March 2, 2013
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - For third time in the last four seasons, Stanford has won the Pac-12 Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships.
The Cardinal secured the 2013 crown Saturday evening at the King County Aquatic Center by holding off second-place USC, which trailed Stanford by only eight points heading into the final day of competition.
USC fell short of its come-from-behind upset with 1,418.5 second-place points. Cal (1,333.5) was third and Arizona (1,128.5) was fourth among the nine scoring teams.
Stanford earned silver in a pair of races and posted a clean 400 free relay to end the meet for 1,439.5 overall points, giving the Cardinal its 19th league crown and first under head coach Greg Meehan. Meehan was handed the reins of the Cardinal program last fall.
"Our team really stepped up today when the championship was on the line," Meehan said. "Our seniors were awesome both today and all week long. We are excited to continue this journey in three weeks at the NCAA Championships."
The Cardinal now eyes a bigger piece of hardware when it heads to Indianapolis for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships (March 21-23).
Andie Taylor's fourth-place showing in the 1,650 free (16:13.82) got things rolling for the Cardinal.
Maya DiRado clocked her third individual NCAA A-cut with a 1:51.65 in the 200 back for second place. Earlier in the meet, DiRado swam to NCAA A-cuts in the 200 and 400 individual medley.
Andi Murez could not have been any closer behind Schaefer after touching second in 47.86.
Katie Olsen (2:12.18) was eighth in the 200 breast and Taylor went 1:58.74 in the 200 fly for seventh.
Lillian Hinrichs was Stanford's highest finisher off the platform, as her 249.15 earned sixth-place points. Kelly Markle (199.30) was 12th and Alexandra Clay (193.05) was 14th overall.
Holding a 19-point lead heading into the final relay, Stanford closed the door on the competition with another NCAA A-cut in 3:12.63. Schaefer, DiRado and Felicia Lee swam the first three legs with Murez anchoring the Cardinal to third in the final Pac-12 swim of the senior's career.
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2013 Pac-12 Conference Championships Breakdown
Pac-12 Title 800 Free Relay (6:57.12) - Maya DiRado, Andi Murez 400 Individual Medley (4:00.58) - Maya DiRado 3-meter Diving (345.20) - Stephanie Phipps
Pac-12 Runner-up 50 Free (22.12) - Maddy Schaefer 100 Free (47.85) - Maddy Schaefer 200 Free (1:44.72) - Andi Murez 200 Back (1:51.65) - Maya DiRado
School Record 800 Free Relay (6:57.12) - Maya DiRado, Andi Murez 200 Medley Relay (1:36.54) - Andi Murez 100 Back (51.63) - Felicia Lee
NCAA A-cut 200 Free Relay (1:28.86) - Andi Murez 400 Free Relay (3:12.63) - Maya DiRado, Andi Murez 800 Free Relay (6:57.12) - Maya DiRado, Andi Murez 200 Medley Relay (1:36.54) - Andi Murez 400 Medley Relay (3:32.36) - Maya DiRado, Felicia Lee, Maddy Schaefer 100 Free (47.85) - Maddy Schaefer 100 Free (47.86) - Andi Murez 100 Back (51.63) - Felicia Lee 200 Back (1:51.65) - Maya DiRado 200 Individual Medley (1:55.44) - Maya DiRado 400 Individual Medley (4:00.58) - Maya DiRado
-- #goStanford --