California vs. Arizona State
Friday, Jan. 19 | 2 p.m. | Spieker Aquatics Complex | Berkeley
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California vs. Arizona
Saturday, Jan. 20 | 12 noon | Spieker Aquatics Complex | Berkeley
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The calendar may still show mid-January, but it's already time to salute Cal's senior class with the final home meets of the 2017-18 season. The Golden Bears host Arizona State at 2 p.m. Friday followed by a noon matchup with Arizona Saturday. Both dual meets, held at Spieker Aquatics Complex, will include men's and women's teams from each school.

For Cal, Saturday's competition marks the final Berkeley appearance for seniors Valerie Hull, Jasmine Mau, Maija Roses and Noemie Thomas. Each has earned CSCAA All-American Scholar recognition during their careers. Hull (in 2016) and Thomas (in 2015 and '17) have also claimed NCAA relay championships as Cal has finished among the top three teams at the national meet in all of their years in Berkeley.

• BEARS LEAD THE COUNTRY IN FIVE EVENTS
At the turn of the New Year, Cal swimmers led the country in five different events - Abbey Weitzeil in the 50 free (21.44), Kathleen Baker in the 100 back (50.62) and 200 IM (1:53.24), the 200 free relay (1:27.10) and the 400 free relay (3:10.95). In fact, all five of Cal's relays have earned NCAA "A" qualifying status, while Weitzeil (100 free, 46.95), Baker (200 back, 1:50.62), Amy Bilquist (200 back, 1:50.48) and Noemie Thomas (100 fly, 50.77) have additional "A" swims this season.

• NCAA BEST TIMES LIST SHOWS 20 CAL SWIMS AMONG TOP 16
Entering this week, the Bears sport 20 swims that rank among the NCAA's top 16. Outside of the five best-in-the-nation mentioned above, the others are: Weitzeil (100 back, 2nd; 200 free, 11th), Bilquist (50 free, 8th; 100 free, 13th; 100 back, 9th; 200 back, 2nd), Baker (200 back, 3rd), Thomas (100 fly, 3rd; 200 fly, 6th), Katie McLaughlin (100 fly, 8th), Maddie Murphy (100 fly, 16th) and Sarah Darcel (400 IM, 10th). Cal's 800 free relay is fourth, with the 200 medley relay second and the 400 medley relay fourth.

• BEARS MAKING A DENT ON SCHOOL'S ALL-TIME TOP 10 LIST
Based on results so far this season, five individuals and three relays have made an impact on Cal's all-time top 10 list. Abbey Weitzeil's 46.95 rates second in the 100 free and stands as the fastest by a Bear in a 100 free race (Missy Franklin's 46.66 school record came leading off a relay). All of the other spots belong to freshmen. Ali Harrison is now seventh in the 100 breast (1:00.54) and fifth in the 200 breast (2:10.92), while Sarah Darcel is ninth in the 200 IM (1:56.59) and fourth in the 400 IM (4:06.58). In diving, Briana Thai comes in third on 1-meter (289.75), fifth on 3-meter (312.50) and third on platform (256.60), with Kathleen Navas seventh on platform (239.60). Cal's relays in the top 10 are the 200 free relay (8th, 1:27.10), 400 free relay (5th, 3:10.95) and 200 medley relay (4th, 1:35.04).

• GOLDEN BEAR NOTES
Cal is the only school in the country with five relays that currently rank among the top five in the nation ... at the World Championships in Budapest over the summer, Kathleen Baker (USA) won three medals - silver in the 100m back, bronze in the 200m back and gold on the world-record-setting 400m medley relay - while graduate Farida Osman (Egypt) earned bronze in the 50m fly and Robin Neumann competed for the Netherlands ... Katie McLaughlin (USA) claimed three relay medals and Sarah Darcel (Canada) finaled in both the 200m IM and 400m IM at the 2017 World University Games ... Maija Roses (USA) captured gold medals in the 100m and 200m breast and on the 400m medley relay at the Maccabiah Games in Israel.