University of California Athletics

Marylyn Chiang (left) and Kristin Imwalle

Bears are coming off wins over the Arizona schools.

Jan. 27, 1998

THIS WEEK: Fri. Jan. 30 - vs. USC, McDonald's Swim Stadium, Los Angeles, CA - 1 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 31 - vs. UCLA, Men's Gym Pool, Los Angeles, CA - 12 p.m.

LAST WEEK: The No. 8 ranked California women's swim team (11-0) defeated both No. 21 Arizona State and No. 5 Arizona this past weekend at the Koret Recreation Center on the University of San Francisco campus. The Golden Bear women remained undefeated on the season by dominating the Sun Devils, 192-109 Friday, while upsetting No. 5 ranked Arizona, 129-114, Saturday.

The Cal women won 12 of the meet's 14 swimming events against Arizona State. Among those performing well for the Bears were junior Marylyn Chiang (The Pas, Winnipeg, Canada) and sophomore Elli Overton (Sydney, Australia). Both Chiang and Overton were triple winners; with Chiang capturing the 100 back (55.44), 100 free (50.76) and 100 fly (54.98); and Overton winning the 200 free (1.50.16), 500 free (4:53.01) and 200 IM (2:03.82). Freshman Hanna Jaltner (Vaxjo, Sweden) also had a fine meet winning the 100 breast (1:03.73) and 200 breast (2:19.01).

Other individual winners for Cal against ASU were freshman Haley Cope (Chico, CA) in the 50 free (23.72) and sophomore Waen Minpraphal (Bangkok, Thailand) in the 200 fly (season-best 2:01.11). The Bears also won the 200 medley relay (1:45.81 Cope, Brelsford, Chiang, Omphroy) and 200 free relay (1:37.38 Lowes, Kolbisen, Mattos, Omphroy). Another highlight for Cal was senior diver Danielle Duris (Sacramento, CA), who placed second in the one-meter competition, qualified for the Zone E Championships by tallying a score of 256.425.

Against Arizona, Overton, Chiang and Minpraphal again performed well. Overton won the 200 free (1:48.56) and automatically qualified for the NCAAs in the 200 fly (1:59.14) and 200 breast (2:13.74). Chiang also dominated the 50 (23.59) and 100 free (50.26), while Minpraphal also placed first in the 200 IM (2:03.60).

HEAD COACH TERI MCKEEVER: Teri McKeever is in her sixth season as Cal's head women's swim coach. McKeever has a 52-25 (.675) dual meet record with the Golden Bears and a 106-47 (.693) overall record (five years as women's coach at Fresno State). She has led Cal to a 15th place NCAA finish in 1993, a 21st place finish in 1994, a 28th place finish in 1995, a 17th place finish in 1996 and a ninth place finish in 1997.

NOTING USC AND UCLA: No. 2 ranked USC, now with a record of 6-0, placed first last year at the NCAA Championships. Top swimmers for the Trojans include All-American juniors Lindsay Benko and Karen Campbell. Benko placed eighth at the World Championships this year in the 200 meter freestyle (2:01.28). Last year at the NCAAs, she won the 500 free (4:41.85), the 200 back (1:54.42), and finished second in the 200 free (1:45.86). Benko also has a top time of 4:48.97 in the 500 free so far this season. Campbell has automatically qualified for NCAAs in the 100 fly (54.40), while Trojan freshman Brittany White has also qualified in the 400 IM with a time of 4:17.13. Cal has a series record of 8-10 against USC with the Trojans winning the last meeting, 195-107, Jan. 31, 1997 in Berkeley. No. 14 UCLA finished 14th at the NCAAs last year and has a dual meet record of 2-3 this season. The Bruin team is comprised of eight All-Americans, including sophomore Keiko Price and senior Lindsay Etter. Price has automatically qualified for NCAAs in the 50 (22.85) and 200 free (1:48.11), while Etter has qualified in the 100 (1:02.16) and 200 breast (2:13.95). Etter also placed third in the 100 breast (1:00.77) and fourth in the 200 breast (2:11.59) last year at the NCAAs. Cal has a dual meet series record of 6-10 against UCLA, with the Bears winning the last meeting, 150.5-149.5, Feb. 1, 1997 in Berkeley.

NCAA QUALIFIERS: The Cal women have six swimmers who have automatically qualified or swam consideration times for the NCAAs so far this season. Chiang has automatically qualified for NCAAs in the 100 fly (54.25) and 100 back (54.07), and has consideration times in the 100 (50.26) and 200 free (1:48.56), the 200 back (1:58.71) and the 200 (2:01.91) and 400 IM (4:21.86). Overton has automatically qualified in the 200 IM (1:59.83), 200 breast (2:13.74), and 200 fly (1:59.14), and has consideration times in the 200 free (1:50.45), 100 back (55.41), 100 fly (56.45), and the 400 IM (4:22.38). Jaltner has consideration times in the 100 (1:03.22) and 200 breast (2:18.21). Minpraphal has consideration times in the 100 (55.50) and 200 fly (2:01.49), and Cope has a consideration time in the 100 back (56.18).

BEAR NOTES: A highlight for the Cal women this season was Overton's performance at the Speedo Cup, Dec. 4-6 in Long Beach, CA. The Australian native recorded the fastest time in the nation this year in the 200 IM (2:01.03), topping the meet record of 2:01.69 set by Stanford's Summer Sanders in 1993. The Cal women have also set three dual meet school records this season. Jaltner set a record in the 100 breast (1:03.22) Oct. 25 at Nevada, the Bears 400 medley relay (Overton, Jaltner, Minpraphal, Chiang) set a record (3:47.63) against Washington, Washington State and Oregon State Nov. 1, and Chiang set a record in the 100 back (54.07) Nov. 14 at Texas.

The Bears dual meet versus USC on Jan. 31 will be shown on FOX Sports Bay Area on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m.