The Stanford women’s swimming and diving team has a long tradition of producing some of the best swimmers in the country. The list includes Olympic medalists Jenny Thompson ‘95, Summer Sanders ‘94, Tara Kirk ‘04 and current head swim coach Lea Loveless Maurer ‘94.

In her last year of NCAA competition, senior Brooke Bishop is poised to join the exclusive list as one of Stanford swimming’s all-time greats.

The versatile Bishop is a top-five all-time for the Cardinal in four different events: the 50 and 100-yard freestyles, and the 100 and 200 backstrokes. She has led the team since her freshman year, when she won the 50 free at the Pac-10 Championships and led three Stanford relay teams to the finals at the NCAA Championships. In fact, Bishop was a US Senior National champion in the 50-meter freestyle before even beginning her Stanford career.

But Bishop’s accomplishments don’t stop there. She has steadily improved each season, going on to break Avery Aquatic Center pool records, final individually at the NCAA Championships and be named the Stanford/Met-Rx Student Athlete of the Week three times. In her Stanford career, she is a 12-time All-American and 4-time Pac-10 champion and is currently in her second consecutive year as team captain.

According to Bishop, her proudest moment as a swimmer occurred this past summer, when she represented both Stanford and Team USA at the World University Games. Although the meet was her first international team experience, Bishop did not falter in the face of pressure. In fact, she finished 5th in the 50-meter freestyle, 4th in the 100-meter backstroke and 2nd in the 400-meter medley relay along with Stanford team member sophomore Elaine Breeden.

Maurer emphasized the indispensable role Bishop has played in the swim team’s success over the past three seasons.

“Brooke has been a big part of our team,” Maurer said. “Swimming-wise, she’s our relay person, our sprint person, our weight-lifting person. She believes in what we’re doing. She’s a strong presence in the individual events, and she dramatically improves our relays.”

Born and raised in nearby Los Altos, Bishop was always familiar with Stanford’s swimming and diving tradition. However, it wasn’t until her recruiting trip during her senior year of high school that she knew Stanford was the place for her.

“I chose to come to Stanford because of the team atmosphere,” said Bishop. “I really fit in with the team my senior year in high school, and I think it’s actually gotten better every single year since then. Everyone on the team is really happy and supportive of everyone else, focusing on how they can help each other succeed.”

Although she may have accumulated a lengthy list of successes in the pool, meeting her fellow students has been one of Bishop’s favorite things about Stanford.

“I have met so many amazing people here,” she said. “In my freshman dorm, not only were there amazing athletes, but there were people who had been professional ballerinas and one guy who had written and published two children’s books. So it has been a really good experience to be around people like that. I don’t think I would be able to get that experience at many other colleges.”

Swimming for Stanford is a full-time job in itself, but Bishop epitomizes the Stanford student athlete, working hard to succeed in the classroom as well.

“Being a student athlete at Stanford takes a lot of time management and focus, so a lot of times during the week it’s a lot of school work,” said Bishop, a product design major in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “But product design has been really fun. I’ve designed a whole bunch of different products.”

As for after graduation?

“I’m really into the sporting equipment thing, so maybe I’ll do that when I graduate,” Bishop remarked.

According to Maurer, Bishop is a natural-born leader and role model for the rest of the team.

“We have a young group, so it’s really nice to have her here,” said Maurer. “In terms of leadership, she’s got a really even disposition but a fierce competitive fire underneath. And that’s a good balance for our group. She’s able to keep us calm but hungry, and have a good sense of humor along the way. We wish that we could have Brooke for another year.”

Even as a Stanford swimming veteran, Bishop still appreciates being a Stanford swimmer.

“I always feel really proud that I go to Stanford when people in the airport ask where we’re from,” she said. “That’s a really special feeling.”