FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – California men's swimming and diving took over first place at the 2020 Pac-12 Conference Championships on Friday night, winning five of six events at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.
 
The Bears set a pair of Pac-12 Championship records and added a school record to the mix as they established a commanding lead on the field heading into the week's final session. Cal leads the meet with 576 points, followed by Arizona State (414) and Arizona (387).
 
Cal wasted no time in setting the tone for the night as it posted a 1-2-3-5 finish in the 400-yard individual medley, highlighted by a Pac-12 Championship record of 3:36.60 by Hugo Gonzalez. An impressive 3:41.98 earned freshman Jason Louser a runner-up finish and his first Pac-12 medal. Sean Grieshop took bronze in 3:42.19 while Chris Jhong – who swam a 3:41.41 in the prelims – took fifth in the finals with a 3:43.51.
 
Ryan Hoffer earned Cal's second victory with a lifetime best 44.85 in the 100 fly. He was followed by 2019 Pac-12 100 fly champion Zheng Wen Quah (third, 45.24) and Pawel Sendyk (fourth, 45.48). It was Hoffer's second individual Pac-12 title of the week.
 
The Bears' third consecutive win to open the session came from Trenton Julian, who touched first in the 200 free with a lifetime best 1:33.17.
 
Reece Whitley flexed in the 100 breast, breaking 51 seconds with a school record of 50.85. The sophomore bested the former Cal record of 50.86, set by Damir Dugonjic in 2009. Whitley's 50.85 is the 10th fastest in the event's history and earned him his first Pac-12 individual title this year. Karl Arvidsson claimed fourth with a 52.62.
 
Cal finished off the night by breaking its own former meet record in the 200 medley relay with a 1:22.16, the fastest mark in the NCAA this season. Daniel Carr (20.62), Whitley (23.52), Sendyk (19.75) and Hoffer (18.27) bested the field by 0.59 seconds to cap the successful session.
 
The only event Cal did not claim a victory in on Friday was the 100 back, however, Carr and Bryce Mefford reached the podium with respective finishes of 45.18 and 46.11 for silver and bronze.
 
TEAM STANDINGS

1. Cal – 576
2. Arizona State – 414
3. Arizona – 387
4. Stanford – 385.5
5. Utah – 296
6. USC – 279.5 

UP NEXT
The final day of competition at the Pac-12 Championships will be held on Saturday with prelims at 11 a.m. (PT) and finals at 6:30 p.m. (PT). Events will include the 1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly and 400 free relay. Fans can watch the finals on the Pac-12 Now app or the Pac-12 Network. Live scoring is also available.
 
STAY POSTED
For complete coverage of Cal men's swimming and diving, please follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalMenSwim), Instagram (@CalMenSwim) and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalMensSwimmingandDiving).