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.
