Artistic swimming makes a splash with fourth straight MPSF title

The Stanford artistic swimming team won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championship for the fourth year in a row, further solidifying their supremacy. Over the course of two days at Balfour Natatorium on the Wheaton College campus in Norton, Mass., the Cardinal concluded with 102 points.

Under the guidance of head coach Megan Abarca, who has led the program since 2018, the squad showed promise in several games. The Collegiate “A” Figures category, which evaluates technical correctness through a series of positions and transitions performed without music, saw Stanford participants place in the top three.

Freshmen Megumi Field, Dalia Ovadia and Audrey Kwon won the trio event with a score of 256.11, followed by teammates junior Yara Elian, freshman Calista Liu and senior Lindi Schroeder in second place. With their third duet win of the season, Field and Ovadia scored 226.27, while Schroeder and Liu finished in second place. The team competition was particularly close, with Stanford’s best team winning by less than half a point over Incarnate Word.

Given Stanford’s difficult season, this championship win is especially meaningful. The Cardinal lost to Wheaton College 75-31 earlier in the season, and despite the loss the Cardinal turned in the top score for the team routine, racking up 190.4 points. Nevertheless, the team showed its competitive spirit as they bounced back from that setback to win the MPSF title.

Both seasoned athletes and up-and-coming talent are represented on the roster. Both graduate student Emmanuella Tchakmakjian and Schroeder, a two-time Collegiate All-American and 2023 MPSF Swimmer of the Year, have made noteworthy contributions. All five freshmen on the team have also played key roles throughout the season.

Stanford’s distinction is evident both on the international scene and at the collegiate level. At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Kwon, Field and former Stanford artistic swimmer Jacklyn Luu assisted Team USA in winning a historic silver medal — the nation’s first medal in artistic swimming in two decades.

Stanford’s lengthy history of success and roster of talented athletes have made them a significant force in artistic swimming. The Cardinal will focus on hosting the Western Regionals on March 1 as a vital prelude to the Collegiate National Championship, which will be held March 28 to 29 in Ypsilanti, Mich., now that they have momentum.

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