season high of 1:52.62 at Stanford’s dual meet with USC in mid-January. That means the top 5 seeds coming into the meet all went their season bests this semester, so we can expect fast swims out of all of them this Saturday.

Moving into this fields’ lifetime bests, the race is even tighter. Klinker is once again the fastest there, holding a career mark of 1:52.19, though, Looney is just off that with a 1:52.25. Nordmann has been as fast as 1:52.41, while Bell holds a top time of 1:52.62. Moreover, Stanford’s Charlotte Hook has been as fast as 1:52.48 in her career.

Given all of that, this 200 fly is a race that could really go to anyone.

SWIMSWAM PICKS

1. Cal
2. Stanford
3. USC
4. Arizona State
5. UCLA
6. Arizona
7. Washington State
8. Utah

This was incredibly difficult to pick, but we went with Cal to take back the Pac-12 title after Stanford has held it the past 2 years. While Stanford has won the last 2 team titles, the Cardinal lost too much from last year’s team to overlook. Meanwhile, Cal has made some very nice additions to last year’s team, like fifth year transfer Hannah Brunzell to bolster their breast group.

In reality, Stanford, Cal, and USC all have legitimate shots at winning this title based off their rosters and how well they’ve swum this season. Arizona State is close, but it seems like they may still have to build a little more depth in their roster to get over the hump.

Each of these top 3 teams has events where they are exceptional. For example, Stanford and Cal are going to score a ton of points in the fly events. USC looks like they’ll be dominant in the sprint free events. Relays and diving could play a huge role in deciding this meet.