Stanford Takes Over Lead on Second Day of Pac 10 Championships

STANFORD, California, February 15. STANFORD bolted into a comfortable first place spot after the second day of the 2007 Pac-10 Women's Swimming Championships on Thursday at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool. The Cardinal has 546.5 points through the first seven events of the 21-event meet with California (442) its closest competitor. Stanford set the tone right from the start of Thursday evening's finals session when Elizabeth Durot (500 free, 4:41.47) and Julia Smit (200 IM, 1:55.38) won the first two events in back-to-back fashion with Smit breaking Summer Sanders' 15-year-old school record in the event and Durot recording a personal best time.

"Julia Smit's impact on Stanford this early in her career is phenomenal," said Stanford head coach Lea Maurer. "She is probably putting herself in the Stanford history books more than anyone else before at this point in her career. Her versatility and ability to perform go unmatched."

"Elizabeth Durot's performance in the 500 free electrified everyone and got us going from the start," Maurer added. "And then for us to get first, second and fourth in the 200 IM was great. They've pushed each other all year, and it was awesome to see everyone smiling at the end tonight."

Elaine Breeden (1:56.92) and Caroline Bruce (1:58.96) backed up Smit with second and fourth place performances in the 200 IM. Whitney Spence (3rd, 4:44.16) and Desireé Stahley (6th, 4:46.80) added top eight finishes behind Durot in the 500 free, while Brooke Bishop (4th, 22.30) and Fiona O'Donnell-McCarthy (7th-T, 22.91) made it to the championship final of the 50 free.

Stanford's 200 free relay team of Smit, O'Donnell-McCarthy, Breeden and Bishop also set a school record of 1:29.48 behind a winning Arizona squad of Lara Jackson, Lacey Nymeyer, Anna Turner and Lindsey Kelly that set a new Pac-10 meet record with a time of 1:28.71.

All of Stanford's championship finalists met the NCAA `A' standard other than Stahley (500 free) and O'Donnell-McCarthy (50 free).

Nilasha Ghosh (2:00.34) also came up with an NCAA `A' time for the Cardinal in a 10th place 200 IM showing, while Smit hit the mark in the 50 free with her 22.75 leadoff leg on the 200 free relay foursome.

The 1-meter diving points from the event that was contested on February 10 were also added to the team totals. Stanford's Cassidy Krug was victorious in that event with 293.45 points, while Katie Lampe was also a finalist and finished sixth with 258.50 points.

Arizona's Jackson and California's Dana Vollmer tied for first in the 50 free as both tied the Pac-10 meet record with identical times of 22.05.

The four-day meet continues Friday and Saturday with prelims (11 am, PT) and finals (6 pm, PT) to be conducted each day. Events to be contested Friday include the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back and 400 medley relay with only a finals session to be held for the relay event. The swimmers will also have one final chance to qualify for the 2007 NCAA Championships at the Pac-10 Invite on Sunday, February 18 (11 am, PT).

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