Huskies bound for Pac-10 Championships

Starting today, the Washington women’s swim team will be competing in the Pac-10 Conference Women’s Swimming Championships held at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool in Long Beach, Calif.

Nine teams (Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington State) will be competing for the coveted title of Pac-10 Champion in the event that lasts through Saturday.

Leading the Huskies at this meet will be juniors Kim Jasmer and Genevieve Patterson in the freestyle and breaststroke events.

This past week on Senior Day, when Washington competed against rival Washington State, Jasmer and Patterson took home two wins apiece to secure Washington’s victory.

One of Jasmer’s wins, the 1000 freestyle, was also a season-best time for the event she finished the race with a time of 10:00.81.

Closely following are freshman Ashley Daly and junior Liz Johnson, who both came within five seconds of Jasmer’s time in the same event.

The underclassmen on the team are also expected to make a strong showing because of such tight competition within the team.

At the last meet, sophomore Erin Campbell was able to edge out fellow teammate, freshman Mary Patterson, in the 100 backstroke, with a time of 57.47.

Freshman Emilee Jennings is another reliable performer in the 50 freestyle event, consistently taking home first-place finishes at many of the meets, including the most recent, where she swam the fastest race of the meet in 23.85 seconds.

The most notable swimmers from the conference include top performers from Arizona, Arizona State, California and Stanford.

Arizona is in possession of last year’s Pac-10 Women’s Swimmer of the Year and last month’s Pac-10 Swimmer of the Month, junior Lacey Nymeyer.

She was a seven-time first-team All-American and is expected to dominate in many of the freestyle events.

From Arizona State is yet another freestyle swimmer, senior Caitlin Andrew, though she also swims the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly events. Andrew was December’s Pac-10 Swimmer of the Month and is in possession of ASU’s 100 freestyle record with a time of 48.50.

The duo of junior Lauren Rodgers and senior Emily Silver from California is a threat in the backstroke and freestyle individual events, but are even more of a force in the relays. Rodgers placed first at last year’s Pac-10 Championships, and Silver set a record at the 2007 NCAAs.

Swimming powerhouse Stanford also has a pair of standout swimmers in sophomores Elaine Breeden and Julia Smit. Breeden has the nation’s top time in the 200 butterfly (1:52.74) and Smit is yet another swimmer to watch in the freestyle events, as she has broken a number of the school’s records.

Although not a top contender, Washington should be rolling smoothly into this meet with momentum from six straight wins.

[Reach reporter Sheena Nguyen at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.]