PAC-10 SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS : Evans Keys Stanford to Big Lead Over Cal

The Stanford women’s swim team continued to dominate the Pacific 10 women’s swimming and diving championships, winning five of seven events Saturday night at East Los Angeles College. Stanford extended its lead over California to 1,160-858. UCLA is third at 782 points, followed by Arizona State with 700. USC is fifth with 569.

After Stanford won the 200-yard medley relay, freshmen Janet Evans, Janel Jorgensen, and Lori Heisick led the Cardinal by winning three of the first four individual events.

Evans caught teammate Michelle Griglione at the 150-yard mark of the 400-yard individual medley and went on to win in a meet record of 4:15.26. Lorenza Munoz of California was second, and Griglione was third. All three were under the NCAA qualifying standard.

Although Evans trailed in the beginning, she never worried.

“I’ve swum so many 400 I.M.’s against Michelle I wasn’t worried,” said Evans, who won three gold medals at the Seoul Olympics.

Jorgensen joined Connors and Evans as double winners when she won the 100-yard butterfly. Jorgensen, who was on the 1988 Olympic team with Evans, led from the beginning, finishing well under the qualifying mark with a time of 54.33. Kristin Stoudt of UCLA was second and Terri O’Loughlin of USC was third.

Cal junior Sarah Anderson stopped Stanford’s winning streak with a victory in the 200-yard freestyle. Andersen, who caught and passed Jeanne Gibbons of UCLA at the halfway point, set a meet record with a time of 1:47.83. Gibbons held on for second place, followed by Anna Hansen of USC. The top two qualified for the NCAA championships, which will be held March 15-17 at the University of Texas.

Heisick concluded the Stanford freshman triple by winning the 100-yard breaststroke.

In the final individual event of the session, Kristin Kuhlman of California swam away from the field with an NCAA qualifying time of 56.87. Sherri White of USC was second.

Stanford ended the night with a victory in the 800-yard freestyle relay. The Cardinal foursome of Jody Smith, Evans, Karen Kraemer, and Jorgensen swam a national leading time of 7:18.79.

UCLA and USC continued to swim well, despite Stanford’s dominance.

“We picked up three more qualifiers today and a relay that will seed us very high at NCAAs,” Bruin Coach Cyndi Gallagher said. “Point-wise we’re not getting better, but more people are swimming faster.”

The Trojans did not add any more qualifiers, but Coach Darrell Fick was impressed with his team’s performance.

“Our unshaved swimmers are swimming their best unshaved times of the season, and I think we are a couple of tenths (of a second) away from an exceptional meet,” Fick said.

In the Pac-10 diving championships, being held at USC, Stanford senior Katie Connors defeated Arizona State’s Janae Lautenschlager, 481.95-472.10, in the women’s three-meter springboard. USC’s Brian Earley defeated UCLA’s Chris Dudka, 547.00-499.05, to win the men’s one-meter springboard title.