Cal travels to Minneapolis this week for the Minnesota Invitational Wednesday-Saturday where the Golden Bears will be trying to post NCAA qualifying times against an elite field of national-caliber competition. In addition to Cal, which finished second at the NCAA Championships last March, other teams participating in the meet include Michigan (3rd at 2019 NCAAs), Texas (5th), host Minnesota (11th), Arizona (14th), Harvard and Iowa.

Wednesday's opening night will feature the 200-yard medley relay and 800-yard free relay, beginning at 4 p.m. PT. For the remaining days of competition, prelims will begin at 8 .m. PT with finals at 4 p.m. PT and diving starting at 10 a.m.

Following the four-day invitational, Cal will remain in Minneapolis for a long-course time trial Sunday morning. The Bears then close out the calendar year then they host San Jose State at 9 a.m. at Spieker Aquatics Complex on Dec 21.

7 NEW FACES TO JOIN CAL FOR 2020-21: Cal announced the signing of seven recruits to National Letters of Intent on Nov. 13, a class that features five swimmers and a pair of divers. Heading the group is Isabelle Stadden, a backstroke specialist from Blaine, Minnesota, who is a member of the U.S. National Team and earned a bronze medal in the 200-meter back at the Pan American Games this past summer. Two others swam at the 2019 World Championships - Emily Gantriis (Denmark, 37th in 200m free) and Nicole Oliva (Philippines, 31st in 400m free). Swimmers Mara Allen and Tea Laughlin and divers Francesca Colby and Kayla Haigh round out the group.

BEAR SMARTS: The Bears picked up a pair of academic honors mid-October, extending a string of scholastic honors for the program. First, the NCAA released its latest Graduation Success Rates, and Cal posted a 100% GSR for the fourth year in a row. Then came news that the Bears were the recipient of a second consecutive Newmark Award for having the highest GPA among all 30 Cal teams (3.370).
 
VOLLMER INTO CAL HALL OF FAME: Dana Vollmer, a seven-time Olympic medalist and multi-time world-record setter who competed for the Bears from 2007-09, was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame during ceremonies the weekend of Nov. 8-9. Vollmer captured three individual and five relay titles at the NCAA meet during her career and led the Bears to the 2009 national championship. As a senior, she earned the Honda Sports Award for swimming and was named the CSCAA National Swimmer of the Year and Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year.

LOOKING BACK AT 2019: Cal earned a national runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships last March, as the Bears claimed four event titles and head coach Teri McKeever was named the CSCAA National Coach of the Year. Abbey Weitzeil lowered her American record in the 50-yard free (21.02), and the Bears captured three relay crowns – the 200 and 400 free relays and the 400 medley relay. McKeever was also voted Pac-12 Coach of the Year, while Weitzeil earned Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year honors. In the classroom, Cal was named a CSCAA Scholar All-America team for the 18th consecutive semester.