Stanford Dominates, Captures Program's Ninth National Championship

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STANFORD, Calif. - The 2021 Collegiate Championship wrapped up yesterday in a dramatic and special fashion. Stanford University entered day two with the lead by ten points over Ohio State followed by University of Incarnate Word and widened this gap in the final day of competition. They finished the competition the undisputed champions, having captured the A Figure, trio, duet, solo and team titles. Stanford ended the weekend with a definitive victory, having amassed 102 points ahead of Ohio State’s 86 and Incarnate Word’s 75. 

As anticipated, the solo category saw three incredible routines grace the pool at the Avery Aquatic Center. Seniors Jacklyn Luu, Laila Huric and Natalia Vega closed out their collegiate artistic swimming careers and left it all in the pool for their solo performances. With emotional routines, Luu swam to to Beyonce’s “Listen”, Huric to “The Show Must Go On” by Queen and Natalia Vega to a multi-cultural rendition of “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. Just .3 separated the three elite athletes from each other and all were awarded the High Point Athlete Award for their performances throughout the weekend. Luu was also awarded the Athlete of the Year distinction. 

All three programs showcased creative themes in the team category. Stanford performed to a medley of 80’s tunes. Ohio State kept their team routines from the 2019-20 season but added elements with increased difficulty, carrying on the motto of “Break the Stigma – Be the Change.” The Scarlet squad swam to a composition of music and voiceovers highlighting mental health. The Gray team’s routine aimed to raise awareness about climate change. The Cardinals from UIW crafted a Greek-themed cinematic masterpiece for their third-place team routine and drew inspiration from football for their second squad.  

In the end, the Stanford synchronized swimming team captured the program’s ninth national championship and the first since 2016. Head coach Megan Abarca was emotional following the program’s hard-fought win. Abarca was awarded the Collegiate Coach of the Year Award after leading her team through a year of mass adversity. With the team fueled by a desire to prove to Stanford Athletics why they belong as a varsity program, the moment they were announced as champions was especially bittersweet. In the end, they left everything in the pool and proved why Stanford synchro deserves to be saved. 

Collegiate A Figures 

Collegiate B Figures 

Duet (Top 3)

Team