KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Cal women's swimming & diving team had an eye-opening performance on the first night of the 2023 NCAA Championships on Wednesday, finishing both relays substantially above its seeding and finishing the opening session in third place in the team standings at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center.

The Bears' 800-yard freestyle relay team of Mia Motekaitis, Ayla Spitz, Rachel Klinker and Leah Polonsky shredded Cal's previous season-best time by over a second-and-a-half, finishing in fourth place with a mark of 6:57.08. Cal entered the event as the No. 8 seed and was hot on third-place Texas' tail until the few final strokes.

The Bears were the No. 9 seed in the 200 medley relay and the team of Isabelle Stadden, Jade Neser, Mia Kragh and Emma Davidson won their heat, and then watched their season-best time of 1:34.75 hold up over higher seeds North Carolina and Alabama to place sixth.

Heading into Thursday's first day of individual events, Cal is in third place with 56 points behind Virginia and Texas.

"I'm really proud of how they raced in both relays tonight," Cal acting director of swimming & diving Dave Durden said. "To swim at your fastest at this meet is a challenge, and I believe we have prepared this group for that challenge. They certainly met it tonight in both of those relays."

Cal's time in the 200 medley relay is the seventh-best all-time at Cal. The Bears won the Pac-12 championship in the event last month.

The 2023 NCAA Championships resume Thursday with the first full day of action. Morning prelims feature the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley and 50 freestyle with the finals taking place in the evening, along with the 200 free relay.
 

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