USC
2011 Pac-10 Swimming and Diving Championships
Troy Adds 3 More Pac-10 Titles
February 25, 2011 | Women's Swimming & Diving
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Senior Lyndsay DePaul won USC's first ever conference title in the 100y fly while juniors Katinka Hosszu (400y IM) and Victoria Ishimatsu (3-meter springboard) claimed their second titles in as many days as No. 6 USC won three events for the second day in row, dominating the podium again on the third day of the Pac-10 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday (Feb. 25) at the Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash.
USC, which also featured a pair of second-place finishers and a relay second in addition to the three victories, maintained third place in the team standings with 886 points. Cal leads the event (1047.5) with Stanford in second (990.5). UCLA is fourth (689) with Arizona fifth (590), ASU sixth (545), Washington State seventh (223) and Oregon State eighth (215).
The Trojans have six wins with a day to go. USC's Pac-10 record for titles is nine in 2003. Troy claimed 18 conference crowns in the 1980 Western Collegiate Athletic Association Championships.
"We came away with three firsts and three seconds. It might be one of the best team performances in Trojan history," USC head coach Dave Salo said. "I'm very proud of the team staying focused on challenging Cal and Stanford for the top spot. I think we still have more in the tank for our run at the top three at NCAAs. Our women are gaining confidence in the upcoming NCAA Championships with how well they are doing here."
DePaul broke her 100y fly school record twice Friday. She first lowered it in prelims, qualifying first in 51.40. In the final, she out-dueled Cal seniors Amanda Sims and Hannah Wilson to win in 51.34. DePaul turned at the halfway point in 24.05 and finished in 27.29. Sims' touched in 51.64, Wilson in 52.41. DePaul was third in the race last year.
"It just felt great to go up to the blocks and hear my teammates cheering my name as well as the parents," DePaul said. "They were all part of the win and I was glad I could share it with them."
For the second day in a row, Hosszu led a quartet of Trojans into a final of an event as USC turned the 400y IM final into a Cardinal and Gold race. The Hungary Olympic medalist and world champion dominated the event and led by more than a second after the butterfly portion. She led by 1.49 seconds after the back, almost two seconds after the breast and cruised to victory in 4:00.04, 0.01 off her school record. The 400y IM win was USC's first Pac-10 title in the race since the Trojans won four straight from 2001-04.
"Our main focus is on NCAAs, but I think today we still saw a lot of good races from this team and we are getting more excited as we are getting closer to our goal and trying to win a national title," Hosszu said. "I personally wish I could have broken four minutes but I'm happy about winning."
As they did in the 200y IM, freshmen Stina Gardell and Meghan Hawthorne joined Hosszu in the final while sophomore Jessica Schmitt reached her second straight 400y IM final. Gardell was fifth (4:09.19), Hawthorne was sixth (4:10.76) and Schmitt took seventh (4:11.08, season-best).
Junior Victoria Ishimatsu, coming off a win on 1-meter Thursday, won her third straight title on 3-meter with 357.95 points. She finished comfortably ahead of ASU's Elina Eggers (336.95) and Brittany Jumer (327.65) as well as Stanford's Stephanie Phipps (321.20). She now has five career Pac-10 titles
Said Ishimatsu: "It wasn't my `A' game but it was good enough for today. I'm very thrilled to have a "three-peat" on 3-meter under my belt."
Said USC head diving coach Hongping Li: "Confidence, experience and consistency were the key words for Tory tonight."
Freshman Kasey Carlson made her second trip to a final in a row and almost claimed a title, taking second in the 100y breast in NCAA `A' cut 59.12. Carlson battled ASU junior Rebercca Ejdervik, who won in 58.90 despite Carlson's 31.43 back half, the fastest in the heat. Only USC record holder Rebeca Soni has gone faster as a Trojan than Carlson in the race.
Senior Presley Bard, the defending champion in the 100y back, finished second on Friday in 52.23 behind Cal freshman Cindy Tran's 51.22.
USC, which entered the meet having won two of the past four titles in the 400y medley relay, finished second behind a Cal team that came close to the NCAA record.
USC's Bard, Carlson, DePaul and Hosszu finished in 3:31.08, strengthening their NCAA `A' cut and coming within 0.49 of the school record. Cal's unit won in 3:28.99.
Sophomore Yumi didn't miss by much qualifying for the final of the 100y fly and ultimately finished 11th in 53.18 (season-best). She was 12th in the race last year. Sophomore Lindsay Parrish earned a second swim in the event, finishing 19th (55.00, season-best).
So also raced in the `B' final of the 100y back after finishing 10th in prelims. She won the race, taking ninth overall (53.59, a PR) while fellow sophomore Christel Simms was 14th (54.43).
Junior Amanda Smith finished ninth in prelims for the second day in a row, this time in the 200y free, missing the final by 0.10. In the `B' final, she finished 12th (1:47.51). Meanwhile, 500y free winner Haley Anderson torched the `B' final to win in 1:45.94 (PR), a time that would have been fourth in the `A final. Freshman Lynette Lim was 13th (1:48.00).
In the `B' final of the 100y breast, junior Ania Kowalczyk was 15th (1:03.44) while sophomore Jordan Danny was 16th (1:03.54). Junior Ella Kidron was 17th (1:03.81).
Junior Michela Fossati-Bellani was 12th on 3-meter (271.30). Sophomore Chelsea Wild earned a second swim in the 400y IM, taking 24th (4:28.29).
The meet concludes Saturday with prelims at 11 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m.
Players Mentioned
