It was only a year ago that Rachael Acker was the proverbial big fish while swimming for Gunn High and helping the girls win their first-ever Central Coast Section team championship. This week, Acker is still relatively a big fish but the pond has grown significantly.
Acker is a freshman at Cal and will be counted upon to help the Bears seek a three-peat at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind. The Bears won national titles in 2011 and 2012 after winning their first ever in ’09.
Acker has an opportunity to be a part of something special for Cal as one of 14 Golden Bears (13 swimmers, one diver) competing, including defending national champs Caitlin Leverenz and Cindy Tran. Leverenz is the team’s lone senior while Acker is one of five heralded freshmen that include Olympic gold medalist Rachel Bootsma plus 2013 Pac-12 Swimmer of the Meet Elizabeth Pelton.
Acker also had a big Pac-12 meet as she won the 200-yard free (1:44.66), which ranks No. 11 in the nation, in addition to helping score points in the relays.
Acker will swim the 100 free (Saturday) and 200 free (Friday) at the NCAA meet and will be a part of the relay pool. The Bears won the 200 and 400 medley relays at NCAAs last year. Acker is a likely relay member in the 400 free, which has the No. 2 seed time of 3:12.37.
While Acker hopes to help Cal win its third straight NCAA title, USC freshman Jasmine Tosky from Palo Alto High will be battling to bring the No. 1-ranked Trojans their first national crown since 1997.
Tosky is one of four USC swimmers making their NCAA debut and will be counted upon to provide some big points. She is the No. 3 seed in the 200 fly (1:53,98) in addition to having the 13th-fastest time in the 200 IM (1:56.43). She’s also a potential scorer in the 100 fly and will help out on the relays after helping the Trojans finish second to Stanford at the Pac-12 Championships.
Nearly three weeks after winning the Pac-12 Conference Championships, Stanford will be hoping to duplicate that effort in Indianapolis.
Stanford, which finished fourth in last year’s meet, has won eight NCAA titles since 1983 and has finished second or third 16 times since 1981. The Cardinal was runner-up in 2010 in one of the most tightly contested NCAA Championships ever.
Stanford will have only 10 swimmers and no divers this week: Maddy Schaefer (50 free, 100 free, 100 back), Andi Murez (50 free, 100 free, 200 free), Maya DiRado (200 IM, 400 IM, 200 back), Felicia Lee (100 fly, 100 back, 200 back), Mary Olsen (100 breast, 200 breast), Andie Taylor (400 IM, 1,650 free), Allison Brown (500 free), Julia Anderson (200 free), Sarah Haase (100 breast) and Annemarie Thayer (100 back).
The Cardinal also qualified for each of the five relays: 200 free (1:28.86), 400 free (3:12.63), 800 free (6:57.12), 200 medley (1:36.54) and 400 medley (3:32.06).
Stanford finished the regular season with a 7-2 record in dual-meet competition. The Cardinal was ranked fourth in the final regular-season top 25 poll.
2013 NCAA WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Thursday
200 free relay
500 free
200 IM
50 free
1-meter diving
400 medley relay
Friday
200 medley relay
400 IM
100 fly
200 free
100 breast
100 back
3-meter diving
800 free relay
Saturday
1,650 free
200 back
100 free
200 breast
200 fly
Platform diving
400 free relay
By Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online Sports
By Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online Sports
By Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online Sports
I don’t think this is accurate. Seems too slow. Do you think they mean 1:44.66?
“Acker also had a big Pac-12 meet as she won the 200-yard free (11:44.66), which ranks No. 11 in the nation, in addition to helping score points in the relays.”
Yes, I am quite sure that 1:44.66 is what they mean.
That’s so exciting! Go Bears and Go Titans!
How did Rachael end up doing? Did Jasmine do well?