The No. 4 Trojans (9-0, 6-0 Pac-12) wrapped up their showing at the Pac-12 Championship with drama to the final race of the meet. With conference realignment in effect next year, this will be the last time seeing many of these competing schools all together.

USC left Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center with a second-place finish that it should be proud of. But the skies weren’t always clear through the week.

Daily headlines, sent straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest at and around USC.

The team was forced to deal with adversity early during the meet’s first day. USC — the top-seeded relay team entering the conference championship meet — was disqualified from the 800-yard freestyle relay and suffered from losing huge points to its scoreline. But it was able to start its recovery when it finished second in the 200-yard medley relay by way of seniors Caroline Famous, Anicka Delgado, Kaitlyn Dobler and graduate Vasilissa Buinaia.

Following day one, the Trojans were last on the standings and faced a mountain to climb back up.

From a shaky first day, the Trojans went full speed ahead to play catch up. USC came up big, taking home victories in the 50-yard free and 200-yard free relay. Delgado claimed the title in the 50-yard free and Famous finished fourth. And the two didn’t finish there, as they joined Dobler and freshman prodigy Minna Abraham to claim the 200-yard free relay — the first title in USC program history.

Dobler effortlessly clinched the 100-yard breaststroke title, extending her streak to four consecutive Pac-12 victories in the event. She became the first in USC history and the second in conference history to accomplish such a feat. As the day ended, Famous narrowly secured second place in the 100-yard backstroke, closely trailing Berkeley standout senior Isabelle Stadden. Meanwhile, Abraham claimed her first conference title with a win in the 200-yard free, foreshadowing more to come as the meet progressed to the final day.

No. 7 UC Berkeley (7-1, 5-1) continued to dominate the race for the Pac-12 Championship, showcasing its depth by consistently placing swimmers in the top eight and winning in the consolation bracket. With an impressive 114.5-point lead over their closest competitor, the Golden Bears remained firmly in control of the competition.

However, the battle for second place intensified as No. 5 Stanford (6-2, 4-2) and USC remained locked in a tight contest, with only a 25.5-point gap between them. The final day of competition between these conference rivals was nothing short of dramatic.

The Trojans needed immense results to cut into the Stanford lead, and that’s exactly what the resilient squad provided for Head Coach Lea Maurer.

In the 100-yard free, Abraham secured her second conference title, supported by a strong performance from her teammates. Buinaia touched the wall in second place, Delgado finished fifth and sophomore Claire Tuggle claimed seventh. This outcome completely shifted the dynamics of the meet, as the Cardinal’s 25.5-point lead vanished, leaving them tied for second place heading into the final event, the 400-yard free relay.

The Cardinal maintained its lead throughout all legs of the relay. USC’s anchor, the Hungarian native Abraham, entered the water trailing Stanford junior Amy Tang by more than half a second. Known for her signature clutch style, Abraham once again proved that no lead is safe against her. She relentlessly chased down Tang until the final lap and out-touched her by just two-hundredths of a second, snatching second place from Stanford to finish.

The Trojans wouldn’t have been able to compete for second place without support from the dive side. Dive added 81 points to USC’s scoreline from the A bracket alone. Graduate diver Nike Agunbiade defended her title on the 10-meter platform dive, and freshman diver Lily Castanon placed third. Castanon’s podium finish as a freshman highlights the promising talent emerging within USC’s diving program.

Throughout the week, women’s swim and dive demonstrated its unity and determination, facing adversity head-on and rallying together until the very end. Their collective effort solidified their position as a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming NCAA championship meet.