Hard to believe it's already December here in Berkeley. We just returned from a weekend in Minneapolis for the first long course competition of our season. There was tons of awesome racing from every member of the team, and we used it as an opportunity to tune up before Winter Nationals in Federal Way, Washington this weekend.

The pool deck is never lacking in energy (or dance moves) when the team arrives. Big meets can often be laced with high pressure for competitors, but it's hard to feel stressed when the team is constantly enjoying one another's company. If there's one thing we all know and believe as a team, it's that at the end of the day you're going to perform your best and be the happiest when you're having fun, and  surrounded by people who support your goals in and out of the water. There's something about standing behind a block and hearing a resounding chorus of "GO BEARS!," followed by a little bit of laughter that prepares you to step up and put it on the line for your teammates. 

We're heading to AT&T Winter Nationals this weekend! Keep up with us on all our social media accounts, and we'll see you next time.

GO BEARS!

About the Blog

For the 2015-16 season, a group of five Golden Bears – a regular blog squad – will be producing Between the Lanes segments, both video and written, to give fans an inside look at Cal's women's swimming & diving team. The crew is made up of Marina Garcia, Valerie Hull, Catherine Ladd, Katie McLaughlin and Maija Roses (video executive producer).

Check back at CalBears.com or on the Cal women's swimming & diving Facebook and Twitter pages for more on the Bears this season.