MINNEAPOLIS – The penultimate day of the Minnesota Invitational saw the fourth-ranked California men's swimming & diving team extend its points lead at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center on Friday. Gabriel Jett, Dare Rose, and Tyler Kopp took home individual wins, and the Golden Bears wrapped up the day by winning the 400-yard medley relay with an NCAA A-cut time.
 
Rose began the evening session with a stellar performance in the 100 butterfly. He finished with a season-best time of 44.98, improving on his NCAA B-cut time and recording the sixth-fastest time in the event this season. Rose's time is just shy of his All-American time of 44.75 set at the Jean K. Freeman AquaticasCenter last spring during the 2023 NCAA Championships.
 
Kopp dropped five seconds off his top time in the 400 individual medley to finish first. Kopp touched the wall with an NCAA B-cut time of 3:45.74 It is Kopp's top time in the event since he finished with 3:43.75 at the 2023 Pac-12 Championships. Teammate Humberto Najera took sixth with a time of 3:50.17.
 
The Bears' depth was on display in the 200 freestyle. Cal captured the top four places, with a fifth Bear taking seventh. Jett won his second event of the meet, finishing first with an NCAA B-cut time ime of 1:32.17,, which is the sixth-fastest time in the country this year. Robin Hanson, Keaton Jones, and Jack Alexy finished two through four, as Hanson finished with a time of 1:33.30, followed by Jones with a time of 1:33.43, and Alexy with a time of 1:33.93. Trent Frandson finished seventh with a time of 1:35.88.
 
The A-final of the 100 breaststroke saw the Bears capture three of the top five spots. Matthew Jensen took second with an NCAA B-cut time of 52.79, , improving on his prelim time of 53.06. Jacob Soderlund finished third with a time of 53.29, and Hank Rivers took fifth with a time of 53.58.
 
Kai Crews took third in the 100 backstroke with Ziyad Saleem finishing just behind him in fifth. Crews clocked in with an NCAA B-cut time of 46.84,. Saleem finished with a time of 47.04. Bjorn Seeliger won the B-final with a time of 46.06, which would have been good enough to capture second in the A-final.

In the final swimming event of the evening, Cal finished first and third in the 400 medley relay. Cal's A lineup of Destin Lasco, Jensen, Rose, and Seeliger finished with an NCAA A-cut time of 3:02.82, the fourth fastest time in the country this season.

In the 1-meter diving competition, freshman Geoffrey Vavitsas finished fifth with a score of 305.10. Conrad Eck took seventh with a score of 285.50.

After three days, the Bears have opened up a massive lead in the team standings with 1,521 points. Arizona is in second with 1080.5 points.

The Minnesota Invitational wraps up Saturday starting with the the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly.
 
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