Pac-12 Friday Recap: Baker, Ledecky Break Records in Cal, Stanford Wins

BERKELEY, CA - November 11, 2016: Cal Bears Women's Swimming & Diving team vs. Texas Longhorns at Spieker Aquatics Center. Final score, Cal Bears 148, Texas 152.

Cal's Kathleen Baker. Photo Courtesy: Maciek Gudrymowicz

By Dan D’Addona.

Cal’s Kathleen Baker set a pool record in the 200-yard backstroke and Cal hung on to defeat USC, 165-135, Friday, handing the Trojans their first loss of the season.

Baker, who captured a silver medal in the 100-meter back at the 2016 Olympics, entered the day as the national leader in the 200-yard back. She came through in record fashion, touching the wall in 1:53.66 to break the pool and Cal dual-meet mark of 1:53.94 set by Elizabeth Pelton three years ago. Baker also won the 200 individual medley in 1:57.13 and took second in the 100 back.

Freshman Abbey Weitzeil, also a medalist at the Olympics last summer, won her specialty, the 50 free, in 22.27, with senior Farida Osman right behind in 22.41.

Sophomore Katie McLaughlin captured the 500 free in 4:47.50 and was the runner-up in the 200 fly.

In the 1,000 free, freshman Chenoa Devine set a personal best and posted the No. 10 all-time mark at Cal with her first-place finish in 9:52.51. She was also second to McLaughlin in the 500 free.

Other winners for the Bears were Amy Bilquist in the 100 back (52.25) and Noemie Thomas in the 100 fly (52.35). Both are the national leaders and undefeated in their respective events in dual meets this season.

USC’s Louise Hansson won the free in 1:44.86, ahead of Weitzeil (1:45.01). She also won the 100 freestyle (48.77) again ahead of Weitzeil (48.88).

Riley Scott won the 100 breaststroke (1:00.88) and the 200 breaststroke (2:10.37). Maddy Wright won the 200 butterfly (1:55.16).

Stanford tops UCLA

Katie Ledecky and Janet Hu each won twice as No. 2 Stanford women’s swimming and diving topped No. 19 UCLA, 127-104.
Stanford won its 13th consecutive dual meet and improved to 6-0 in this season and 5-0 against the Pac-12.

Ledecky won the 200 freestyle in 1:43.48 and broke her own Avery Aquatic Center standard by about a second. She also won the 100 free with a time of 49.33.
Hu was first in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:55.75 and just out-touched senior teammate Lia Neal (22.60) with a finish of 22.46 in the 50 free.

The Cardinal also won both diving events. Freshman Haley Farnsworth was tops on the 3-meter (311.48), while junior Kassidy Cook earned her third win in the last eight days on the 1-meter (300.08).

Ally Howe won the 200 individual medley (1:59.28), while Simone Manuel finished first in the 500 free at 4:47.1.

Check out the full results here.

Arizona swept by Texas

Arizona swimming and diving fell to Texas on Friday. The women lost 164-128 128-164 and the men lost 162-121.

The men tallied three victories in the meet coming from three different swimmers.

Arizona’s Justin Wright continued his success in the 200 fly, winning the first event of the day for the Cats. He finished with a time of 1:47.11.

Also adding a win for Arizona was freshman Brendan Meyer, finishing first in the 500 free with 4:33.06.

For the women, sophomore Katrina Konopka topped the swimmers with two second-place finishes in the meet — second in the 50 free (22.76) and 100 free (49.92).

Check out complete results here.

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