University of California Athletics

July 1, 2008

BERKELEY - The University of California Athletic Department will recognize its 2007-08 national champions with its third annual National Championship Week Sept. 29-Oct. 4.

During the recently completed academic year, the Golden Bears captured three team and three individual titles. Men's water polo, rugby and the men's freshman eight crew all defended their national crowns, while gymnast Tim McNeill won both the pommel horse and parallel bars at the NCAA meet and Katie Morgan claimed the NCAA pole vault championship.

A series of events have been planned to celebrate these extraordinary achievements, culminating with activities during the Oct. 4 Arizona State-Cal Homecoming football game at Memorial Stadium.

"In collegiate athletics, a national championship is the ultimate accomplishment and comes as a result of years of hard work, determination and perseverance," said Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour. "Establishing a National Championship Week is our way of publicly recognizing these tremendous achievements and formally offering our congratulations to the student-athletes, coaches and staff that helped make a dream of a national championship come true."

To offer year-round acknowledgement, national championship corners, complete with photos, trophies and other memorabilia, will be established in the display cases both at Haas Pavilion and in the Memorial Stadium Hall of Fame Room. On Tuesday, Sept. 30, Barbour will unveil the national championship corner in the stadium's Hall of Fame Room. In addition, video displays highlighting the titles will run continuously on the first floor of Haas Pavilion, both outside the Athletic Development Office and in the National Championship display case, and will be featured on CalBears.com.

Other events include: a celebratory reception hosted by Chancellor Robert Birgeneau at University House, a staff appreciation luncheon and a Coaches' Round Table that will provide a forum for the championship coaches to share their experiences. The weeklong activities conclude on Oct. 4 when the champions will be introduced at halftime of the Homecoming football game.

In its history, Cal has now claimed 84 national team titles in 13 different sports and 162 individual, relay and doubles titles. In all, Golden Bear student-athletes have won 127 national titles in men's and women's track & field, men's and women's tennis, men's gymnastics, men's and women's swimming and women's golf. Cal also has 22 national relay titles in track & field and swimming, and 13 national titles in tennis doubles.

The Bears' 2007 men's water polo team, coached by Kirk Everist, finished 28-4 and successfully defended its national title as Cal upended USC, 8-6, in the NCAA championship match for its record 13th national title in the fall. Senior Michael Sharf, who led Cal in scoring with a school-record 98 goals, was named the Tournament MVP. Seniors Adam Haley and Zac Monsees notched two goals apiece in the title game, and senior goalie Mark Sheredy finished with 11 saves.

Cal rugby captured its 24th collegiate crown and 16th in the past 17 years with a 59-7 decision over BYU May 3. Senior captain Rikus Pretorius was named the Tournament MVP as the 24-1 Bears defeated the Cougars in the national title match for the third year in a row. Head coach Jack Clark won his 20th national crown in his 25th season as the leader of Cal rugby.

On April 19 at Stanford's Maples Pavilion, Tim McNeill won two more individual national gymnastics titles by recording scores of 15.650 on the parallel bars and 15.625 on the pommel horse, successfully defending his victories from 2007. McNeill is only the second Cal gymnast to win two NCAA titles in the same year, and the first Bear to do it twice. Combined with his pommel horse win in 2006, McNeill completed his college career as a five-time national champion.

The Cal freshman eight boat continued its dominance with a victory over Washington June 7 at the IRA Regatta in Camden County, N.J., defeating the Huskies by just over half a second. The Bears, under the tutelage of Cal frosh/novice coach Geoff Bond, have won four of the last five freshman eight championships. The Bears' 2008 freshman boat consisted of coxswain Daniel Freisinger, Nick Lucey, Goran Todorovic, Jovan Popovic, Calum Wright, Jordan Sartor, Samuel Walker, Spencer Crowley and Rush Martin.

Finally, Katie Morgan capped off her tremendous season by winning the NCAA pole vault title in Des Moines, Iowa, with a height of 13-9 3/4 (4.20m). She edged out three other vaulters who had reached the same height as the only athlete to not have a miss through the first four rounds. Morgan earned All-America honors for the first time in her career after breaking the Cal school record in the pole vault four times during the 2007-08 season.

2007-08 National Championship Teams
Men's Water Polo
Rugby

2007-08 Individual National Champions
Tim McNeill, men's gymnastics - pommel horse, 15.625; parallel bars, 15.650
Katie Morgan, women's outdoor track & field - pole vault, 13-9 1/4

2007-08 National Champions
Men's Freshman Eight