stanford Men’s Swimming Dominates opening Sessions of PAC Invite
Stanford’s men’s swimming and diving team delivered a powerful performance at the opening of the PAC Invite, securing numerous victories and showcasing depth across multiple events. The Cardinal swimmers consistently topped the podium, highlighted by several first-time collegiate wins and dominant showings in multiple heats.
The team’s success signals a strong start to the 2025-26 season and underscores Stanford’s continued prominence in collegiate swimming. The PAC Invite, a key early-season competition, provides a valuable prospect for athletes to gauge their progress and build momentum.
Freshman Liam Custer kicked off the meet with a decisive win in the 400 free, finishing with a time of 4:28.60 – nearly four seconds ahead of the competition. later, he placed fourth in the 200 IM with a time of 1:51.21. The 200 IM proved to be a cardinal showcase,with Gibson Holmes leading the pack at 1:49.42, followed closely by teammates Daniel Li (1:50.06) and Fan (1:50.12).
Gu continued his winning streak, securing victory in the 100 fly with a time of 47.33, marking his second consecutive win in the event at the season-opening meet. stanford further solidified its dominance by claiming the top four spots,with Tan finishing just half a second behind Gu.
Ray Liu delivered a thrilling come-from-behind victory in the 400 IM, overtaking Gibson Holmes in the final 50 yards to finish with a time of 3:56.44, earning his first collegiate win. Daniel Li also impressed, winning the 100 breaststroke with a time of 53.54, his first win in the event, leading a 1-2-3 sweep for Stanford with Fan (54.25) and Abram Mueller (55.72) following.
Hayden Kwan secured his first win of the season in the 100 backstroke, clocking in at 49.40, contributing to another 1-2-3 finish for the Cardinal. Kwan previously excelled in the 200 backstroke but had not previously won the 100 backstroke.
Complete results from the first two sessions are available HERE.
the Cardinal will not compete on Saturday morning at the PAC invite. Stanford will next compete in a tri-meet against California and Arizona State on October 24 and 25, with the October 24 session hosted at Stanford beginning at 2:00 pm, and the October 25 portion taking place in Berkeley.
