LONG ISLAND, N.Y. - Stanford's 400 medley relay team set new U.S. Open and NCAA records to highlight the Cardinal's first day at the 2001 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships at the Nassau Aquatic Center. Stanford's relay team of Shelly Ripple, Tara Kirk, Misty Hyman and Siobhan Cropper clocked in at 3:32.43, breaking the old records of 3:33.61, both set by Stanford in 1998. Stanford's other winner was junior Jessica Foschi (Old Brookville, NY), who captured her first NCAA championship in front of a hometown crowd by swimming a career-best time of 4:37.81 in the 500 freestyle.

The Cardinal sits in fourth place with 96.5 points after the first day of the event.

"I'm very pleased with our performance on the first day," said head coach Richard Quick following the meet.

"I feel like we had a really good showing on the first day," added Hyman, a 2000 Olympic gold medallist in the 200 butterfly. "We had very few events to swim today, but the events we swam we did as well as we could. This sets us up well for a big day tomorrow, and we're just going to build for this whole meet. Personally, I couldn't have been happier with my performance in the relay."

Foschi clocked in with a career-best time of 4:37.81. The time was the second fastest in Stanford history and also ranks fourth all-time on the NCAA list and seventh all-time in the event.

"I was really nervous," admitted Foschi, who finished second in the 400 meter freestyle at the 2000 NCAA Championships. "I really think the reason I won was because it was here (on Long Island), and all my family and friends were here. I couldn't have asked for a better place to win an NCAA Championship."

"Jessica's performance was so special today," added Quick. "I'm really proud of her. I dreamed all year long that she could win here in New York."

Ripple also had an excellent individual performance for Stanford, placing second in the 200 individual medley with a career-best time of 1:56.24. She was edged by Auburn's Maggie Brown, who finished with a time of 1:55.49 to set new NCAA, American and U.S. Open records.

"Maggie and I have been competing against each other since we were 10-years-old," Ripple laughed. "She's a good friend of mine, and I like racing against her."

Stanford divers also scored in the one-meter diving event for the Cardinal with McKenze Murphy taking fifth place (277.15 points) and Erin Sones finishing in an 11th-place tie (265.20 points).