Jan. 23, 2010

Complete Results

BERKELEY - California's Lauren Boyle won the 500- and 1000-yard freestyles in her last home meet and the fifth-ranked Golden Bears defeated second-ranked Arizona, 165-134, on a mostly clear Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Complex. Cal honored Boyle and its other five seniors - Alexandra Ellis, Courtney Eronemo, Blake Hayter, Amanda Larson and Heather White - before a huge dual meet between the last two programs to win the NCAA championship. Cal diving also put on an impressive display, as Bears sophomore Molly Hayes swept both diving events. The result left the Bears undefeated with a 4-0 record (2-0 Pac-10), while Arizona fell to 7-2 (3-2) after its second straight, dual-meet loss.

"This is a special group of women, who have been the backbone of helping us take new strides," Cal head coach Teri McKeever said of her seniors. "We did something last year that we really didn't expect, and it was really a nice bonus. I'm proud of them because it was a group that really stuck together and had strong leadership in the pool and outside of the pool. That's pretty special."

Cal other two-time winner in individual events was Caitlin Leverenz, who hails from Tucson, Ariz., the home of the Wildcats. Leverenz won the 400-yard individual medley and 200 breaststroke.

The day included the Cal and Arizona men's dual meet, which the Wildcats won, 157-141.

"It was awesome," Boyle said. "I couldn't ask for anything better for the last meet here for me. It was really exciting. We're really proud of what we did, and it was so nice to be able to come together as a team, with the guys as well, and have such good swimming today."

The careers of the Cal seniors aren't quite done yet, as they have three regular-season meets, the Pac-10 Championships and NCAA Championships left on the schedule.

"I'm trying not to think about it since we do have so much of the season left," Ellis said. "But I got a little teary eyed when they were announcing the seniors and in finishing my last race, knowing that I'm never going to swim a 200 breaststroke at Spieker again. It's weird. I was talking to Caitlin. It's her first season, and I said, `I remember when I was here as a freshman.' I can't believe this has come so quickly."

Arizona took the lead early, taking first and third in the opening event: the 200-medley relay. The Cal A squad of sophomore Colleen Fotsch, Leverenz, junior Amanda Sims and sophomore Liv Jensen was second in a time of 1:41.59. Arizona's B relay won in 1:40.69, and the Arizona A squad was third in 1:42.66. All three times were NCAA B consideration times. The all-senior Cal B foursome of White, Ellis, Eronemo and Larson placed fourth in 1:44.71.

The Bears struck back by winning the next two races, with Boyle claiming the 1000 freestyle in Cal's season-best time of 9:47.92 and sophomore Sara Isakovic capturing the 200 free in an NCAA B qualifying time of 1:46.31. Boyle, who had little time to rest after the 1000, took third in the 200 with an NCAA B time of 1:48.79.

Arizona won the next three races, including the 100 backstroke, in which the Wildcats claimed the top four spots, and the 100 breaststroke. In the latter event, Annie Chandler edged second-place Leverenz, 1:01.38-1:01.79; both were NCAA B times. Alyssa Anderson, who was the runner-up to Boyle in both the 500 and 1000 frees, won the 200 butterfly in an NCAA B time of 1:57.76. Isakovic (1:58.29) and Sims (1:59.69) placed second and third, respectively, with NCAA B cuts.

Bears filled three of the top four spots in the next event, the 50 free, with Jensen winning in Cal's season-best time of 22.77 (NCAA B), junior Hannah Wilson taking second in 23.12 and junior Erica Dagg finishing third in 23.18.

Hayes won the one-meter springboard with a score of 258.63 and the three-meter springboard with a score of 259.88. Freshman teammate Kelsey Heiken was second at three meters (259.50) and fourth at one meter (234.83).

"Molly really stepped up today," Cal diving coach Ben Herdt said. "I was really impressed with her in that she competed the way she trains. That's a big thing in diving. It's one thing to be able to practice and one thing to do it with one shot to make it count. She had a breakthrough today in learning to compete.

"The other girls, Kelsey and the Arizona girls, made mistakes that cost them wins, and Molly stayed mistake free. Kelsey had an outstanding day yesterday against Arizona State. Molly stepped up and got it done today."

Heading into the final event of the day, the 200-free relay, Cal had won six of the last seven swimming events, including Jensen in the 50 free, Wilson in the 100 free with a Cal season-best 49.53 (NCAA B), Leverenz in the 200 breaststroke in a Cal season-best 2:12. 24 (NCAA B), Boyle in the 500 free in 4:46.51 (NCAA B), Sims in the 100 fly in 54.00 (NCAA B) and Leverenz in the 400-individual medley in 4:11.37 (NCAA B). Leverenz's time in the 400 IM set Cal dual-meet and Spieker Aquatics Complex records.

The Bears had already collected enough points to win the meet before the final relay, which they also won. The triumphant Cal A quartet of Wilson, Dagg, Fotsch and Jensen posted an NCAA B time of 1:31.91, which was just .42 seconds behind the Cal dual-meet and Spieker record time of 1:31.49 set last season.

"I'm really proud of our diving," McKeever added. "To win a meet against a top-five school and have diving do that is great. That's something we've been working for. I think Ben, Molly, Kelsey, Rachel [Becker], Alyssa [Barker] and Laura [Sanford] have really done a good job through a transition time, and I really want to acknowledge what they're doing on that piece of the program. I think that piece is moving to the level where we'd like it to be. It's a good step."

Cal returns to action when it takes on the Los Angeles schools on the road this week. The Bears face ninth-ranked USC at 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29 and meet UCLA at noon on Saturday, Jan. 30.

Cal Results vs. Arizona
Jan. 23 in Berkeley

200-Yard Medley Relay

2. Cal A (Colleen Fotsch, Caitlin Leverenz, Amanda Sims, Liv Jensen) 1:41.59*. 4. Cal B (Heather White, Alexandra Ellis, Courtney Eronemo, Amanda Larson) 1:44.71. 5. Cal C (Samantha Pearson, Ellie Monobe, Ursula Dailey, Sara Sun) 1:49.03.

1000-Yard Freestyle
1. Lauren Boyle 9:47.92. 5. Blake Hayter 10:04.66. 6. Shelley Harper 10:08.65. 7. Sara Sun 10:14.94.

200-Yard Freestyle
1. Sara Isakovic 1:46.31*. 3. Lauren Boyle 1:48.79*. 6. Heather White 1:51.34.

100-Yard Backstroke
5. Colleen Fotsch 57.09. 6. Samantha Pearson 58.45.

100-Yard Breaststroke
2. Caitlin Leverenz 1:01.79*. 4. Alexandra Ellis 1:03.98. 6. Shelley Harper 1:05.29. 7. Ellie Monobe 1:06.66.

200-Yard Butterfly
2. Sara Isakovic 1:58.29*. 3. Amanda Sims 1:59.69*. 5. Katie Kastes 2:01.77. 7. Courtney Eronemo 2:04.66.

50-Yard Freestyle
1. Liv Jensen 22.77*. 2. Hannah Wilson 23.12. 4. Erica Dagg 23.18. 7. Amanda Larson 23.61.

One-Meter Springboard
1. Molly Hayes 258.63. 4. Kelsey Heiken 234.83. 5. Rachel Becker 231.53.

100-Yard Freestyle
1. Hannah Wilson 49.53*. 3. Erica Dagg 49.88*. 4. Liv Jensen 50.45. 8. Amanda Larson 51.77.

200-Yard Backstroke
5. Samantha Pearson 2:03.43. 6. Ursula Dailey 2:06.35. 7. Shelley Harper 2:09.64.

200-Yard Breaststroke
1. Caitlin Leverenz 2:12.24*. 3. Alexandra Ellis 2:16.14*. 6. Heather White 2:18.77. 7. Ellie Monobe 2:20.95.

500-Yard Freestyle
1. Lauren Boyle 4:46.51*. 3. Sara Isakovic 4:51.29*. 4. Katie Kastes 4:53.33. 5. Blake Hayter 4:53.97.

100-Yard Butterfly
1. Amanda Sims 54.00*. 3t. Hannah Wilson 54.26*. 6. Ursula Dailey 55.79. 7. Colleen Fotsch 56.09.

Three-Meter Springboard
1. Molly Hayes 259.88. 2. Kelsey Heiken 259.50. 5. Rachel Becker 219.68.

400-Yard Individual Medley
1. Caitlin Leverenz 4:11.37*^+. 4. Heather White 4:20.66. 5. Katie Kastes 4:23.11. 6. Courtney Eronemo 4:27.15.

200-Yard Freestyle Relay
1. Cal A (Hannah Wilson, Erica Dagg, Colleen Fotsch, Liv Jensen) 1:31.91*. 3. Cal B (Amanda Larson, Amanda Sims, Lauren Boyle, Sara Isakovic) 1:34.45. 5. Cal C (Shelley Harper, Alexandra Ellis, Blake Hayter, Sara Sun) 1:36.56.

*NCAA B qualifying time
^Cal dual-meet record
+Spieker Aquatics Complex record