Pac-12 Women's Swimming & Diving Championships
Date: Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 22-25
Time: Prelims: 10:30 am; Finals: 6:00 pm
Location: Federal Way, Wash.
Site: Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center
TV: Pac-12 Network (Saturday night only)
Streaming: Pac-12.com

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.

California, ranked third in the final regular-season poll, enters the meet leading the conference in eight events - five individual and three relays. Senior Farida Osman is the two-time defending champion in the 50-yard free, while she also claimed the 100-yard butterfly last February. In addition, sophomore Amy Bilquist owns a Pac-12 title from her victory in the 200-yard backstroke in 2016. The Golden Bears have won four team crowns in their history, most recently in 2014 and 2015.

• PAC-12 LEADERS
Cal swimmers enter this week's meet leading the Pac-12 in five individual events and three relays. Those coming in as the top seed are: Abbey Weitzeil in the 50 free (21.64) and 100 free (47.22), Amy Bilquist in the 100 back (50.85), Kathleen Baker in the 200 back (1:49.83) and Noemie Thomas in the 100 fly (50.67). As for relays, the Bears are No. 1 in the 200 free relay (1:26.31), 400 free relay (3:11.82) and 400 medley relay (3:28.33).

• 19 SWIMS AMONG NCAA TOP 16
Coming into the Pac-12 Championships, Cal has 14 individual swims plus all five relays among the top 16 nationally. The Bears have two each in six different events - 50 free (Abbey Weitzeil 4th; Farida Osman 14th); 100 free (Weitzeil 3rd; Osman 12th), 100 back (Amy Bilquist 4th, Kathleen Baker 9th), 200 back (Baker 2nd; Bilquist 3rd), 100 fly (Noemie Thomas 2nd; Osman 9th) and 200 fly (Thomas 8th, Katie McLaughlin 11th). Others to crack the top 16 are Baker in the 200 IM (4th) and Marina Garcia in the 200 breast (15th).

• PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
Cal sports seven swimmers who have tasted victory in individual or relay events at past Pac-12 Championships. The most decorated is senior Farida Osman, who has claimed the 50 free the past two years, won the 100 fly in 2016 and has been a part of three triumphant relays.

2016
Amy Bilquist – 200 back (1:49.90)
Farida Osman – 50 free (21.32 - Cal record), 100 fly (50.53)
200 Free Relay – Farida Osman, Kristen Vredeveld, Rachel Bootsma, Amy Bilquist (1:26.77)

2015
Celina Li – 400 IM (4:06.09)
Farida Osman – 50 free (21.65)
Noemie Thomas – 200 fly (1:54.10)
200 Free Relay – Kaylin Bing, Missy Franklin, Rachel Bootsma, Farida Osman (1:27.18)
200 Medley Relay – Rachel Bootsma, Marina Garcia, Noemie Thomas, Farida Osman (1:35.25)

2014
400 Medley Relay – Cindy Tran, Celina Li, Rachel Bootsma, Missy Franklin (3:29.23)

For relays, returning swimmers in italics

• BEARS SECOND WITH 15 'A' SWIMS 
Cal ranks second nationally with 15 NCAA "A" qualifying swims - 10 individual and all five relays. The Bears continue to lead the country in the 200 free relay after the quartet of Abbey Weitzeil, Amy Bilquist, Valerie Hull and Farida Osman swam a school-record 1:26.31 at the Georgia Fall Invitational Dec. 2. Cal is the two-time defending NCAA champion in the event. 

• BAKER PAC-12 SWIMMER OF THE MONTH
Sophomore Kathleen Baker was named the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Month for January. She won both the 200 back and 200 IM in Cal's victory over USC Jan. 27 and also captured the 100 and 200 back events in a win at Arizona State Jan. 21. This is Baker's second career nod and Cal's 14th all-time.

• LaMAY PAC-12 DIVER OF THE MONTH
Sophomore Phoebe LaMay was named the Pac-12 Diver of the Month for November. LaMay won the 1-meter board competition in Cal's dual meet against Texas Nov. 11 with a school-record score of 314.18 (since broken). At the Texas Diving Invitational two weeks later, she totaled 335.80 on 3-meter for another Cal record. LaMay is Cal's third Pac-12 Diver of the Month, and first since Anne Kastler earned the honor in January 2014.

• BEARS EARN NEWMARK GPA AWARD
In October, the Bears learned they had won the Newmark Award for having the highest GPA among all 30 of Cal's intercollegiate athletic teams for the 2015-16 academic year. When combined for the 24 women on the squad, the figure came to an impressive 3.376. The Bears have also been named a CSCAA Scholar All-America team for their academic performance during the fall 2016 semester.

• 8 IN A ROW AMONG NCAA TOP 3
Cal has finished among the top three at the NCAA Championships eight 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 third in 2010, 2014 and 2016.

• RIO RECAP: 8 MEDALS AT THE OLYMPICS
A total of 10 current and former Bears qualified for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and together they came home with an impressive eight medals. Sophomore Kathleen Baker grabbed a silver medal in the 100m back and a gold medal on the 400m medley relay, while freshman Abbey Weitzeil claimed silver on the 400m free relay and gold for her role on the medley relay. Two other current Bears - senior Farida Osman (Egypt, 50 free, 100 fly) and junior Noemie Thomas (Canada, 100 fly, 400 medley relay) - also donned their country's colors in Rio. Alum Dana Vollmer earned gold in the medley relay, silver in the 400 free relay and bronze in the 100 fly, while Missy Franklin took home gold in the 800 free relay.