Bears Head To Pac-12 Championships
Pac-12 Conference

WSWIM2/20/2018 4:40 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Bears Head To Pac-12 Championships

Pac-12 Championships
Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 21-24 | Prelims: 10:30 a.m. / Finals: 6 p.m.
Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center | Federal Way, Wash.
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The championship season gets underway this week with the Pac-12 Championships set for Wednesday through Saturday in Federal Way, Washington. Prelims begin at 10:30 a.m. with finals starting at 6 p.m. each day, except for Wednesday when only finals will be contested.

All sessions through Saturday afternoon will be streamed live on Pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app. In addition, Saturday night's finals will air live on Pac-12 Networks with Rich Burk, Amy Van Dyken and Cynthia Potter calling the action. In addition to women's swimming & diving, conference titles will also be on the line in men's diving.

Cal, ranked second in the final CSCAA regular-season poll, enters the meet leading the conference in nine events - five individual and four relays. Sophomore Abbey Weitzeil tops the charts in both the 50 free (21.44) and 100 free (46.95), while Kathleen Baker is first in the 100 back (50.62) and 200 IM (1:53.24) and Amy Bilquist leads the pack in the 200 back (1:50.58). The Golden Bears also have the conference's fastest times in the 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 800 free relay and 200 medley relay.

• 18 SWIMS AMONG NCAA'S TOP 16
Cal enters this week's meet with 18 swims - 13 individual and five relays - that rank among the top 16 in the country. Amy Bilquist leads the squad with appearances in four events. • EYES ON THE NCAA PRIZE
The Bears earned only one Pac-12 event title last February - Kathleen Baker in the 200 back - but they came back three weeks later to win six NCAA crowns, including three by Baker (100 and 200 back, 200 IM), who was named the CSCAA Swimmer of the Year. In addition, since-graduated Farida Osman finished first in the 100 fly, and Cal won the 200 free relay and 200 medley relay. 

• CSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
With an impressive 3.51 GPA for the fall 2017 semester, Cal has been named a Scholar All-American team by the CSCAA. In fact, the Bears have been honored 16 semesters in a row - every time the award has been offered by the coaches' association.

• WEITZEIL HONORED BY PAC-12 TWICE THIS SEASON
Sophomore Abbey Weitzeil has been posting top times all season and the Pac-12 has recognized her twice for her efforts. First, she was tabbed the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Month for December after attaining NCAA "A" qualifying standards with victories in both the 50 and 100 free at the Georgia Invitational. She then claimed Pac-12 Swimmer of the Week honors Feb. 14 for her results at Stanford - a pool and Cal dual-meet record in the 50 free and a pool and Cal dual-meet record in the 200 free relay.

• Briana Thai EARNS PAC-12 DIVER OF THE WEEK RECOGNITION
Freshman Briana Thai has made a big impact on the boards for the Bears this season, moving into Cal's all-time top 10 with her scores on 1-meter, 3-meter and platform. The Pac-12 named her its Diver of the Week Jan. 31 after she won three of four competitions in meets at USC and UCLA, helping Cal to its first sweep in Los Angeles since 2012.

• CAL CELEBRATES 25 YEARS WITH McKEEVER
Following Cal's dual meet against North Carolina State Nov. 4, more than 200 people, including dozens of alumnae and their families, remained at Legends Aquatic Center for a special ceremony celebrating Teri McKeever's 25 years as the Bears' head coach. Chancellor Carol Christ and Director of Athletics Mike Williams were among the speakers, along with current swimmers, a former assistant coach and a pair of alums. Before the crowd heard from McKeever, Michael Go announced the formation of the Teri McKeever Swimming Scholarship, which will be awarded to a deserving student-athlete beginning next year. McKeever, now in her 26th season at the helm, has guided Cal to four NCAA team titles and served as head U.S. Olympic coach at the 2012 Games in London.

• SUPER SUMMER FOR Kathleen Baker
Cal junior Kathleen Baker shined on the international stage once again during the FINA World Championships in Budapest over the summer. One year after winning two medals at the 2016 Olympics, Baker added three more medals to her collection with silver in the 100-meter back, bronze in the 200-meter back and gold on the world-record-setting 400-meter medley relay. In addition, she placed fifth in the 50-meter back final after setting an American record in the event during the semifinals.

• SUMMER SWIMS AROUND THE GLOBE
A number of Golden Bears kept busy over the summer representing their respective national teams in competition. Kathleen Baker's results are noted above, but she wasn't the only Cal swimmer at the World Championships. Robin Neumann (Netherlands) was also in Budapest, while recent Cal grad Farida Osman (Egypt) claimed a bronze medal in the 50m fly. At the World University Games in Taipei, Katie McLaughlin (USA) earned three relay medals and reached the finals in the 50m and 100m fly, and Sarah Darcel (Canada) finaled in both the 200m IM and 400m IM. Finally, senior Maija Roses (USA) claimed gold medals in the 100m and 200m breast and on the 4x100m medley relay at the Maccabiah Games in Israel.

• BEARS HELP PAC-12 DEFEAT TEAM USA
With five Bears on the roster, the Pac-12 defeated the U.S. National team at the USA College Challenge Oct. 21-22, 326.5-286.5. Kathleen Baker captured two outright titles - the 100-yard back (50.62) and the 200-yard back (1:50.62) - and tied for first in the 200-yard IM (1:53.24), with all three times ranking as the fastest in the nation at the time. Abbey Weitzeil won the 50 free in 21.63, in addition to anchoring two relays to victory. Katie McLaughlin, Maddie Murphy and Robin Neumann also represented Cal at the meet. 

• BEARS SWIM FAST AT GEORGIA INVITE
The Bears came home with 10 event victories and eight swims under the NCAA "A" qualifying standard at the Georgia Fall Invitational in early December. Abbey Weitzeil posted the top time in the country at the time in winning the 50 free in 21.44, while her first-place time of 46.95 in the 100 free ranks No. 2 in Cal history and the fastest ever in a 100 free race (Missy Franklin's 46.66 came leading off a relay in 2015). Other individuals to reach the top of the podium were freshman Sarah Darcel in the 400 IM (4:06.58), senior Noemie Thomas in both the 100 fly (50.77) and 200 fly (1:54.12), and junior Amy Bilquist in the 200 back (1:50.48). In addition, four Golden Bear relays touched the wall in first - 200 free relay (1:27.10), 400 medley relay (3:30.45), 200 medley relay (1:35.04) and 400 free relay (3:10.95).

• 9 IN A ROW AMONG NCAA TOP 3
Cal has finished among the top three at the NCAA Championships nine years in a row - the longest current streak in the country. Included in the run are four national titles, coming in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015. The Bears were also second in 2013 and 2017, and third in 2010, 2014 and 2016.

 
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