Brooke Forde<\/strong> opened her final year at the NCAA championships with a stellar anchor leg in the 800 free relay, helping Stanford to the title in the event.<\/p>\n

It was a historical title for Forde, who in her final swim meet, became the first fifth-year swimmer to earn an NCAA title.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been really interesting. They call me the team grandma, which I love, but it makes me feel old,\u201d Brooke Forde said. \u201cI think back and remember how special it was as a freshman to come into such a special team at Stanford. My goal has always been to carry that energy forward as many years as I could. It is so crazy that I am the only one left on the team and I am trying to make sure the freshman know what it was like to be a part of that legacy, and I hope that carries on even after I am gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a familiar place for Forde, who has been a huge part of Stanford\u2019s national success over the years.<\/p>\n

But this relay was different, almost a passing the baton to Stanford\u2019s young stars Torri Huske<\/strong> and Regan Smith<\/strong>, who were on this relay with Forde and Taylor Ruck<\/strong>.
\nHuske (1:41.93), Ruck (1:40.49), Smith (1:43.35) and Forde (1:42.53) won the event in 6:48.30, breaking the pool record set by Georgia in 2016 during its title run.<\/p>\n

Now in her final season, Brooke Forde is part of the last wave of the old dynasty, but also is helping usher in a younger Stanford dynasty, loaded with young Olympians.<\/p>\n

In the 800 freestyle relay, Forde teamed with two freshman, Huske and Smith, who led the next wave of the Cardinal. If that wasn\u2019t enough, Canadian Olympian Ruck also joined Forde on the relay, giving Stanford a relay full of Olympians, something very rare in NCAA swimming.<\/p>\n