Jan. 21, 2012
Results
BERKELEY -
Second-ranked California punctuated its dual-meet win over No. 24 Arizona State Saturday with an all-senior quartet swimming to victory in the 200-yard freestyle relay at Spieker Aquatics Complex. The Golden Bears won the meet, 169-114, to improve their record to 5-0 (5-0 in the Pac-12). The Sun Devils' record is 5-3 (2-3 Pac-12). Four different senior Bears also claimed individual wins, as Cal captured 11 of the 16 events on Senior Day.
Prior to the meet, Cal honored its eight seniors - Alissa Barker, Ursula Dailey, Colleen Fotsch, Shelley Harper, Molly Hayes, Sara Isakovic, Liv Jensen and Katherine Raatz - who would later compete in the last home dual meet of their careers. The Cal men, who would later defeat their ASU counterparts, 158-128, also honored their eight seniors.
Isakovic, Fotsch, Raatz and Jensen composed the squad that won the 200-free relay, the last event of the day for the women. Cal posted an NCAA B qualifying time of 1:32.16 to beat ASU's top foursome (1:35.60).
Jensen won a total of three events on the day, including the 50- and 100-yard frees. Cal's record holder in the 50 free (21.50), Jensen posted an NCAA B qualifying time of 22.56 in today's sprint and later won the 100 with an NCAA B time of 49.68. Cal swept the top four spots in the 50 free, with sophomore Mikkel-Ane Stipe (23.46), Raatz (23.51) and sophomore Melissa Bates (23.61) finishing 2-3-4.
Isakovic, who ranks fifth in the 200 butterfly (1:53.99) all time at Cal, won the 200 fly today with an NCAA B time of 1:59.72. She led a Cal sweep in the event that included Harper in second place (2:01.53) and freshman Catherine Breed (2:02.08) in third place.
Harper won the 100 fly in a time of 54.95 and senior diver Molly Hayes captured the one-meter springboard with an NCAA regional-qualifying score of 280.50.
"Today is about acknowledging the eight seniors who've done a good job here," Cal head coach Teri McKeever said. "The divers in particular struggled through some transitions. Molly Hayes and Alissa Barker are their seniors, and Molly in my eyes has been the backbone of the divers and has kept them moving forward. For her to get a victory was pretty special.
"Shelley and Liv are our swimming leaders, and not only do they continue to do that outside of the pool, but they continued to lead today. Shelley's win in the 100 fly - that's the first time she's swum that event in a dual meet. It's a special day for them and for (associate head coach) Kristen Cunnane and I. You watch someone grow in a program and - while their careers are not over - now watching their last home dual meet causes one to reflect and appreciate what they've meant to us."
Raatz anchored Cal's first win of the day in the 200-medley relay. The Bears, who included sophomore Cindy Tran, junior Caitlin Leverenz and Fotsch, posted an NCAA B time of 1:40.11.
Tran - the defending NCAA champion in the 100 backstroke - led another 1-2-3 Cal sweep, clocking a time of 54.95 to win the 100 back. Sophomore Stephanie Au placed second (55.22) and sophomore Deborah Roth, who last season finished second behind Tran in the NCAA 100-back final, finished third (56.25).
Au, who won the consolation final in the 200 back at NCAAs last spring, won the 200 back today with a time of 1:59.87. In the 200-yard individual medley, the last individual event before the meet-ending relay, Leverenz finished first with an NCAA B time of 2:00.51.
The Bears compete the rest of the season on the road, starting with Pac-12 dual meets in Los Angeles at USC on Jan. 27 and at UCLA on Jan. 28.
