AUSTIN, Texas – California closed out the 2019 NCAA Championships in record fashion, as the Golden Bears smashed the NCAA mark in the 400-yard free relay en route to a runner-up national team finish.
 
The result was even more significant because anchor Abbey Weitzeil was swimming with an injured arm after finishing awkwardly at the end of the 200 medley relay Friday night. The foursome of Isabel Ivey, Katie McLaughlin, Amy Bilquist and Weitzeil finished in 3:06.96.
 
With its second-place showing, Cal has now placed among the top 3 at the NCAA Championships 11 years in a row to extend the longest current streak in the country. The Bears won national titles in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015 and have been the runner-up the past three seasons.
 
The Bears finished with 419 points, the fifth time they have surpassed 400 and their highest total since amassing 513 points during the 2015 championship season. Stanford won the meet with 456.5 points, while Michigan was third with 314.
 
Cal head coach Teri McKeever was honored after the meet as the CSCAA Coach of the Year.
 
Despite having her right arm tightly wrapped, Weitzeil started her Saturday night by swimming a sub-47-second 100 free, finishing fourth in 46.97. Bilquist placed sixth in 47.42, while sophomore Robin Neumann was 14th in 48.24.
 
For the second time in as many days, McLaughlin broke a 17-year-old Natalie Coughlin school record. This time, she went 1:51.09 in the 200 fly, which was good for fourth place and ahead of Coughlin's mark of 1:51.91 from 2002. On Friday, McLaughlin established a new Cal record in the 100 fly, when she touched the wall in 49.97. Freshman Cassidy Bayer added to the Bears' point total in the 200 fly, taking 15th in 1:55.77.
 
Keaton Blovad started the night off for the Bears by scoring in her second event of the meet, taking 14th in the 200 backstroke in 1:52.99. On Friday night, Blovad won the B final in the 100 back.
 
In the 400 free relay, Cal trailed Michigan by half a second when Weitzeil entered the water on her final leg. The Bears, though, were up by half a second after Weitzeil's first 50 yards and extended their lead at the end.
 
Overall, three Golden Bears reached three individual A finals during the championships. Weitzeil won the 50 free and took fourth in the 100 and 200 free events; Bilquist was the national runner-up in the 100 back and sixth in the 50 and 100 free; and McLaughlin was third in the 100 fly, seventh in the 200 free and fourth in the 200 fly.
 
Cal claimed four event titles, with three on Thursday night – the 200 free relay, the 400 medley relay and Weitzeil's 50 free – plus the 400 free relay. The Bears also set eight school records – 50 free, 100 breast, 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 800 free relay and 400 medley relay.