The Stanford women’s swimming team kicked off the new season with a convincing win over fellow Pac 12 conference member Washington State. It wasn’t a complete runaway for Stanford, as host Washington State was able to win four events. Two-time reigning NCAA champion Simone Manuel was not in action today, but she wasn’t needed as Stanford won 142-119.
Stanford sophomore Janet Hu won two events to help the Cardinal. She posted a 23.23 to win the 50 free over a pair of Washington State Cougars who also broke 24 seconds: Hannah Bruggmann (23.53) and Haley Rose Love (23.91).
Hu showed off her endurance later in the meet with a 1:58.26 in the 200 backstroke. Hu turned on the afterburners in the second half of the race, splitting under 30 seconds for the third and fourth 50s. Jasmine Margetts of Washington State couldn’t match Hu’s speed in the end, finishing second with a 2:01.37.
Junior Nicole Stafford was also a double winner for Stanford. Her first win came in the 200 free with a 1:52.01, where she overtook Washington State’s Rachel Thompson on the third 50 to take the victory by a second. In the 100 free, she was first at 50 yards, and managed to hold off a charge from Bruggmann to win in 52.03 to Bruggmann’s 52.25.
Ally Howe, a Stanford sophomore, won the closest race of the meet, taking the 200 fly in 2:02.23 but just eight hundredths of a second over Washington State’s Elise Locke. Howe had built just a three-tenths lead at 100 yards, and Locke barely outsplit Howe in the final 100 to almost snag the win.
Lia Neal, in her first meet since competing at the world championships, won the 100 fly with a 56.19 over the 56.52 by Washington State’s Anna Brolin. Sarah Haase, the reigning champion in the 100 breaststroke, won that event with a 1:03.46. Presley Wetterstrom of Washington State was a distant second with a 1:05.52.
Two Stanford freshmen picked up wins in their collegiate racing debut. Ella Eastin, the high school independent record holder in the 200 IM, won 500 free with a 4:58.54. Teammate Alex Meyer was on Eastin’s hip at 150 yards, but couldn’t hold on and placed second with a 5:09.57. Leah Stevens also was victorious in her racing debut, winning the 1000 free with a 10:18.72.
Washington State nearly won the meet’s first event, the 200 medley relay, as Bruggmann’s 22.86 freestyle split was almost enough to get the Cougars to the wall first over the 23.32 freestyle leg posted by Julia Ama. Stanford won the relay, 1:44.04 to 1:44.12.
Washington State not only won the 100 back, but went 1-2 in the event. Margetts swam a 56.50 to win by more than two seconds over teammate Ciera Kelly and her 58.93. Margetts got another win later in the meet with a 4:23.10 in the 400 IM. Stanford’s Kim Williams made up a four-second deficit on the breaststroke leg but couldn’t close the gap, finishing second with a 4:24.15.
With Haase sitting out the 200 breast, Washington State was able to place first and second in the event. Wetterstrom took the win with a 2:17.69, almost five seconds ahead of runner-up Frederikke Hall’s 2:22.22.
Stanford looked in control of the 400 free relay, but Locke put together a 51.62 on the final leg for Washington State, passing Stanford’s K.C. Moss to give the Cougars a win with a 3:28.72 to Stanford’s 3:33.21.
Darien Apuron
Janet!
Megan English they’re talking about Ciera Kelly in this article!