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The Streak Continues

by gostanford.com
Mar 19, 2021

Results

GREENSBORO, N.C. – No program has dominated the 400 IM quite like Stanford women's swimming and diving. At the start of this week's championships, the Cardinal had already won 12 national titles in the event – more than any other women's program in the country.

Thanks to Brooke Forde, Stanford added another chapter to its impressive run in the event on Friday.

Forde won her fourth national title – her first in the 400 IM – in a dominant showing. The senior took the lead in the final 100 yards of the breaststroke leg of the individual medley, and she closed strong to win in 4:01.57. Her time was a pool record, breaking Sarah Henry's mark of 4:02.47 from 2015.

"I'm just super happy – I felt like this was a long time coming with last year being canceled," said Forde. "The (400 IM) is what I've been focusing on this whole year. Just to have the opportunity to have that work show itself this year is super special."

Stanford has now won five-straight national titles in the 400 IM – a streak no other program can lay claim to – and its sixth title in the last seven national championships (Maya DiRado- 2014, Ella Eastin- 2016-19).
The Cardinal also picked up a fifth-place finish in the 200 medley relay to move up in the team standings. The teamof Janelle Rudolph, Allie Raab, Emma Wheal and Amalie Fackenthal closed strong over the last half of the race to finish second in its heat in 1:35:62, which held strong for fifth overall.

The relay was pivotal in moving Stanford ahead of Alabama in the team standings, as the Crimson Tide finished sixth by 18-hundreths of a second. The Cardinal moved from ninth to seventh in the team standings, directly ahead of Alabama.

"Tonight was really fun for our team," said the Paul A. Violich Director of Women's Swimming Greg Meehan. "Brooke got us rolling with a huge win in the 400 IM, and we finished the session with a great medley relay swim. All four of them put up great splits and that's what it takes to help our team move up in the standings."

Wheal added to her impressive stretch on day three, claiming her fourth All-America honor of the week, as well as a lifetime best in the 100 fly. The sophomore finished second in the B final of the event, 10th overall, in 51.83 – her first time breaking the 52-second barrier.

The mark moves Wheal to 10th on the school record book in the event.

In the 100 breast, Allie Raab took 16th in 59.25 to earn All-America honors.

During the prelims, Stanford was also represented in the 400 IM by Hannah Kukurugya (21st, 4:11.24) and Isabel Gormley (39th, 4:16.51). Morgan Tankersley finished 22nd in the 200 free (1:46.03), and Zoe Bartel was 35th in the 100 fly (1:00.33). Rudolph (52.67) and Alex Crisera (52.94) were 23rd and 25th in the 100 back, respectively. On the 3-meter springboard, Mia Paulsen finished 21st with a score of 295.00.

The Cardinal will close out the season tomorrow with the final day of the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. Ninth-ranked Stanford has entries in the 1,650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, and the 400 free relay. All three divers will be competing on the platform.

The trials will begin at 7 a.m. PT, and the finals at 1:45 p.m. Both sessions will be available to watch on ESPN3.  
 

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