Jan. 24, 2013

STANFORD, Calif. - No. 8 Stanford will go head-to-head with a pair of top-20 teams as the Cardinal preps for two Pac-12 Conference women's swimming and diving dual meets this weekend.

Stanford travels to No. 20 Arizona State for a 1 p.m. (PT) matchup on Friday and then heads to No. 6 Arizona for an 11 a.m. battle Saturday in Tucson.

"Without a doubt, this is the most favorite time of the year for our student-athletes as they get into racing season," Stanford head coach Greg Meehan said. "There is a natural build of excitement and emotion toward the conference and NCAA championship meets. This weekend will kick start that process.

"Both Arizona and Arizona State are great programs. They're each well coached and each will present unique challenges to our team. But our team is ready for that, and ready to let their minds shift toward racing."

One of the key matchups to follow throughout the weekend will come in the splash-and-dash between Stanford and Arizona, when Maddy Schaefer (3rd - 22.18) will battle Arizona's Margo Geer (1st - 21.82) for national supremacy in the 50 free. The pair also ranks among college swimming's top five in the 100 free.

Stanford's Maya DiRado and Arizona's Bonnie Brandon rank among the top five nationally in the 200 back.

Stanford carries a 3-1 dual meet record heading into the weekend, most recently defeating Pacific in early January, 147-104.

This weekend will mark Stanford's first two road dual meets on the season.