Taylor Ruck, Stanford Freshmen Fast in Debut

Photo Courtesy: Ian MacNicol

Stanford women’s swimming and diving opened the season with a 193-99 victory over Utah at Avery Aquatic Center on Tuesday afternoon.

Stanford (1-0, 1-0) won all 16 events, including seven by freshmen. The Cardinal has now won 24 straight dual meets, 22 consecutive Pac-12 duals and 17 straight home duals.

Fast Start for Freshmen
Taylor Ruck and Amalie Fackenthal each won twice, while Allie Raab, Daria Lenz and Zoe Bartel each won in their collegiate debuts. Ruck was tops in both backstroke events as she took the 100-yard swim at 54.09, and then won the 200 in 1:58.89. Fackenthal took home top honors in the 50 freestyle (23.14) and 100 butterfly (53.46), while Raab won the 200 individual medley (2:01.46) and Bartel was tops in the 200 breaststroke (2:13.14).

Diving Sweep
Lenz won her first collegiate competition on the 1-meter, while junior Haley Farnsworth won the 3-meter. Lenz edged out fellow freshman teammate Carolina Sculti on the 1-meter with a score of 278.55. Sculti was the runner-up in both events as she finished with a score of 274.05 on the 1-meter, and Farnsworth won at the higher height with a score of 313.43 to Sculti’s 299.25.

Winning Ways
Stanford’s returners also had a good showing to start the season. Senior Ella Eastin won twice, while junior Megan Byrnes was the only swimmer to break 10 minutes in the 1,000 free with a finish of 9:52.59. Eastin won the 500 free with a finish of 4:50.42.

Sophomore standouts Brooke Forde, Lauren Pitzer and Grace Zhao each picked up where they left off last season with victories in the opener. Forde bested the field by more than two seconds in the 200 free at 1:50.43, while Zhao finished in 1:02.77 to win the 100 breast.

The Cardinal opened the matinee with a victory in the 200 medley relay (1:40.96), and closed out the day with a win in the 200 free relay (1:35.11).

For the Stanford men, Brad Zdroik, Jack Levant and Conor Casey won two events apiece as Stanford eased past Utah for a 190-105 win on Tuesday at Avery Aquatic Center.

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