By James Sica, Swimming World College Intern
The Pac-12 is loaded with talent this year, which promises to make this year’s conference meet one for the ages. With teams like Cal-Berkeley (ranked #1), Stanford (#3), Arizona (#11), University of Southern California (#12), and UCLA (#16), the Pac-12 Conference is ridiculously star-studded and is a small preview of what to expect from some of the country’s best teams in just a few weeks at NCAAs.
From Cal’s Elizabeth Pelton to Arizona’s Bonnie Brandon to Stanford’s Simone Manuel- to say this conference is full of studs would be an understatement. And don’t forget Cal superstar Missy Franklin, who despite only being a sophomore has stated this will be her last year of NCAA competition.
Read on for a list of 5 must see races at the women’s Pac-12 Conference meet, as well as final score predictions. Watch the Pac-12 Championships live on the Pac-12 Network here!
All Relays
Okay, this one is a bit of a cop out, but it should be exciting to watch some of the best relay swimmers in NCAA history battle it out over the five relay events this weekend. All of these relays should be the Cal v. Stanford showdown, with the Cardinal probably coming into this meet with the most complete five relays of any team.
But as any swimmer knows when it’s race time anything can happen (it also helps to have Simone Manuel, she of the mind-bending sub-46 second 100 freestyle relay split, on the end of your medley and freestyle relays). Stanford’s strongest relays will likely be both medley relays. While Cal has the advantage on the backstroke, they are still struggling to find a breaststroke and butterfly split that can keep them in the race against the Cardinal.
Even if Cal’s Marina Garcia and Noemie Thomas can put together a decent middle two legs of both medleys, Missy Franklin would still have to deal with Manuel on the anchor. The two teams will be far more evenly matched in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, with Maddy Schaefer’s absence from Stanford helping to keep Cal in the hunt.
The only relay Cal should have the advantage is the 800 free relay with the likes of Elizabeth Pelton and Franklin (the American and NCAA record holder in the 200), but Stanford has the potential to make even that one a close race depending on who they save for the relay.
200 IM
Celina Li, Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
While this psych sheet is pre-scratches, it is worth noting that this is the only event that Missy Franklin is entered in on day one, as Cal freshman Cierra Runge has effectively taken over the distance reigns. Cal is absolutely stacked in this event, occupying 5 of the top 8 seeds in the event and 8 of the top 16.
Expect the Golden Bear trio of sophomore Franklin, junior Elizabeth Pelton, and sophomore Celina Li to be battling it out for the title. Franklin and Pelton come into this meet with the top two IM times in the NCAA, so regardless of who wins the time should be fast.
USC senior Andrea Kropp may be able to make it a race with her excellent breaststroke leg, and Standford does have two seeds in the top 8 in the form of sophomore Grace Carlson and freshman Ally Howe. If the Cardinal can keep those two in the A final of the event, it could go a long way to helping manage some of the damage Cal can do in this event.
200 Freestyle
Missy Franklin, Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr
Depending on scratches, this could the event to watch at this meet. The top 3 seeds are all absolute stars: Missy Franklin is the current NCAA and American record holder in the 200 freestyle with a 1:40.31, Stanford stud Simone Manuel is the second fastest American ever in the 100 freestyle and recently bested Franklin in the Stanford-Cal dual meet, and Cal’s Elizabeth Pelton was the 2012 runner-up at NCAA’s in this event.
Pelton may opt for the 100 backstroke, but regardless this event will be fun to watch. Cal freshman phenom Cierra Runge is also entered in the event, as is 2012 Olympian and Stanford sophomore Lia Neal and Arizona junior Bonnie Brandon. This is another event that Cal is absolutely stacked in with 5 of the top 8 seeds, so expect this to be a fast A final that could be very good for the Golden Bears.
100 Breaststroke
Katie Olsen, Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
If there is one event where Stanford can really hope to capitalize on Cal in terms of points, it’s this event. The Cardinal have three of the top eight seeds in the event, all led by freshman Heidi Poppe who has the top seed with a 59.21. However, the Cardinal have to fight if they want to sweep the breaststroke.
Stanford senior Katie Olsen won the event last year with a 59.17, but is only seeded seventh with a 1:00.51. The top 5 swimmers are all seeded under a minute. USC veteran Andrea Kropp and UCLA junior Allison Wine are definitely in the mix for the title and could play as spoilers to what could be one of Stanford’s stronger events.
It’s also worth noting Cal sophomore Marina Urzainqui Garcia is currently seeded ninth, and if she can sneak into that A final it could go a long way to helping curb the point advantage Stanford has in this event.
200 Backstroke
Elizabeth Pelton, Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
Again, this is a race that could be one of the highlights of the meet depending on possible scratches. The top three seeds are Cal’s Elizabeth Pelton, her teammates Missy Franklin, and Arizona junior Bonnie Brandon. The only definite who may be swimming this race is Pelton, who is the reigning Pac 12 champion and sits first in the country with a 1:49.00. Pelton is also the American and NCAA record holder with a 1:47.84 from 2013 NCAA’s.
Last year, Missy won the 100 freestyle, but with Manuel on fire as the current American record holder in that event she may opt to battle it out with her teammate in the backstroke. Franklin is seeded close behind with a 1:49.23, just off her best of 1:48.42 from 2013, and has shown a greater focus on the backstrokes this year than compared to her freshman season. If Bonnie Brandon chooses to swim it (she is currently seeded first in the 1,650 and ranked third in the country in that event), she may be in the mix, but expect the race to come down to the two Cal Bears.
100 Freestyle
Simone Manuel, Photo Courtesy: Kayla Simon
All eyes should be on Simone Manuel in this event, who is hot off of her 46.62 set back in November which was, at the time, the American record (Cal commit Abbey Weitzeil re-broke it a month later with a 46.29). Manuel’s best time is only .01 off of Ariana Vanderpool-Wallace’s NCAA and US Open time of 46.61, which if Manuel has her way will be going down at some point in the next few weeks.
Remember Manuel has been sub-46 on a relay split, so she has the confidence of being faster from a flying start. While Manuel will enter as the favorite in this event, Cal’s Missy Franklin is entered in the event as well (although as mentioned earlier she may scratch in favor of the 200 backstroke), as is Manuel’s teammate and 2012 Olympian Lia Neal. Expect Neal and Manuel to try and pick up some major points in this event and possibly go for the 1-2. Cal’s Farida Osmin is also someone to watch for as a potential spoiler in this event.
Overall Predictions
While the above races should provide plenty of excitement, there is enough talent in the Pac-12 meet to keep everyone on their toes through the entire meet. We haven’t even mentioned Cal Bear and 2012 Olympian Rachael Bootsma’s presence in the butterfly and backstroke events, or Cal freshmen Noemie Thomas’s presence in the butterflys. While anything can happen come meet day, on paper it looks like this is Cal’s meet to lose.
Stanford will definitely capitalize in the breaststroke and sprint free events, but that may not be enough to combat Cal’s depth in the rest of the event schedule. Outside of the team title, expect Arizona and USC to be battling it out for third. USC has solid individual scorers across the board in the form of junior butterfly and backstroke specialist Kendyl Stewart, senior breaststroker Andrea Kropp, sophomore freestyler Chelsea Chenault, and the versatile junior Jasmine Tosky, and the Trojans should also have strong showing in the medley relays.
Arizona is hurt by the graduation of sprint superstar Margo Geer, but have freshman and depth in enough events to challenge for the third spot in the conference. If Arizona can capitalize on possible momentum from Bonnie Brandon, they could find themselves in the mix for relays and several individual events. UCLA will have to wait for their incoming freshman class to do some real damage at this meet, but still have a few studs in their own right in the form of distance stud Katy Campbell, sprinter Linnea Mack, and breaststroker Alison Wine.
The Women’s Pac-12 Swimming and Diving Championships begin Wednesday February, 25th at 6:00 PM (PST) with the 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays. The meet runs through Saturday, February 28th. Specific championship info can be found here.
I don’t want to take anything away from Simone Manuel as her season has been incredible and she is an amazing swimmer but we are in a incredible era of young sprinters. Because of another young sprinter, Abbey Weitzeil, Simone is no longer the AR holder in the 100 free as Abbey went a 46.29 leading off her team’s relay at Juniors after getting back from short course worlds.
How could I forget! Corrections were made above given Abbey’s awesome swim from December. Should be fun to see them both in the Pac 12 next year! Thanks.