Jul 2, 2008

Cardinal qualifies 15 for Beijing

Stanford puts 5 rowers on U.S., Canada teams

FROM DAILY NEWS DISPATCHES

It's unlikely that any college or town in the nation will be able to boast as many 2008 Olympians as Stanford and Palo Alto. The count increased big-time in the past few days, with five rowers, two track and field performers, a swimmer and seven water polo players earning trips to the August games in Beijing, China.

Rowing

Five current and former Stanford rowers have been named to the Olympic teams of the United States and Canada, marking the greatest representation at an Olympic Games in program history.

Elle Logan (class of 2010) and Lindsay Meyer (2011), current members of the Stanford women's rowing team, will represent the U.S. in Beijing next month. Logan will be part of the women's eight boat, and Meyer will be a member of the women's quadruple sculls boat.

Stanford grad Jamie Schroeder (2005) will participate in his second Olympics, rowing in the U.S. men's quadruple sculls boat. David Banks (2005) will be the bowman of the U.S. men's four boat, and Adam Kreek (2006) will also make his second Olympic appearance, rowing for Canada's men's eight.


Logan, Meyer and Banks will make their Olympic debuts. Schroeder will make his second Olympic appearance after rowing as part of the men's four at the 2004 Athens Games. He will compete in the same event where he helped the U.S. capture gold in the recent world championships in Switzerland. Kreek is also headed to his second Olympics.

Stanford women's coach Yasmin Farooq, a two-time Olympian and world champion, will be in Beijing as an NBC commentator at the Olympics for the third time.



Track and field

Two weeks after capturing the NCAA title in the triple jump, Erica McLain qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team by placing third at the trials Sunday in Eugene, Ore. McLain posted a mark of 45-9 3_4 to finish third and, having already achieved the Olympic A Standard, qualified for the Olympics.

"I had a rough day yesterday, but it's fine," McLain said. "I couldn't be happier making the team, that's what I came in here to do and the mission was accomplished."

The trials continued Monday, highlighted by Ian Dobson ('05) who used a strong final kick to hold on for third place in the 5,000 meters to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team. Dobson overcame a loaded field in the event to make his first Olympic Team. Dobson ran a time of 13:29.76 and will join world champion Bernard Lagat and Matt Tegenkemp on the U.S. 5,000-meter team.



Women's water polo

Stanford will be represented by current standout Jessica Steffens and grads Brenda Villa and Alison Gregorka, USA Water Polo announced Monday. Steffens and Gregorka will make their Olympic debuts, while Villa, the team's captain, will make her third Olympic appearance.



Men's water polo

Four former Stanford standouts will represent the U.S. in Beijing, USA Water Polo announced Monday. Three-time national player of the year and four-time All-American Tony Azevedo will captain the U.S. squad, while Layne Beaubien makes his second Olympic appearance, Peter Hudnut makes his debut as a full-time player after serving as an alternate in 2004, and Peter Varellas also makes his Olympic debut.



Swimming

Stanford's Elaine Breeden captured the first berth for a Cardinal athlete on the U.S. swim team Monday evening, finishing second in the finals of the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 58.21 seconds - just a tenth of a second behind the winner - at the trials in Omaha, Neb.

Breeden, who just completed her sophomore year on the Farm, will be making her first trip to the Olympics. The Lexington, Ky., native is not done at the Olympic Trials, as she will also compete in the 200-meter fly and the 50-meter freestyle.

On Sunday, Stanford junior Julia Smit just missed an Olympic spot with a third-place finish (4:35.73) in the 400 individual medley - the top two swimmers advance to Beijing.