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SPLASHY SUCCESS: At the NCAAs,
Wildman-Tobriner (top) swam on two relay teams
that set American records. Bruce (bottom) swept
the breaststroke events.
Gonzalesphoto.com |
the men's swimming team
began the year with some challenges: a weaker-than-normal
roster, plus injuries that sidelined freshman Phillip
Morrison and sophomore Keenan Newman for the season.
So, the Cardinal’s second-place finish at the
NCAA Championships in March was more of a triumph than
a disappointment. “It’s been remarkable
how well the team has responded to every little thing
that came along,” says Ben Wildman-Tobriner, ’07.
When Stanford lost a dual meet to Cal two weeks before
the Pac-10 finals, a 24th consecutive conference title
seemed in doubt. But Stanford came out strong on the
first day of the Pac-10 championships, March 2. Jayme
Cramer, ’05, Rick Eddy, ’06, Matt MacDonald,
’05, and Wildman-Tobriner set a conference record
in the 200 medley relay, which Cal was expected to take.
Daniel Beal, ’08, Andy Grant, ’07, Shaun
Phillips, ’07, and Cramer then claimed the second
race, the 800-meter freestyle relay. “Winning
those two relays really set the tone for the event,”
Wildman-Tobriner says. “From then on, it was just
a train on the move.” In the end, the Cardinal
scored 932.5 points to Cal’s 882; no other school
topped 600.
Talk started about the possibility of winning it all
again. But Stanford couldn’t overcome powerhouse
Auburn at the NCAAs, finishing with 414 points to Auburn’s
491.
Led by freshman Caroline Bruce, the Stanford women captured
their second straight and 16th lifetime Pac-10 title,
then finished fifth at the NCAA championships in March.
Bruce’s wins in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke
at the NCAAs marked the fourth consecutive season a
Stanford swimmer has swept the events, following the
three-year reign of fellow Olympian Tara Kirk, ’04.
“It was a great experience and really exciting
to sweep both of the breaststroke events in my freshman
year,” Bruce said after the event.
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