BERKELEY - On a rainy Senior Day in Berkeley, the No. 7 California women's swimming & diving team showed it's ready to shine in the postseason.

The Golden Bears set four pool records, reshaped the program's all-time top-10 list and reeled off some of the fastest times in the nation this season in a 155.5-144.5 victory over No. 5 Stanford at the final Pac-12 dual meet at Spieker Aquatics Complex.

In beating their rival for the first time in 2021 and closing out the regular season, the Bears exhibited depth and speed that should make them one of the favorites to win the Pac-12 Championship later this month in Federal Way, Washington.

Isabelle Stadden, one of 10 seniors and grad students honored before the meet in a special ceremony, shattered Spieker records in both backstroke events for the second consecutive home dual meet. Her time of 50.26 in the 100-yard backstroke was just three-hundredths of a second off her career-best mark in the event and is the third-fastest in the nation this season. She went 1:49.64 in the 200 back, bettering her top time of the season which is ranked No. 1 in the country. She also beat the pool record she set last month against Arizona State by almost a full second.

Graduate student Mia Motekaitis reeled off a blistering time of 1:42.89 in the 200 free, breaking the pool record previously held by former Stanford superstar Katie Ledecky. It's the sixth-fastest time in the event in the country this season.

Junior Mia Kragh also set a Spieker record for the second consecutive home dual meet in the 100 butterfly, lowering her top mark to 51.20 in the event - which is good for No. 8 nationally this season. It's also the ninth-fastest time ever at Cal.

Fifth-year senior Rachel Klinker, who just arrived back in the Bay Area on Friday afternoon after competing at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, didn't let any jetlag affect her as she reeled off a time of 1:52.33 in the 200 butterfly - good for the fourth-fastest mark in the country this season.

Others who established themselves in the program's all-time top-10 lists Saturday were junior Fanni Fabian in the 1,000 free (9:44.64, No. 5 all-time at Cal), fifth-year senior Hannah Brunzell in the 100 breast (59.50, No. 5), and freshman diver Ariana Drake in the 3-meter event (309.75 points, No. 6).

Junior Stephanie Akakabota also picked up a win for Cal in the 50 free (22.29) and the Bears won the 200 medley relay.

The Bears will now begin preparations for the 2024 Pac-12 Championships on Feb. 28-March 2.


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