Stanford Finishes Second at NCAA's

FEDERAL Way, Wash. - No. 3 Stanford secured its third different individual champion of the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday evening, as Lucy Bell won the 200 breaststroke to cap off a second-place team finish on the fourth and final day of the event. 

Bell, who held the fastest 200 breast time heading into the Championships, swam a lifetime-best 2:04.28 to touch the wall first in the “A” final. The win was Bell’s first individual NCAA Championship in her career, giving the Cardinal its second first-time title winner in as many days after Caroline Bricker’s win in the 400 IM on Friday. 

The Fort Collins, Colo., native became Stanford’s eighth 200 breast national champion all-time and its first in 20 years, when Caroline Bruce won the event back in 2005. 

The 100 fly final saw Torri Huske finish as the NCAA runner-up for the second time in the event, as Huske clocked a career-best mark of 46.01 to place second in the “A” final. The race was Huske’s third top-two finish as an individual this weekend. 

Aurora Roghair also finished as the national runner-up in her second distance freestyle event of the weekend, this time in the 1650 freestyle where she posted a 15:39.21 for NCAA silver. It is Roghair’s second consecutive season finishing second in the event, tying the best individual finish of the senior’s career. 

The 200 fly final saw two Cardinal reach the “A” final, where Caroline Bricker posted a personal-best 1:51.55 to place third in the event. Lillie Nordmann followed her up with a sixth-place finish, posting a time of 1:52.10. 

At the diving boards, Anna Lemkin gave the Cardinal its first All-American of the weekend with a fifth-place finish in the platform dive. The ACC Champion on the platforms, the freshman turned in a finals score of 339.60 to reach her first NCAA podium. 

Stanford closed out the NCAA meet with the 400 free relay, 

After four days of competition, Stanford finished second in the team standings with 417 points, trailing only NCAA champion Virginia. It is the Cardinal’s 35th top-three team finish in program history and the eighth under Paul A. Violich Director of Women’s Swimming Greg Meehan. 

Stanford remains the only program to finish in the top ten in every NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.