SALT LAKE CITY -- Stanford won 11 events, including eight by freshmen, to start the 2014-15 campaign with a 174-124 win at Utah. Newcomers Janet Hu (3), Simone Manuel (2), Gracia Leydon-Mahoney (2) and Ally Howe (1) produced victories for the freshman class.
“We had a lot of fun racing a strong, well-coached Utah team today,” said head coach Greg Meehan. “This time of year isn’t about posting fast times; it’s about committing to details within our races. And I thought the team did that very well today, especially at 5,000 feet above sea level.”
Hu and Manuel started her collegiate career undefeated in individual events. Hu won the 100 back, 100 free and 200 IM, while Manuel claimed the 50 free and 100 fly. Howe dominated the 200 back and finished second in the 200 free.
Leydon-Mahoney also began her first season on The Farm with an undefeated mark by owning both diving events. She posted a pair of final scores over 300, as no other diver reached 275 in either event.
"Gracia did a great job at her first dual meet," said head diving coach Patrick Jeffrey. "This was a tough day. It's very early in the season and we flew in this morning and dove in a facility that she had never been in. She is just so solid mentally. I am very proud of her and this is just the beginning for her here at Stanford. I am extremely excited to watch her in the future."
Friday was the first competition of Jeffrey's tenure after 15 years at Florida State.
Stanford’s other wins came from All-American seniors Maddy Schaefer (science, technology and society) and Katie Olsen (management science and engineering), who won their only individual events of the day. Schaefer took the 200 free by nearly a second over Howe and freshman Alexandra Meyers, while Olsen clipped Utah’s Stina Colleou by 0.19 in the 200 breast. Olsen and Colleou went 1-2 in the event at last year’s Pac-12 Championships.
The Cardinal started the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay (Grace Carlson, Olsen, Hu, Lia Neal), before swimming the 200 free relay, the last event of the meet, as an exhibition.
Freshmen also highlighted the meet for Utah, which received three of their four individual wins from members of the Class of 2018.
Stanford is back in action Oct. 24 against Oregon State. The Cardinal also hosts its annual Alumni Meet Oct. 24, the Friday of homecoming weekend.