Jan. 19, 2011

STANFORD, Calif. - The Cardinal women's swim team (4-0) will take its No. 1 national ranking across the desert for dual matches with No. 7-ranked Arizona on Friday at 1 p.m. PT and No. 26-ranked Arizona State on Saturday at 10 a.m. Both meets will include the men's squad as well as the full compliment of divers.

Following dual wins in the fall over top-25 foes, Michigan and Florida, the Wildcats will be the third top-25 foe for the Cardinal. Arizona and Stanford are two of the four Pac-10 teams ranked in the national top-10, joining USC and Cal, both ranked No. 4.

For the defending Pac-10 Champions and last year's NCAA runners-up, the Cardinal under sixth year head coach Lea Maurer feature six swimmers--three veterans Kate Dwelley, Liz Smith, Betsy Webb and three freshman, Maya DiRado, Andie Taylor, Felicia Lee--  ranked among the national top-15 in at least three different events.

Stanford has four swimmers ranked in the 400 IM, and three swimmers ranked in the 50 and 100 free.

Smith, a senior and NCAA runner-up in the 200 breast, ranks in the top-15 in four categories; fourth in the 200 IM and fifth in the 200 breast, as well as 11th in the 400 IM and 15th in the 100 breast. Arizona will challenge Smith with three swimmers in the top-10 of the 100 breast including sophomore Ellyn Baumgardner (third).

Santa Rosa freshman, DiRado, has the second (400 IM, 200 back) and third (200 IM ) fastest times in the nation.

Dwelley, a senior and East Bay native, tops out in the 100 free (fourth nationally) and 200 free (sixth), as well as the 50 free (sixth). Webb, a junior, has the nation's fifth fastest 50 free time, as well as the eighth fastest 100 free mark.

Arizona features Ohio freshman Margo Geer, ranked in the top-five in both the 50 and 100 free and Tucson freshman Sarah Denninghoff, who has the fifth fastest 100 time and 14th-best 200 free time. Both freestyle relay teams rank in the national top-five.

Not to be outdone, Stanford's freshmen of : Taylor, who has top times in the 1000 free (ninth), 200 fly (11th) and 400 IM (fifth); and Lee, top-15 times int eh 100 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM, are equally as impressive. In addition, Kelsey Ditto, a senior, has the nation's fastest 1000 free time and fourth-fastest 1650 mark.

Among the divers, senior Meg Hostage won the one and three-meter at the Bruin Invite in early January, while freshmen Stephanie Phipps (second in the three-meter) and Kylie Rosenstock (fourth in the one-meter) also had top-five finishes.

National Top-15 Rankings
50 Free: Webb (5th), Dwelley (6th), Woodward (11th)
100 Free: Dwelley (4th), Murez (8th), Webb (8th)
200 Free: Dwelley (6th), Murez (11th)
500 Free: Taylor (7th)
1000 Free: Ditto (1st), Taylor (9th)
1650 Free: Ditto (4th)
100 Back: Webb (3rd)
200 Back: DiRado (2nd)
100 Breast: Smith (15th)
200 Breast: Smith (5th)
100 Fly: Lee (8th), Woodward (12th)
200 Fly: Taylor (11th)
200 IM: DiRado (3rd), Smith (4th), Lee (13th)
400 IM: DiRado (2nd), Taylor (5th), Smith (11th), Lee (14th)