BearDevil;842357457 said:

---

-Lily King is kind of a mystery, but may end up at a non-traditional power (Texas A&M or Notre Dame).

---

Lilly King [COLOR="#808080"]14 Sept[/COLOR]
Once a Hoosier, always a Hoosier ❤️��❤️ #committed

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842359295 said:

---

Lilly King [COLOR="#808080"]14 Sept[/COLOR]
Once a Hoosier, always a Hoosier ❤️��❤️ #committed

---

UAC, I don't think we were ever on Lilly King's radar. Our best chance for a breaststroker was Riley Scott and we know how that turned out. I'm hoping that Kong, Garcia, and Roses can show steady improvement, and make a big difference next year.

tedbear;842359382 said:

---

UAC, I don't think we were ever on Lilly King's radar. Our best chance for a breaststroker was Riley Scott and we know how that turned out. I'm hoping that Kong, Garcia, and Roses can show steady improvement, and make a big difference next year.

---

[COLOR="#3366ff"]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]You're right tedbear about Lilly...let's see how our current breasties develop in the program...at least your dream team's still in play as of this moment in time!

FWIW, Kathleen Baker hadn't posted any photos of her recruiting visit from this weekend yet, unlike the one of her with Missy, Liz, Katie & Kaylin from the weekend before, so I've chosen to view this as an encouraging sign... [/FONT] [/SIZE][/COLOR]

tedbear;842359382 said:

---

UAC, I don't think we were ever on Lilly King's radar. Our best chance for a breaststroker was Riley Scott and we know how that turned out. I'm hoping that Kong, Garcia, and Roses can show steady improvement, and make a big difference next year.

---

Cal needed Lilly, but she wasn't interested in leaving Indiana. That's why it's called recruiting and not a draft. Baker's faster than Lilly and Scott in the 100 breast and likely swims the breast leg on both medley relays at least as a freshman if she becomes a Bear. Not likely to swim either breast as an individual event for Cal.

BearDevil;842359551 said:

---

Cal needed Lilly, but she wasn't interested in leaving Indiana. That's why it's called recruiting and not a draft. Baker's faster than Lilly and Scott in the 100 breast and likely swims the breast leg on both medley relays at least as a freshman if she becomes a Bear. Not likely to swim either breast as an individual event for Cal.

---

Riley Scott verbal to SC almost over 2 months ago but collegeswimming still havnt updated the recruiting the verbal list. Maybe she has a change of mind!

Welcome Kathleen Baker!!!!!

socaliganbear;842360298 said:

---

Welcome Kathleen Baker!!!!!

---

WooHoo! :gobears:

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/kathleen-bakers-backstroke-prowess-headed-to-berkeley-next-fall/

http://swimswam.com/kathleen-baker-verbally-commits-cal-golden-bears/

tedbear;842360306 said:

---

WooHoo! :gobears:

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/kathleen-bakers-backstroke-prowess-headed-to-berkeley-next-fall/

---

Ditto!! Go Bears!

i already posted on swim swam welcoming kathleen. Now who looms as another important get: Bilquist? Or?

obear073akasmfan;842360312 said:

---

ditto!! Go bears!

---

longseeker;842360315 said:

---

i already posted on swim swam welcoming kathleen

---

I posted on the bootleg board because I know they were anxious to find out too :p

------------------

BearDevil;842357457 said:

---

FWIW, talked to someone who is extremely well connected in swimming with both good and bad news for the Bears:

-Cal is very confident that Baker will commit.
-Weitzeil is leaning toward 'SC. Her club coach is close with 'SC's Dave Salo. May be a package deal with her boyfriend, Cole Cogswell.
-Bilquist is split between 'Zona and Cal. Has no problem going to the same school as Baker.

---

[COLOR="#3366ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]WOWwooWOW - just got home and belatedly catching up on the breaking news!!! Really going to make my and a whole bunch of other people's evening!!! :beer:

CONGRATS and WELCOME Kathleen to the Bears family!!! Happy reunions with your bestie Katie and also ex-teammate (and now-to-be teammate, again) Maija!!! The dream team is pretty much RED HOT at this point - so, who's next? :p

Roll On You (Baby) Bears! :gobears:

Anyway sorry for the late photos, but here are a few to get things going...[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

------------------

Kathleen Baker [COLOR="#808080"]16 Sept[/COLOR] [COLOR="#696969"]- Baby Bear in training����[/COLOR]
After careful consideration, I couldn't be more excited to commit to Cal Berkley and swim for the Golden Bears������




Katie McLaughlin [COLOR="#808080"]16 Sept[/COLOR]
AHHHHHHH!!! My besties a golden bear!!! ������ #LaverneAndShirleyTakeCal #NoSleepNoProb @KathleenBaker2

[U]Kathleen Baker[/U] @katie_mcl87 : omg I love you!!

Katie McLaughlin [COLOR="#808080"]16 Sept[/COLOR]
#stoked #gobears #secondpost @KathleenBaker2


Katie McLaughlin [COLOR="#808080"]16 Sept[/COLOR]
#ForgettingTheHaters @KathleenBaker2 @ella_eastin

Maija Roses [COLOR="#808080"]16 Sept[/COLOR] [COLOR="#696969"]- UC Berkeley[/COLOR]
It's only been a few weeks that I haven't been team mates with this girl and I already miss her like crazy... So thank the swimming lords she's gonna be my team mate again at CAL!!! LOVE YOU BABY BEAR! ��������

[U]Kathleen Baker[/U]: Can not wait to be teammates again next year!! Love you so much����

Ella Eastin [COLOR="#808080"]16 Sept[/COLOR]
Congrats to Kathleen Baker for committing to Berkeley. See you across the bay next year. I love you so much. Go Kathy! ����

------------------

Swimswam [COLOR="#808080"]16 Sept[/COLOR]
So uhhh...are tickets on sale yet for Cal-Stanford women's dual c. spring of 2016? #stacked #loaded #cal #Stanford

------------------

UTC-Oski (and Mrs Robinson) loves you more than you will know for your Twitter sleuthing, but you did miss one broad hint from Australia.

Pretty clear that the arm in the center belongs to UVa swimmer Leah Smith (orange and blue band and her initials), but the other two belong to Kathleen and Katie. Katie's club and school colors are blue and gold, but Kathleen's home schooled and SwimMAC's colors aren't blue and gold. Kinda interesting that one of them went for blue and gold first before red, white, and blue. Oski ueber alles!

For the record, I thought Kathleen was the elite recruit most likely to become a Golden Bear, but I thought Katie was going to 'SC, and Eastin to the farm. Looked good for the Bears once Kathleen announced her trips and 'SC, UVa, and LSJU didn't make the final cut.

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842357800 said:

---

-------------------

[------------------

[COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=4]Katrina Konopka Latest to Verbally Commit to Arizona; Making 7 Total So Far[/SIZE][/COLOR]

http://swimswam.com/katrina-konopka-latest-verbally-commit-arizona-making-7-total-far/

[COLOR="#696969"]"For all of the early recruiting success that the Arizona Wildcats have had so far, this weekend is a huge one for Rick DeMont in his first year as head coach.

They have no-fewer-than three huge recruits on campus: [U]Amy Bilquist[/U], Victoria Toris, and Katrina Konopka, the latter of whom couldn't even wait to return home to make her decision.

Konopka, from the Y-Spartaquatics Swim Club in South Carolina, pledged her intent to swim for Arizona for at least the next four years, giving Arizona the #13 recruit in the class of 2015."[/COLOR]

-------------------

---

Make that #8 for AZ with Ashley Sunderland http://swimswam.com/national-age-group-record-holder-ashley-sutherland-commits-arizona/ with Amy Bilquist their biggest target still in the mix.

"While the Wildcats' biggest target in the class of 2015, sprinter Amy Bilquist, is still a few weeks from making her decision, they continue to march along and fill up their roster with high-quality recruits. That includes not only meeting every need the team has, but really hitting every stroke specialty, period.

BearDevil;842360457 said:

---

UTC-Oski (and Mrs Robinson) loves you more than you will know for your Twitter sleuthing, but you did miss one broad hint from Australia.

---

[COLOR="#3366ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Haha we always defer to the one and only BearDevil, for the final authoritarian inside insights into the hallowed lair of Bears aquatics!

Very perceptive catch on those loom colorings btw! :acclaim: Saw the posting at the time but wasn't smart enough to even think of reading into their color scheme lol

tbh not exactly competent at the social media detective word. Don't even have a twitter account or "follow" anyone, so it's just a mechanical job of clicking on twitter once every so often for updates...very old school :p

Always had a feeling from the tone & tenor of their tweets that Kathleen, Katie & Ella would end up close together in their collegiate swimming future. Hence my annoyingly constant reference to a hoped-for "package deal" in all these message threads...guess 2 out of the 3 ain't too shabby really hehe! With no disrespect or intended slight to the very talented & lovely Ella, I believe the 2 Ks' swimming skill sets were the most useful to Cal's future needs out of the BFF trio's.

Actually I've misread an awful lot of things too! Had made mention on the US Nationals topic of feeling rather uncomfortable with all the joyful celebrations between Missy, Boots & Liz on the 100 back podium, as this seemed to have left 4th place Kathleen completely ignored instead of welcomed. Instead, in hindsight, the furtive glances Kathleen kept directing at the celebratory trio may have stemmed more from a desire to be a part of that close bond which Teri & Kristen have fostered in the Cal family! Seems like Missy & Liz's friendly mentorship as well as being great role models during the Australian trip may have also played a role in helping Kathleen & Katie to cement their decisions on the choice of college.

Hopefully this will extend to having also had a positive impact on Abbey! Hadn't known she was on campus a 2nd time last week, after the offcial visit the week before? Someone posted in the Swimswam comments section that Abbey had declined her SC trip and was now considering Zona, hmmm... FWIW, don't know how many recruiting trips Weitzeil has taken so far, but college visits wise, she has only publicly shared the photo of her with Liz @ Memorial Stadium.

As for Amy, not privvy to her protected tweets, but maybe UofA's already close to their quota with the 8 signings - wishful thinking haha, since Bilquist's their #1 target & priority haha
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
------------

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842360497 said:

---

[COLOR="#3366ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]tbh not exactly competent at the social media detective word. Don't even have a twitter account or "follow" anyone, so it's just a mechanical job of clicking on twitter once every so often for updates...very old school :p

Actually I've misread an awful lot of things too! Had made mention on the US Nationals topic of feeling rather uncomfortable with all the joyful celebrations between Missy, Boots & Liz on the 100 back podium, as this seemed to have left 4th place Kathleen completely ignored instead of welcomed. Instead, in hindsight, the furtive glances Kathleen kept directing at the celebratory trio may have stemmed more from a desire to be a part of that close bond which Teri & Kristen have fostered in the Cal family! Seems like Missy & Liz's friendly mentorship as well as being great role models during the Australian trip may have also played a role in helping Kathleen & Katie to cement their decisions on the choice of college.

Hopefully this will extend to having also had a positive impact on Abbey! Hadn't known she was on campus a 2nd time last week, after the offcial visit the week before? Someone posted in the Swimswam comments section that Abbey had declined her SC trip and was now considering Zona, hmmm... FWIW, don't know how many recruiting trips Weitzeil has taken so far, but college visits wise, she has only publicly shared the photo of her with Liz @ Memorial Stadium.

As for Amy, not privvy to her protected tweets, but maybe UofA's already close to their quota with the 8 signings - wishful thinking haha, since Bilquist's their #1 target & priority haha[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

---

I butchered your name (UAC) in my last post, can't properly link a tweet, and you've bailed me out multiple times when I've screwed up links. We're all good.

The stuff about Abbey Weitzeil coming back to Berkeley on her own dime following her official and bailing on 'SC is extremely interesting. Abbey would be a huge coup, and Durden wouldn't be too upset if she brought Cogswell along too. Teri's played her hand masterfully with this recruiting class. She focused on a few elite recruits, got them to Berkeley early (and screwed Texas who also planned a big football weekend), and is closing fast. Georgia has got to be hurting . Two of their top three targets (Baker, Konopka) committed before even visiting and their other top target (Bilquist) looks like she's part of a package deal (with Victoria Toris). Teri would obviously like to have both Weitzeil and Bilquist, but she probably won't take Toris to make it happen if she feels she's got a decent shot at Weitzeil. Toris is a very good swimmer, but I still think Teri wants to be able to offer Mary Pelton a reasonable amount of money and keep the door open with NBAC for Becca Mann, Sierra Schmidt, and Easop Lee down the line. 'Zona's kinda screwed themselves by filling up on too many appetizers and not having enough room for the entree. OTOH everyone but UofA would have to overpay for Toris since she'll be out of state everywhere else.

BearDevil;842360521 said:

---

'Zona's kinda screwed themselves by filling up on too many appetizers and not having enough room for the entree.

---

:rollinglaugh: Walk-ons ...desserts?

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842360332 said:

---

------------------




Kathleen Baker [COLOR="#808080"]16 Sept[/COLOR] [COLOR="#696969"]- Baby Bear in training����[/COLOR]
After careful consideration, I couldn't be more excited to commit to Cal Berkley and swim for the Golden Bears������



------------------

---

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! First order of business: get her to spell Berkeley correctly

BearDevil;842360521 said:

---

I butchered your name (UAC) in my last post, can't properly link a tweet, and you've bailed me out multiple times when I've screwed up links. We're all good.

The stuff about Abbey Weitzeil coming back to Berkeley on her own dime following her official and bailing on 'SC is extremely interesting. Abbey would be a huge coup, and Durden wouldn't be too upset if she brought Cogswell along too. Teri's played her hand masterfully with this recruiting class. She focused on a few elite recruits, got them to Berkeley early (and screwed Texas who also planned a big football weekend), and is closing fast. Georgia has got to be hurting . Two of their top three targets (Baker, Konopka) committed before even visiting and their other top target (Bilquist) looks like she's part of a package deal (with Victoria Toris). Teri would obviously like to have both Weitzeil and Bilquist, but she probably won't take Toris to make it happen if she feels she's got a decent shot at Weitzeil. Toris is a very good swimmer, but I still think Teri wants to be able to offer Mary Pelton a reasonable amount of money and keep the door open with NBAC for Becca Mann, Sierra Schmidt, and Easop Lee down the line. 'Zona's kinda screwed themselves by filling up on too many appetizers and not having enough room for the entree. OTOH everyone but UofA would have to overpay for Toris since she'll be out of state everywhere else.

---

The recent news on Abbey has me very excited again after thinking that it was a foregone conclusion that she was going to SC. Keep the dream team alive!

So Bear Devil, with so much scholly money available after this year, you don't think we could offer the Toris/Bilquist package deal? I was thinking that could be a real possibility. Is the Mary Pelton to Cal a done deal since you seem to be saving money for her already. And what's the latest on Siobhan Haughey? Is she even a realistic possibility?

tedbear;842360633 said:

---

The recent news on Abbey has me very excited again after thinking that it was a foregone conclusion that she was going to SC. Keep the dream team alive!

So Bear Devil, with so much scholly money available after this year, you don't think we could offer the Toris/Bilquist package deal? I was thinking that could be a real possibility. Is the Mary Pelton to Cal a done deal since you seem to be saving money for her already. And what's the latest on Siobhan Haughey? Is she even a realistic possibility?

---

Can anyone explain to me why is it that the women recruit seems to be making their verbals much sooner than the guys? Yes there are some 'dudes' but it seems to be only a handful compared tonthe women.

tedbear;842360633 said:

---

And what's the latest on Siobhan Haughey? Is she even a realistic possibility?

---

---------------------
[COLOR="#3366ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Beardevil will be able to address your question more aptly that I ever can! Will admit this might be more a pipe dream of mine than anything really concrete, ever since I had started championing for Haughey's recruitment a while back :p

Have no real clue actually as to Siobhan's collegiate aspirations or whether she'd even be interested in coming to study and compete in the US, or whether she'd even be a good fit with Cal Swimming... :confused:

Should the dream acquisition of Abbey and/or Amy come to pass, Siobhan would still be an invaluable asset to our sprint arsenal IMO (think, relays that can conceivably take on the furd's super 2014 recruiting class) as well as contribute to the 200 free/IM due to her versatility...

FWIW Siobhan was roomies with [U]Yvette[/U] at the 2013 East Asian Games, and seems to be good friends with [U]Stephanie[/U] as witnessed her tweets from the recent Youth Olympic Games, so that's a bit of a positive connection there along with our traditional pipeline to HK.

Speaking of which, Siobhan will be repping HK at the [U]2014 Asian Games[/U] starting this Sunday the 21st in Korea, so we'll see if she was fully tapered at YOGs or whether she'll go faster at these games which represent the pinnacle of meets for most of the Asian countries, rivalling even the Olympics for many of these nations! (esp. China)

[U]Siobhan[/U]'s entered in the 50/100/200 free + 200 IM + all 3 relays, against some really stiff competition from the Chinese (YOG winner Shen Duo & Tang Yi in the frees, WR holder Ye Shiwen in the IM).

[U]Yvette[/U] (50/100/200 breast + medley relay) & [U]Stephanie[/U] (50/100/200 back + all 3 relays) will also be competing for Hong Kong.
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Hong Kong Released 2014 Asian Games Roster

http://swimswam.com/hong-kong-released-2014-asian-games-roster/

INCHEON 2014 - 17th Asian Games
http://www.incheon2014ag.org/Sports/SW/EntryListByNOC/?RSC=SWM011900&lang=en

---------------------

stanfurdbites;842360561 said:

---

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! First order of business: get her to spell Berkeley correctly

---

[SIZE=3][COLOR="#0066ff"][FONT=Times New Roman]lol! to be fair to Kathleen, that was from her [U]Instagram[/U] post - the correct spelling's in place in the [U]Twitter[/U] version, so we can excuse the lil typo for our baby :bear: !
[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE]

tedbear;842360633 said:

---

The recent news on Abbey has me very excited again after thinking that it was a foregone conclusion that she was going to SC. Keep the dream team alive!

So Bear Devil, with so much scholly money available after this year, you don't think we could offer the Toris/Bilquist package deal? I was thinking that could be a real possibility. Is the Mary Pelton to Cal a done deal since you seem to be saving money for her already. And what's the latest on Siobhan Haughey? Is she even a realistic possibility?

---

Off the top of my head, there are at least a half dozen elite recruits who Teri either passed on completely or backed off during recruiting in recent years because they wouldn't be good fits at Cal. Reading between the lines, Teri's had enough turnover at Cal that she puts a much higher value on harmony and fit for Cal than building the textbook perfect team by stroke group. It's why her teams have been out of balance in back and fly, but also how she can get the most high profile recruit in swimming history to swim off events. Know virtually nothing about Tonis other than the swim world's conventional wisdom is that she's the key part of Bilquist to Tuscon. She may be a terrific girl, but Teri wouldn't be recruiting her purely based on her individual merit. McKeever wants to minimize cliques within the team, so I seriously doubt that Kathleen and Katie will room together as freshmen or that Cal will automatically become SwimMAC West with zero regard to institutional fit. Medley relays of Bootsma/Pelton, Baker, Katie/Noemie, Weitzeil aren't just NCAA championship favorites, but NCAA record potential. Not insinuating that Bilquist is strong arming Teri, but Teri still wants control of the process. Georgia doesn't care as much about left coast karma feng shui and they're a lot more desperate than Cal and LSJU at this point.

Dunno if Mary Pelton's a done deal, but Liz is a stud who's well-liked within the team and has been working hard as a recruiter. Doubt she'd be as selfless if there were no room in the manger for her sister. Getting close to parity with Georgia at NBAC would be an added benefit. It's in Teri's best interest if she can pick and choose the best Cal fits from the best clubs in America. The only piece of the puzzle that's missing is NCAP (Ledecky and Selskar).

Always assumed that Siobhan would be a Golden Bear if she chooses to swim at an American college. Sherry Tsai, Hannah Wilson, Au, and Kong are all from Hong Kong. Dunno enough about Hong Kong's educational system, but I thought she was still 1 to 2 years away from finishing high school?!? The 2016 glass is already more than half full with potentially Marsh, Mykkanen, Siobhan, Becca Mann, Stanzi Mosely, and Katie Drabot on the radar.

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842360683 said:

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[SIZE=3][COLOR="#0066ff"][FONT=Times New Roman]After all the poor dear, along with Katie, already had to put up with some truly cringe-inducing & horribly nasty comments from the cowardly peanut gallery on Swimswam, who dared to jealously insinuate that neither star student-athletes had the smarts or good enough qualifications to be accepted down over at the Farm, hence their choosing us instead??!!! :headbang[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE]

---

Recruiting comments on SwimSwam are brutal. The bizarre thing is that it's by far the most widely read Internet site in swimming and lots of jagoffs destroy 17 year old who choose a different school than their own beloved alma mater. Isn't exactly helpful for some insecure snot bastard to trash Katie or Baker for the entire swim world to see. It's not like SwimMAC or Mission Viejo only put out a single elite recruit every decade. Katie tweeated about haters and Kathleen called her sister at 1 AM before publicly committing because she was worried about the reaction when she cancelled on Georgia and selected Cal since it's such a boring and safe choice. Ironically Maija got jerked around by Harvard during recruiting which ultimately led her to Cal and helped bring Kathleen along. That story combined with Chuck Katis's role on the NCAA championship team would lead most rational alums to back off, but it benefits Teri and Durden, so who cares?

The comments on Lilly King's commit are very telling. There's a ton of bitterness about the alleged talent oligarchy of Cal, LSJU, and Georgia. The reality is that Teri recruited Natalie and Leverenz earlier, but didn't start getting "super classes" until the current seniors. LSJU's had even more talent than Cal historically, but the current freshmen class is their first super class in a long time. Georgia's done a much better job developing talent since they haven't consistently recruited as well as LSJU or Cal. People on our humble little board have followed Cal (revenue) sports long enough not to take anything for granted, but the SwimSwam view is that Teri just haughtily selects and talent magically shows up in Berkeley. Whole thing cracks me up.

thanks you all for so much info i love reading all these posts

BearDevil;842360702 said:

---

Off the top of my head, there are at least a half dozen elite recruits who Teri either passed on completely or backed off during recruiting in recent years because they wouldn't be good fits at Cal. Reading between the lines, Teri's had enough turnover at Cal that she puts a much higher value on harmony and fit for Cal than building the textbook perfect team by stroke group. It's why her teams have been out of balance in back and fly, but also how she can get the most high profile recruit in swimming history to swim off events. Know virtually nothing about Tonis other than the swim world's conventional wisdom is that she's the key part of Bilquist to Tuscon. She may be a terrific girl, but Teri wouldn't be recruiting her purely based on her individual merit. McKeever wants to minimize cliques within the team, so I seriously doubt that Kathleen and Katie will room together as freshmen or that Cal will automatically become SwimMAC West with zero regard to institutional fit. Medley relays of Bootsma/Pelton, Baker, Katie/Noemie, Weitzeil aren't just NCAA championship favorites, but NCAA record potential. Not insinuating that Bilquist is strong arming Teri, but Teri still wants control of the process. Georgia doesn't care as much about left coast karma feng shui and they're a lot more desperate than Cal and LSJU at this point.

Dunno if Mary Pelton's a done deal, but Liz is a stud who's well-liked within the team and has been working hard as a recruiter. Doubt she'd be as selfless if there were no room in the manger for her sister. Getting close to parity with Georgia at NBAC would be an added benefit. It's in Teri's best interest if she can pick and choose the best Cal fits from the best clubs in America. The only piece of the puzzle that's missing is NCAP (Ledecky and Selskar).

Always assumed that Siobhan would be a Golden Bear if she chooses to swim at an American college. Sherry Tsai, Hannah Wilson, Au, and Kong are all from Hong Kong. Dunno enough about Hong Kong's educational system, but I thought she was still 1 to 2 years away from finishing high school?!? The 2016 glass is already more than half full with potentially Marsh, Mykkanen, Siobhan, Becca Mann, Stanzi Mosely, and Katie Drabot on the radar.

---

Thanks again for all the great info! I thought Victoira Toris might be able to stand on her own merits for a scholly. I think she is the number one rated recruit in Arizona. I still hope that Bilquist decides for us, but we will find out the importance of her friendship with Victoria is in determining her destination. Feeling hopeful about Abbey!

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842360664 said:

---

---------------------

Speaking of which, Siobhan will be repping HK at the [U]2014 Asian Games[/U] starting this Sunday the 21st in Korea, so we'll see if she was fully tapered at YOGs or whether she'll go faster at these games which represent the pinnacle of meets for most of the Asian countries, rivalling even the Olympics for many of these nations! (esp. China)

[U]Siobhan[/U]'s entered in the 50/100/200 free + 200 IM + all 3 relays, against some really stiff competition from the Chinese (Tang Yi & Shen Duo in the frees, Ye Shiwen in the IM).

[U]Yvette[/U] (50/100/200 breast + medley relay) & [U]Stephanie[/U] (50/100/200 back + all 3 relays) will also be competing for Hong Kong.
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Hong Kong Released 2014 Asian Games Roster

http://swimswam.com/hong-kong-released-2014-asian-games-roster/

INCHEON 2014 - 17th Asian Games
http://www.incheon2014ag.org/Sports/SW/EntryListByNOC/?RSC=SWM011900&lang=en

---------------------

---

I'm surprise but Camille Cheng is swimming for HK too! Thought she was from China but she is listed 100free, 400 & 800 relays. http://www.incheon2014ag.org/Sports/SW/EntryListByNOC/?RSC=SWM011900&lang=en

BearDevil;842360702 said:

---

Always assumed that Siobhan would be a Golden Bear if she chooses to swim at an American college. Sherry Tsai, Hannah Wilson, Au, and Kong are all from Hong Kong. Dunno enough about Hong Kong's educational system, but I thought she was still 1 to 2 years away from finishing high school?!? The 2016 glass is already more than half full with potentially Marsh, Mykkanen, Siobhan, Becca Mann, Stanzi Mosely, and Katie Drabot on the radar.

---

Birthday of Siobhan is Oct 31, 1997, which is 4 years after both Camille & Yvette (1993). BD wise, this would put her as a 2015 recruiting but don't know where she stands in school though.

BearDevil;842360702 said:

---

McKeever wants to minimize cliques within the team, so I seriously doubt that Kathleen and Katie will room together as freshmen or that Cal will automatically become SwimMAC West with zero regard to institutional fit. Medley relays of Bootsma/Pelton, Baker, Katie/Noemie, Weitzeil aren't just NCAA championship favorites, but NCAA record potential.

---

[COLOR="#0066ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Not a bad start though considering that half of the SwimMac record-breaking team pictured here are/will be Bears... :bravo
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

It seems like ages ago, but the SwimMAC Carolina “A” relay of Kathleen Baker, Maija Roses, Alyssa Marsh, and Lauren Rhodes combined for a 1:39.27 NAG Record in the 200 medley relay. [COLOR="#808080"](13 Dec 2013, Swimswam - Tim Binning/TheSwimPictures.com)[/COLOR]

OBear073akaSMFan;842360879 said:

---

I'm surprise but Camille Cheng is swimming for HK too! Thought she was from China but she is listed 100free, 400 & 800 relays. http://www.incheon2014ag.org/Sports/SW/EntryListByNOC/?RSC=SWM011900&lang=en

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[COLOR="#0066ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Good catch there! I could have sworn I didn't see Camille's name listed there yesterday, perhaps I wasn't paying proper attention

Camille did rep HK @ 2014 Pan Pacs, went a [U]55.09[/U] in the 100 free there which is much faster than her seed time of 56.09 for Incheon2014.

In fact I'm surprised Camille isn't entered in the 200 free individual, as her [U]1:58.99[/U] from Pan Pacs is miles quicker than Sze's seeded 2:01.98, and even better than Siobhan's seeded 1:59.77...

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Here's a group photo of Stephanie & Yvette, along with Siobhan and their HK teammates who had competed at the 2014 Youth Olympics:[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

Stephanie Au [COLOR="#808080"]19 Sept[/COLOR]
Still living the YOG spirit on our way to Asian Games with Hong Kong 1st and 2nd YOG swimmers! ✌️#yogspiritneverdie #rocktheAG #Asiangames #teamhk

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SwimmingWorld [COLOR="#808080"]18 Sept[/COLOR]
Top 4 swimmers in 100 back all current or future Cal Bears #SwimTrials16 #2016omaha

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[COLOR="#006400"][U]2016 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials Cuts [/U][/COLOR]

[COLOR="#800000"]Swimmers who have qualified as of the start date (July 30, 2014) for the [U]100 back[/U]:

1).....59.38 - Franklin, Missy
2)..1:00.35 - Baker, Kathleen
3)..1:00.71 - Bootsma, Rachel
4)..1:00.76 - Pelton, Elizabeth
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5)..1:01.00 - Bilquist, Amy
6)..1:01.04 - Smoliga, Olivia [/COLOR]
[COLOR="#0066ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Hey make that the Top 5 if Amy ends up committing to Cal hehe!
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
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BearDevil;842360521 said:

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The stuff about Abbey Weitzeil coming back to Berkeley on her own dime following her official and bailing on 'SC is extremely interesting. Abbey would be a huge coup, and Durden wouldn't be too upset if she brought Cogswell along too

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tedbear;842360633 said:

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The recent news on Abbey has me very excited again after thinking that it was a foregone conclusion that she was going to SC. Keep the dream team alive!

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[COLOR="#3333ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Prob reading into something that isn't there or which is completely irrelevant lol...FWIW I did notice that Abbey had "liked" the team photos posted by Cierra, Maija, Liz, Boots & Melanie from Cal Poly... :p
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

OBear073akaSMFan;842360887 said:

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Birthday of Siobhan is Oct 31, 1997, which is 4 years after both Camille & Yvette (1993). BD wise, this would put her as a 2015 recruiting but don't know where she stands in school though.

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[COLOR="#FF8C00"]2014 Asian Games[/COLOR] - Day 1: [COLOR="#3333ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Siobhan anchored HK to a new national record with a really impressive [U]53.71[/U] split in the [COLOR="#B22222"]4x100 freestyle[/COLOR]. 2nd fastest split in the whole field by far (even when accounting for the flying start), as only Siobhan & China's Shen Duo (53.58) managed to break the 54 sec barrier!

Cal Bears Camille Cheng had led off with a [U]55.67[/U], followed by alumna Stephanie Au in [U]55.51[/U] to also help HK earn a podium spot behind JPN and winner CHN. Their relay time of [U][COLOR="#006400"]3:39.94[/COLOR][/U] would actually have been good for a bronze medal at this year's Commonwealth Games if Hong Kong had still been eligible, trumping 3rd place Canada's [U]3:40.00[/U]!

[video=youtube;8oVtm60hLpA][/video]

http://www.incheon2014ag.org/Sports/SW/Result/?RSC=SWW411101&lang=en

Former HK record of [U]3:40.80[/U] was set at the 2009 East Asian Games (supersuit era of polyrubber-aided fast times) by a team that boasted alumni Hannah Wilson (54.79) & Stephanie (55.26).

http://en.wikipedia.org.advanc.io/wiki/List_of_Hong_Kong_records_in_swimming

Another Golden Bears international, Yvette Kong, placed 7th in the [COLOR="#B22222"]100 breast[/COLOR] final, with a [U]1:10.66[/U]

Imagine if we can field a 100 free relay next season sporting [COLOR="#FF0000"]Abbey Weitzeil, Amy Bilquist & Siobhan Haughey[/COLOR] - would be heck of a potent combo that could out-match even furds' supposedly unbeatable quartet of Manuel/Hu/Engel/Neal! And if Missy should change her mind about going pro next year, this would easily be an NCAA record smashing squad!! Highly unlikely I know - but one can dream, right?! :p
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
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Stephanie Au [COLOR="#696969"]21 Sept[/COLOR]
I'm so honoured and proud to be on this Hong Kong Record Breaking team! Thank you for everyone's messages and support. Loves received! ���� #asiangames #teamhk #4x100freebronze #onedown

Camille Cheng [COLOR="#696969"]21 Sept[/COLOR]
Bronze medal and a new Hong Kong record in the 4x100 Free relay! ��✌️ #asiangames #gohk


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Day 3: [COLOR="#3333ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman] Stephanie, along with Sze, Camille leading off, and Siobhan anchoring for HK, won bronze in the [COLOR="#B22222"]4x200 freestyle[/COLOR] just now. I believe their time of [U][COLOR="#006400"]8:04.55[/COLOR][/U] is a new national record, besting the 2009 standard of 8:04.86 that had previously been set by Hannah, Yvette, Stephanie & Sze. 4th place Korea came in 7 seconds behind HK.
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
http://www.incheon2014ag.org/Sports/SW/Result?RSC=SWW412101&lang=en

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Day 5: [COLOR="#3333ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman] Stephanie ([U]1:01.96[/U] back), Yvette ([U]1:10.69[/U] breast), Sze ([U]1:00.08[/U] fly), and Siobhan ([U]54.42[/U] free), secured HK's 3rd relay bronze with a time of [U][COLOR="#006400"]4:07.15[/COLOR][/U] in the [COLOR="#B22222"]4x100 medley[/COLOR]. I was actually hoping they would overtake Korea for the silver, but Yvette & Sze's times were slower than expected. Should be noted that China was DQ'ed in the prelims, so it worked out fortuitously for HK in terms of a podium place, with Japan taking the gold.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

http://www.incheon2014ag.org/Sports/SW/Result?RSC=SWW451101&lang=en

[COLOR="#FF0000"]VIDEO ->[/COLOR]

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Stephanie Au [COLOR="#696969"]26 Sept[/COLOR]
Three bronze to conclude this years Incheon 2014 Asian Games. New records were made. The bar is higher now. One most important thing: Special thanks to all the unfailing support from my teammates. I don't think I could have done all this without you all. From kunming training till now, all the laughters, sweats and hardships, only we know and will be remembered. I can't love this group too much!


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Cal Women's Swimming & Diving - [COLOR="#808080"]29 Sept[/COLOR]
Golden Bears Camille Cheng, Yvette Kong and Stephanie Au, all representing Hong Kong, just wrapped up swimming at the Asian Games in Incheon, and each came home with at least one bronze medal in a relay.



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UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842361965 said:

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Prob reading into something that isn't there or which is completely irrelevant lol...FWIW I did notice that Abbey had "liked" the team photos posted by Cierra, Maija, Liz, Boots & Melanie from Cal Poly... :p

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[COLOR="#3366ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
OK, just a bit more wild fantasizing on my part haha, for tedbear's dream team to become a reality - but there has to be some significance to Amy's complimentary comment on Kathleen's shirt logo, and Abbey "liking" yet another Bears-themed image...right?!
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

Kathleen Baker [COLOR="#808080"]26 Sept[/COLOR]
Can't wait to take over the Bay Area, even if he goes to Stanford ��⚽️

[U]Abbey Weitzeil[/U] [COLOR="#808080"]likes this[/COLOR] ��
[U]Amy Bilquist[/U]: "Nice shirt ��"
[U]Maija Roses[/U]: "who needs pants with a shirt that looks that good? �� #gobears"
[U]Bethany Leap[/U]: "Another boy??? Damn Kathy"


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[COLOR="#3366ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Hmmm, looks like Abbey made a recruiting trip to Zona over the weekend with her b/f - I'm hoping she secretly has acrophobia lol
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Abbey Weitzeil [COLOR="#808080"]28 Sept[/COLOR] - Tucson, AZ ��
Gettin wild with the Wildcats❤️ #UofA #cliffjumping ��

[U]Shayla Austin[/U]: "wait whaaaat! you're here for a recruiting trip?! are you here with cole?? cause I swear I think I saw him at in n out yesterday hahaha"
[U]Abbey Weitzeil[/U]: "@shayshayyyyyyy that was him!! Ya we just got home from our trip ��"


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[COLOR="#3366ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Came across this tweet from 2015 UofA commit Mackenzie Rumrill...could be entirely my imagination heh, but anyone agree the tall person on the left in that posted pic looks a bit like Amy Bilquist?
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Mackenzie Rumrill [COLOR="#808080"]19 Sept[/COLOR]
#tb to last weekend in Zona with some potentially future Wildcats❤️�� #talented #lovemyschool #beardown #bleedredandblue

[COLOR="#3366ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Here's a photo of Amy with her hair down for comparison:

[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

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Weitzeil's and Cosgrove's club coach, Coley Stickels, swam at 'Zona, so it's no big surprise that they would visit. With so many women's commits already, don't see how the 'Cats can add both Bilquist and Weitzeil. Looks like Weitzeil hasn't visited 'SC at all-she cancelled two weeks ago to revisit Cal. Pretty sure 'SC has already had two major recruiting weekends, so she may not visit at all.

That's definitely Bilquist; it was widely reported she visited Tucson that weekend. Pretty sure she just finished her recruiting visits, so she should announce shortly. Bears swim at Florida next weekend, so Teri will probably give the team the following weekend off while she makes in-home visits.

Mary Pelton visited UCLA this weekend, so she may have decided she doesn't want to follow in Liz's footsteps. Can't see her turning down an official visit when her sister was honored as a national champion. There's no way Teri wouldn't recruit her and risk alienating one of her best swimmers and potentially jeopardizing relationships at North Baltimore.

BearDevil;842368679 said:

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Mary Pelton visited UCLA this weekend, so she may have decided she doesn't want to follow in Liz's footsteps. Can't see her turning down an official visit when her sister was honored as a national champion. There's no way Teri wouldn't recruit her and risk alienating one of her best swimmers and potentially jeopardizing relationships at North Baltimore.

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Mary Pelton - [COLOR="#696969"]27 Sept[/COLOR] - Venice Beach
��������


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Maybe the girls are just having fun on cool trips. I think Terri will be able to finish this class with a couple of top recruits who fit in with tha amazing team we already have. It was fun to see Missy and her team mates (and Terri) at the Friday rally to support FB and BB teams. Go Bears !!