Jan. 5, 2012

Live Stats for Saturday's Dual Meet

STANFORD, Calif.-- Stanford Swimming will open up the 2012 spring season when it hosts a dual meet with Pacific on Saturday at noon. The alternating event schedule will feature the No. 3-ranked men's team (4-0) against its Tiger counterpart (4-2) and the No. 6-ranked women's team (3-1) and Tiger women (5-1).

Stanford freshman David Nolan has made an early splash ranking in the top-15 in five events-- No. 5 in the 200 back (1:42.05) and 200 IM (1:44.69), No. 6 in the 100 fly (47.04), No. 8 in the 100 free (43.34) and No. 13 in the 200 free (1:35.96).

On the women's side, Cardinal sophomore Maya DiRado has the nation's fastest 200 back time at 1:52.57, the No. 3-ranked time in the 200 IM (1:54.66) and No. 4 time in the 400 IM (4:02.06). In what should be an highly competitive championship season, USC's Katinka Hosszu and Cal's Caitlin Leverenz are all within four seconds of one another in both individual medleys.

One of America's top long distance threats, senior Chad La Tourette has the No. 3 time in the 1650 free (14:50.82) and the No. 4 time in the 1000 free (9:07.77). He will look for his second NCAA title in the 1650 free in March, as he has never finished lower than second in any of his three NCAA meets.

Stanford senior Sam Woodward has the nation's second-fastest 100 fly at 52.06, just .20 seconds behind Auburn's Oliva Scott. Woodward is also No. 5 in the 50 free (22.13) and No. 14 in the 100 free (48.96).  The Cardinal sprinters have four times ranked in the top-25 in the 100 free, while the rest of the Pac-12 has five combined top-25 times. The same dominance is in the 50 free, where Woodward, freshman Maddy Schaefer (No. 8) and senior Betsy Webb (No. 9) are all in the top-10 and the rest of the Pac-12 has four top-25 times.

Senior Bobby Bollier (1:43.09) and Cal's Tom Shields (1:43.09) are separated by four-tenths of a second as the nation's top two 200 butterfliers. Bollier is also No. 12 in the 100 fly (47.30). Canadian junior Matthew Swanston (1:42.06) and Nolan (1:42.05) are in the national top-six of the 200 back, with junior Matt Thompson chipping in the No. 8 fastest time (1:43.20) in a top-10 with just one freshman, Nolan.

Thomspon is one of four 400 IM'ers under 3:47, ranking No. 4 in that event. He is also No. 11 in the 200 IM as one of four Stanford swimmers in the 200 IM top-25. Nolan and classmate Jon Edwards (No. 18) are just two of the three freshmen in the heavily upperclass-dominated 200 IM.

The Pac-12 is well represented on the men's and women's sides in the overall national team rankings featuring No. 1 Arizona, the No. 3 Cardinal, No. 5 USC and No. 6 Cal in the top-six for the men and No. 2 Cal, No. 3 USC, No. 5 Arizona and No. 6 Stanford on the women's side.

The Stanford men have won the last 30 conference titles, while the women have won back-to-back Pac-10 titles.

Goldman Family Director of Men's Swimming, Skip Kenney, is in his 33rd season, having won seven NCAA titles and never finishing lower than fourth since 1982. The men were third last season. Former Olympian Lea Maurer, in her seventh season at her alma mater, and has never finished lower than fifth. The women were fourth in 2011.