STANFORD, Calif. – Four Cardinal added some hardware to accompany the national championship trophy.
Junior Simone Manuel was named Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year, Greg Meehan earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors, and freshmen Katie Ledecky and Haley Farnsworth received conference Newcomer of the Year for swimming and diving, respectively.
Congrats to our award winners!??'s represent the Pac-12 Swimmer, Pac-12 Coach and Pac-12 Newcomers of the Year! #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/eKFh2qdRiP
— Stanford WSwim/Dive (@stanfordwswim) March 28, 2017
PAC-12 SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
Manuel capped an incredible year with four national titles (two individual and two relays), and seven All-America honors. At the NCAA Championships, she became the first woman to break 46 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle, and also set three other American records in the 200, 400 and 800 free relays. In addition, the Sugar Land, Texas, native won seven Pac-12 titles and finished the season undefeated in the 100 free.
This is Stanford's 13th conference Swimmer of the Year, and Manuel is the 12th Cardinal to take home the award (Summer Sanders won twice in 1991 and 1992). Ella Eastin won this award as a freshman last year.
PAC-12 SWIMMING NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Ledecky won five national titles (three individual and two relays) and four Pac-12 titles (two individual and two relays) in her first season, and was named the Pac-12 Championships Swimmer of the Meet. In total, she broke nine American records and 12 NCAA records across four individual and relay events in her freshman campaign. The Bethesda, Md., native became the third swimmer to win the 200, 500 and 1650 free at a single NCAA Championships, and was the first Cardinal to win any three individual NCAA events since Misty Hyman in 1998.
Eastin won this award last year, and Manuel was the recipient the year prior. In all, Ledecky is the sixth Stanford swimmer to earn the recognition.
PAC-12 DIVING NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Farnsworth qualified for the NCAA Championships in two events and scored in all three events at the Pac-12 Championships during her first collegiate campaign. She finished in the top 10 on the 1-meter (fourth) and 3-meter (sixth) to help lead the Cardinal to its first conference crown since 2013. During Stanford's undefeated regular season, the San Clemente, Calif., native won the 3-meter event at Arizona and against UCLA.
Farnsworth is the fourth Cardinal to win this award, and the first since Stephanie Phipps in 2011. Other winners include Meg Hostage in 2008, Cassidy Krug in 2004 and McKenze Murphy in 2000.
PAC-12 COACH OF THE YEAR
Meehan led Stanford to its first national title since 1998, and the program's first conference championships since 2013. The Cardinal had 13 different All-Americans combine for 47 All-America honors, seven individual national championships and three relay titles at the NCAA Championships. Stanford's 526.5 points were the most for the program since the Cardinal totaled 649.5 in 1993, and the 160.5 margin of victory was the largest at the NCAA Championships since 2003.
This is Meehan's third Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor in five seasons at the helm of the Cardinal (also won in 2014 and 2016). Richard Quick won this award four times, while Lea Maurer (2010) and George Haines (1987) also took home Coach of the Year honors while leading the Cardinal.
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WHAT'S AHEAD
Several Cardinal will look to return to Indianapolis to compete at the U.S. World Championships Trials, June 28-July 2. Those that qualify will head to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where Meehan will serve as head coach for Team USA, July 14-30.
SOCIAL SCENE
For the latest updates, you can follow Cardinal women's swimming and diving all year long on instagram, twitter and snapchat (@StanfordWSwim).
#GoStanford