PAC-12 – WOMEN
- Wednesday, February 24 – Saturday, February 27
- Federal Way, WA (Pacific Time Zone)
- Defending Champion: California (results)
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Stanford freshman Ella Eastin swam a 1:53.33 in the 200 yard IM on Thursday in the preliminary rounds at the 2016 Pac-12 Championships, which ties her as the 8th-fastest swimmer in the history of the event.
Eastin entered the meet ranked 13th on that rankings with a best time of 1:53.90 from her high school championship meet in California last year.
Eastin was actually well ahead of Hersey’s pace, a full second, going into the freestyle leg, but Hersey was a monster closer in the 200 IM (thanks in part to the full-body suit she was wearing at the 2009 NCAA Championship meet).
The current Pac-12, NCAA, and U.S. Open Records are a 1:51.77 from Caitlin Leverenz from 2012; the Stanford school record is a 1:52.31 from Julia Smit in 2010.
Eastin’s splits:
- Fly – 24.62
- Back – 27.62
- Breast – 33.24
- Free – 27.85
The second qualifier into finals is another freshman, Cal’s Kathleen Baker (1:54.69), who is one of 4 Cal Bears in the A-final of this event.
What was most impressive about this race is that Eastin was able to pull away from Baker both on the backstroke leg as Baker was 8th at last year’s World Championships in the 100 back; and the breaststroke, where Baker is a sub-minute 100 yard breaststroker and Eastin is a second slower.