-----------

[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Well yet another exciting season of swimming to look forward to... [SIZE=5][COLOR="#FFD700"]��[/COLOR][/SIZE]

:rollinglaugh:





We've had to bid a sentimental farewell to Missy... :bawl:




...and adieu to a wicked Senior Class... :cry:




But can't wait to welcome abroad [COLOR="#FFD700"]Dream Team 0.75[/COLOR] (Amy, Katie & Kathleen)! [SIZE=5][COLOR="#cc6633"]������[/COLOR][/SIZE]






Who will be more than ably flanked by fellow Baby :bear:s Jenna, Madi + Valerie (transfer)... :cheer








Along with all the familiar & talented/goofy faces from the current team, over whom we've grown ever so fond & proud of from following their ongoing journey & growth! :beer:








Nothing's ever set in stone of course (that's why they swim the races), but early prognostications look pretty bright for :bear:'s chances of repeating as National Champs - if all goes as planned/hoped for, that is :p

Perennial contenders [U]Georgia[/U] experienced an uncharacteristically meagre haul for their recruiting class of 2015 - just a pair in flyer Caitlin Casazza & sprinter Sam Fazio, to be joined by Shauna Lee, an international freestylist from the UK, but will bounce back quickly and look to be dangerous when they reload with loads of scholly $$ to burn the following year.

Can't afford to overlook the likes of [U]USC[/U], [U]'Zona[/U] & [U]Longhorns[/U] down the road either as they reeled in very sizeable classes this year: former two programmes welcoming around 2 dozen 2015 recruits between them, with half a dozen ranked in the Top 20! Fewer top names than our own Dream Class certainly, but definitely some notable talent who are developing quickly! Not to mention Trojans snagging sprint queen & #1 transfer Anika Apostalon from SDSU, with sprint princess 2016 commit Stanzi Moseley waiting in the wings. Oh did I neglect to mention U$C's monopoly of the breaststroke talent once again, boasting #14 Riley Scott & fast-improving Kirsten Vose?! Well, reckon Hoosiers did more than keep pace there by snapping up breast studs Lilly King & Miranda Tucker... Even the historically underperforming [U]Bruins[/U] are starting to get into the act (albeit on a smaller scale), with 7 incoming recruits led by #15 Caroline McTaggart and backed up by Emma Schanz & Mary Pelton.

Then there's always [U]LSJU[/U] who are not going away anytime soon. Their "Dream Team 2014" may not have quite hit it out of the ballpark last March relative to the rather heightened expectations placed on them (exception being Simone Manuel), but their IM & distance holes have now been somewhat shored up thanks to Greg Meehan's astute recruiting of Top 20 studs like #6 Ella Eastin, #19 Leah Stevens, Kim Williams etc. Keep in mind too that Bears will only enjoy a very brief window of opportunity this season, before a certain Katie Ledecky is scheduled to land on the farm following Rio... :eek:

As usual Cal's WS&D dept will probably take their sweet time before the season schedule's eventually announced lol, but here are a few duals & championships that are already in the queue from what I can gather thus far:
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="#800080"]
[U]09/19-20/2015[/U] - Cal King & Queen of the Pool @ Cal Poly (Sat & Sun)

[U]10/15/2015[/U] vs. Utah @ Berkeley (Thu, 5 pm)

[U]01/29/2016[/U] vs. USC @ LA (Fri, 6 pm)
[U]01/30/2016[/U] vs. UCLA @ LA (Sat)?? [COLOR="#696969"]just a guess[/COLOR]

[U]02/13/2016[/U] vs. Stanford @ LSJU (Sat, 12 pm)

[U]Feb 24 to Sat Feb 27, 2016[/U] - Pac-12 Champs @ Federal Way, Washington

[U]Mar 17 to Mar 19, 2016[/U] - NCAA Champs @ Atlanta, Ga
[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Psyched too to finally get an inkling of who may comprise the recruiting Class of 2016 when they get together on campus for their official visit(s)...at a stab in the dark, reckon that may go down on the weekend of [U]5 Sept[/U]??

Will be interesting to learn whether Teri & Kathie will prioritise NCAAs by taking the team to one of the multi-team format [U]Short Course Yards[/U] Invitational Events as the team's mid-season meet...or give a nod to all her potential Olympians by going to 2015 USA Swimming Nationals (3-5 Dec), which will be held in [U]Long Course Metres[/U] @ Federal Way this year.

Was actually wondering if it might make sense to split up the squad instead, or am I sprouting complete nonsense here haha? ...i.e. have those who still need to get their NCAA cuts compete at an Invitational, but with the Olympic hopefuls (there are quite a few esp in this year's freshman class!) + those still aspiring for a trials cut attend Winter Nationals... What about relay qualifications...

Don't recall what had happened back in 2011, think we may have gone to the Georgia Invitational??
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
:gobears:

-----------

Guess entire team would go to Federal Way in December. Can qualify for NCAAs in LCMs this season, easy trip/no jet lag, and PAC-12s will be there this season. Only need a single relay A cut to get all relays qualified. Can go for seeds at PAC-12s. Would guess that most of froskies have already raced at Federal Way and most of the team already has trial cuts, but it's close and convenient. Would also guess that the team will also race a few LCM duals too. One mid-Fall and another in January. Want to focus entirely on SCYs in February and March.

Cal is losing 8 seniors and Missy Franklin. The Bears are bringing in six newbies, correct? Katie McLaughlin, Kathleen Baker & Amy Weitzel all medaled @ Worlds! Can you guys remind me of the identity of the other three newcomers (Jenna, Madi and transfer Valerie), please, and what events that they'll swim? Is McLaughlin taking this season off from Cal in preparation for the 2016 Olympics?

As both of you know, I'm a novice swim fan who attempts to stayup on things but it's tough...I appreciate the time and effort that you put into the sport of swimming. I do it in 4-5 other sports at Cal and find it difficult to keep up on everything eventhough I'd like to... Thank you for indulging me and for your help. GO BEARS!

[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Really do appreciate your contribution here [COLOR="#A52A2A"]Schroeder71[/COLOR]! :beer: As a matter of fact, really in awe of how you can so adeptly multi-task in keeping up with all the updates on the myriad of sports programmes on the board! Kudos also to [COLOR="#A52A2A"][COLOR="#A52A2A"]OBear073akaSMFan[/COLOR][/COLOR] in this regards

Well, [COLOR="#A52A2A"]BearDevil[/COLOR] and the other swimming experts will hopefully chime in with more comprehensive details & background, but meanwhile a quickie reply, sorry if I've mis-stated a few things or left out anything important (need sleep lol).

Not including Phoebe Lamay (diving), the 6 newbies are Kathleen Baker, Katie McLaughlin, Amy Bilquist, Jenna Campbell, Madi Hurst & Valerie Hull (transfer from Auburn, will be a soph here).

Abbey Weitzeil, seen here with Liz on her campus trip last Sept, is the #2 ranked 2015 recruit deferring this year to train for Rio. In a class of her own (well, in company with furd Simone Manuel) when it comes to the sprint frees in the little pool.



Kathleen can swim just about anything (well maybe not distance haha) but's known for her backstroke & IM, can bust out a pretty mean 100/200 yard free as well as 100 breast to boot (slight understatement here btw haha). Katie's the top flyer by far in her class, and we haven't even talked about her amazing 100/200 free prowess. Amy's currently recuperating from some health issues (stress fractures) but has enormous upside, she's known primarily for her sprint frees & back skills. Madi's strengths lie in the IMs, with a bit of overlap to her breaststroke. Jenna is a middle distance freestylist, and Valerie a sprinter.

As to what NCAA individuals & relays we are expecting Teri to assign our freshies to, that is a pretty involved topic (see discussion in [COLOR="#A52A2A"]tedbear[/COLOR]'s "[U]Women's Swim Recruits[/U]" thread)... [COLOR="#A52A2A"]BD[/COLOR] please share your informed thoughts on this, thanks!
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

Amy still swam pretty well at Nationals, coming off a recent injury. Probably swims 200 Free relay, 50 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free, and 400 Free relay. Possibly swims the 200 Medley (free leg) relay. Should score in all three individual events.

Hull probably swims 200 Free relay, 50 Free, 200 Free, and 100 Free. May also swim on 400 Free relay. Potential scorer in 50 and 100.

Jenna probably swims 500 Free, 200 Free, and 100 Free. Borderline qualifier but not an NCAA scorer in 500 and 200 as a freshman. Probably a one or two event scorer for two or three seasons and potentially an 800 Free relay swimmer as a junior or senior.

Madi probably swims 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 Breast. Potential NCAA qualifier as a junior or senior.

McL is a potential 2016 Olympian in 4 events (800 Free relay, 100/200 Fly, 400 Medley relay (fly)). Probably swims 50 Free, 400 Medley relay (fly), 200 Free, 800 Free relay, 200 Fly, and 400 Free relay for the Bears. May also swim 200 Free relay. Scorer in 200 Free/Fly, potential scorer in 50.

Baker is a potential 2016 Olympian in 4 events (100/200 Back, 800 Free relay, and 400 Medley relay (back)). Probably swims 200 IM, 400//200 Medley relays (breast), 100 Breast, 800 Free relay, 200 Back, and 400 Free relay. Probable scorer in all three individual events.

Bears should be PAC-12 and NCAA favorites. Possibly 17 NCAA qualifiers (2 divers), 15 scorers (14 swimmers/1 diver), roughly 450 points. LSJU second (-400 points), Georgia third (-360 points).

Thanks very much. Sorry I botched Weitzeil's first name-it's Abbey. I guess that her one year absence is more than compensated for by Stanford's Ledecky's Olympic quest.

One last question-does coach McKeever have any recruits landed for the new recruit class, yet?

Schroeder71;842524208 said:

---

One last question-does coach McKeever have any recruits landed for the new recruit class, yet?

---

[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
[SIZE=4]Keaton Blovad[/SIZE] - some info on our [U]2016 commit[/U] from earlier posts (July 2015):
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842515870 said:

---

[COLOR="#000066"]*Keaton Blovad* -> 1st 2016 Baby Bear commit?![/COLOR]

Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]19 July[/COLOR]
So excited for ya and the future can't wait for you to be at Cal! Congrats!!! (we'll take newer pics very soon) lol



---------
[COLOR="#3333ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Ranked [U]#4[/U] in the class by CollegeSwimming!
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
http://www.collegeswimming.com/swimmer/201625/

---------
[COLOR="#3333ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Haven't come across any official confirmation at this early point in time (think there was also strong interest from the Wildcats in recruiting KB btw), but here's an article from a couple of days ago which provides some insight into Keaton's fascinating background and some of the challenges she faced growing up:
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/07/lakeridge_senior_keaton_blovad.html

---

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842515887 said:

---

[COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=5]#13 Recruit Keaton Blovad Commits to Defending NCAA Champs Cal[/SIZE][/COLOR]



http://swimswam.com/13-recruit-keaton-blovad-commits-to-defending-ncaa-champs-cal/

---

Reasonable possibility that Ledecky goes pro and never swims for LSJU. Doesn't make sense financially or athletically to swim in college. Her uncle owns the Ndw York Islanders and was a minority owner of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards, so her family understands the fickle nature of short pro careers.

Abbey's coming in 2016 and will swim 50/100/200 Frees and likely anchor four relays (200/400 Frees and 200/400 medleys). Keaton Blovad has also committed. Can do a lot of things (back, sprint, IMs). Most likely swims 200 IM, 200 Free, 100 Free initially, but can also swim 50 Free or 100 Back. Probably an NCAA qualifier, but not a scorer as a freshman. Teri may try to grow her into a 400 IMer if she can improve enough in fly.

With 4 big $ scholly seniors (Bootsma, Pelton, Naze, Acker), probably room for two more high end recruits. Grima will probably be replaced by another Bay Area prep with upside (Campbell, Ladd). May be room for a legacy (Alyssa Marsh-mom swam for the Bears, dad's a HOF coach or Courtney Mykkanen-dad swam for Cal and won a silver medal in '84).

Another question: why didn't I see Elizabeth Pelton participating in the world championships or the other big meet that Michael Phelps & other Cal swimmers were competing in? Is she ok? I believe that I noticed the names of all of the other significant Bears...GO BEARS!

She just had wrist or hand surgery.

Bootsma was hospitalized while in Kazan for some undisclosed illness. Putin probably poisoned her when he realized she didn't have her NCAA championship ring yet so he couldn't steal it. She should have brought a fake gold medal and reluctantly forked it over to Putin.

Speaking of Peltons, Mary Pelton's times were a wash with Jenna Campbell's times in events relevant to Cal (100/200/500 Frees) at Juniors. Doubt Mary was seriously interested in Cal, but UCLA undoubtably overpaid for an out of state recruit.

LSJU faces a similar situation with Emily Eastin, Ella's younger sister. Furdettes need another backstroker and Emily doesn't project as comparable to Howe or Hu or even a potential early scorer. Wouldn't be surprised to see Emily also end up at UCLA.

[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Haha BD

Well, please indulge my propensity for images (at least they are more fun than sterile stats heh) in reposting the following.

As you can see, Liz seems to be healing up quite nicely :cool:

Boots, awwwwww...
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842516225 said:

---

[COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=5]Cal Senior Liz Pelton Undergoes Hand Surgery, Out 4-6 Weeks[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[COLOR="#696969"]Braden Keith | July 21st, 2015[/COLOR]

USA Swimming National Teamer, and Cal Golden Bears senior-to-be, Elizabeth Pelton, underwent hand surgery on Tuesday, according to the school's athletics department.

[COLOR="#696969"]"Cal senior swimmer Elizabeth Pelton underwent surgery for a broken bone in her hand Tuesday. The injury occurred during practice, and doctors expect Pelton to be able to return to the pool in 4-6 weeks and be at full strength for the upcoming season."[/COLOR]

http://swimswam.com/cal-senior-liz-pelton-undergoes-hand-surgery-out-4-6-weeks/

---------

Liz Pelton - [COLOR="#696969"]12 August[/COLOR]

Rehoboth Beach [SIZE=4][COLOR="#FFD700"]��[/COLOR][/SIZE]

---

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842522666 said:

---

Boots - [COLOR="#696969"]9 Aug[/COLOR]

So my trip to World Championships in Russia didn't go exactly as planned...I spent the entire competition sick, cheering my teammates on from my hotel room. You can't always choose the cards you are dealt, but I'm feeling much better and I'm excited for the upcoming season! Finally happy to be headed back to the USA! And yes this is me getting my blood drawn in a hospital in Russia, and no it wasn't as bad as this picture makes it look...just being dramatic!

---

Would not be surprised to see the team swim at UVa this season. Good challenge, pseudo home meet for Pelton, Cierra, Maija, and Baker, and a chance for the NCAA champs to visit the White House.

BearDevil;842524310 said:

---

Bootsma was hospitalized while in Kazan for some undisclosed illness. Putin probably poisoned her when he realized she didn't have her NCAA championship ring yet so he couldn't steal it. She should have brought a fake gold medal and reluctantly forked it over to Putin.

---

---------


Rachel Bootsma - [COLOR="#696969"]16 Aug[/COLOR] @ [COLOR="#A9A9A9"]Majestic Elegance Punta Cana, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic[/COLOR]

After a 2 week battle with Giardia, I deserve a vacation [SIZE=4][COLOR="#008000"]��[/COLOR][COLOR="#FFA500"]☀️[/COLOR][/SIZE] feat. @katiebootsma toes




My biggest concern this week is not losing my hat in the ocean




Elegance Club Members Only. You (literally) can't sit with us #elite #twins


Sunscreen, sweat, and sea lion kisses [SIZE=4]��[/SIZE]



[SIZE=4]��[/SIZE] was on fleek this week




I am dolphinately missing the Dominican Republic right about now [SIZE=4][COLOR="#A9A9A9"]��[/COLOR][/SIZE]

---------

What is Giardia? I've never heard of it before. I'm glad that Rachel Bootsma has recovered. GO BEARS!

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842525559 said:

---

---------

Rachel Bootsma - [COLOR="#696969"]16 Aug[/COLOR] @ [COLOR="#A9A9A9"]Majestic Elegance Punta Cana, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic[/COLOR]

After a 2 week battle with Giardia, I deserve a vacation [SIZE=4][COLOR="#008000"]��[/COLOR][COLOR="#FFA500"]☀️[/COLOR][/SIZE] feat. @katiebootsma toes



---------

---

Giardia is a common parasite . . . pretty yucky.

-------


Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]19 Aug[/COLOR]
Just need to find a suitcase big enough for Lucas now...



[SIZE=3]Amy Bilquist[/SIZE] - [COLOR="#696969"]20 Aug 2015, 7:14 am ET[/COLOR]

Funny flight attendant and an exit row... This flight isn't looking too bad. Berkeley here I come [COLOR="#FFD700"][SIZE=4]��[/SIZE][/COLOR]


-------


[SIZE=3]Katie McLaughlin[/SIZE] - [COLOR="#696969"]21 Aug 2015, 9:27 pm PT[/COLOR]

bye Orange County, ily [COLOR="#ff3366"][SIZE=4]��[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[U]Ken Takahashii[/U]: @KatieMcLaugh1in alright cya soon
[U]Ryan Kao[/U]: @kentakahashii @KatieMcLaugh1in stoked to see you guys in a couple days!


-------

-------


Cal W Swim/Dive - [COLOR="#696969"]24 Aug[/COLOR]

.@CalWSwim freshmen arrive early to get good seats for today's Cal Convocation. What a great way to start the year!


[COLOR="#808080"][U]Back Row[/U]: Madi, Jenna ... I think :p
[U]Front Row[/U]: Phoebe (diving), Katie, Kathleen, Amy[/COLOR]


-------

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842529976 said:

---

-------


[ATTACH=CONFIG]4861[/ATTACH] Cal W Swim/Dive - [COLOR="#696969"]24 Aug[/COLOR]

.@CalWSwim freshmen arrive early to get good seats for today's Cal Convocation. What a great way to start the year!




-------

---

Yaaay, Go Bears!!!

New schedule is out! Well at least part of it .

http://www.calbears.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=749453&SPID=126517&DB_OEM_ID_COUNT_=2&DB_OEM_ID_1_=30100&DB_OEM_ID=30100&DB_OEM_ID_0_=30100&Q_SEASON=2015

tedbear;842530419 said:

---

New schedule is out! Well at least part of it .

---

[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Thanks a mil, tedbear! Yeah looks like should have been renamed "Season 2015" instead of "Season 2015-2016" :p

Well alright my dodgy guess at the [U]Cal Poly[/U] date was off by almost a whole week, but BD was right on point as usual about [U]US Winter Nationals[/U] (long course) serving as Bears' midseason meet this year! :beer:

Interesting that the team will compete in an additional long course meet (also previously postulated by BD) - the [U]Arena Pro Series[/U] (formerly Grand Prix Series) @ Minneapolis in Nov. This should be really beneficial to all the Olympic hopefuls for getting some serious long course racing in (Liz, Boots, Cierra, Farida, Noemie, Marina, Katie, Kathleen, Amy and a few others), with the [U]Short Course National Time Trials[/U] available for anyone still needing to get an NCAA cut before the end of the year.

I'm assuming here that our 3 aforementioned internationals won't be blueshirting (keeping fingers crossed esp in Farida's case!), which may not necessarily be a valid assumption in an Olympic year lol.

Very, very happy at least that Katie & Kathleen are on campus and not deferring, contrary to what many Swimswam readers seem to believe would be the most "logical" path for them to take!

So the (incomplete) swimming calendar looks as follows:
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="#696969"]Fri, Sep 25 - Cal Poly Queen of the Pool at San Luis Obispo, CA (11:00 a.m.)
Fri, Oct 09 - Washington State at Pullman, WA (TBA)
Sat, Oct 10 - Washington State at Pullman, WA (TBA)
Thu, Oct 15 - Utah @ [U]Berkeley, CA[/U] (5:00 p.m.)
Fri, Oct 30 - San Jose State [U]@ Berkeley, CA[/U] (2:00 p.m.)
Thu, Nov 12 - Minnesota Arena Pro Swim Series Minneapolis, MN (All Day)
Fri, Nov 13 - Minnesota Arena Pro Swim Series Minneapolis, MN (All Day)
Sat, Nov 14 - Minnesota Arena Pro Swim Series Minneapolis, MN (All Day)
Thu, Dec 03 - US Winter Nationals at Federal Way, WA (All Day)
Fri, Dec 04 - US Winter Nationals at Federal Way, WA (All Day)
Sat, Dec 05 - US Winter Nationals at Federal Way, WA (All Day)
Sun, Dec 06 - Short Course National Time Trials at Federal Way, WA (All Day)
[/COLOR]

Interesting wrinkle in the Fall schedule. Minneapolis meet is roughly the same time difference before the Federal Way meet as PAC-10s are before NCAAs. Teri wants to get some data points on how well froskies Baker, McL, and Amy can handle qualifying with minimal rest for NCAAs and Olympic Trials prep.

BearDevil;842530473 said:

---

Interesting wrinkle in the Fall schedule. Minneapolis meet is roughly the same time difference before the Federal Way meet as PAC-10s are before NCAAs.
.

---

Reward for Bootsma..a home meet for the senior too?

[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Nah Bootsie has already been well rewarded for putting up with her icky bout of Giardia with that spot of sun & fun in the Dominican Republic with sis...at any rate she has already been back to MN as recently as last weekend :p
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
[U]Boots[/U]: After 3 months, 6 countries, too many flights, and countless life lessons and memories, my summer of travel has finally come to an end with one final night in the land of 10,000 lakes

[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Now what I'm wondering is, whether Liz is heading to Vail today for some skiing, or for therapy on her hand injury...hey, don't classes start today?! Cos we really need her, along with the whole team + dream class, if we are to stand a more than solid chance of repeating this season!
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
[U]Liz Pelton[/U]: Spent some time with some familiar faces on the way to Vail! ������
@missyfranklin88 @cpiehl @marykpelton @wilbert9678


-------
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Anyway, I see that the baby :bear: and stud transfer are already hitting it off straight out of the gate lmao :rollinglaugh:
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
[U]Amy Bilquist[/U]: Luke [COLOR="#0099cc"][SIZE=4]��[/SIZE][/COLOR] happy National Dog Day! Miss you Lucas
[U]Valerie Hull[/U]: @amybilquist hey do you like your dog at all?
[U]Amy Bilquist[/U]: @hullval yo cowgirl simmer down



Also: ork: (kt) :bear:

[U]Connor Green[/U]: "Should I bring a stapler to class? Do you think I'll need it?" [COLOR="#0099cc"]@KatieMcLaugh1in #freshman[/COLOR]
[U]Katie McLaughlin[/U]: [COLOR="#0099cc"]@cggreen35[/COLOR] well?


[U]Valerie Hull[/U]: [COLOR="#0099cc"]@KatieMcLaugh1in[/COLOR] kt i want to see ur room ok thnx good talk
[U]Katie McLaughlin[/U]: [COLOR="#0099cc"]@hullval[/COLOR] come visit me plz rn ily
[U]Caitlin Leverenz[/U]: [COLOR="#0099cc"]@KatieMcLaugh1in @hullval[/COLOR] is this another language?
[U]Felicia Lee[/U]: [COLOR="#0099cc"]@cleverenz @KatieMcLaugh1in @hullval[/COLOR] these young folk and their slang these days [COLOR="#0099cc"]#cantkeepup #notonfleek[/COLOR]
[U]Katie Drabot[/U]: [COLOR="#0099cc"]@FeliciaFLee @cleverenz[/COLOR] do you guys need another lesson?


[U]Amy Bilquist[/U]: "I literally raved at a wandom person" [COLOR="#0099cc"]@KatieMcLaugh1in[/COLOR]


[U]Valerie Hull[/U]: freshest freshman award goes to [COLOR="#0099cc"]@KatieMcLaugh1in #day2 #killinit[/COLOR]



-------

OBear073akaSMFan;842530945 said:

---

Reward for Bootsma..a home meet for the senior too?

---

Think it's a side benefit, but more about timing. Based on the schedule, midterms are the two weeks prior, so practice will be lighter and simulates the run up to PAC-12s. NCAAs are in Atlanta and Teri wants to get data on how the team responds to travel and different time zones too. Last year's seniors were Teri's first super class, but she's even more dependent on the three star frosh than she was on any other prior freshmen class (including Boots and Pelton). Think she wants to get as much pre-February, March, and June datapoints as possible to prepare them properly.

Kinda sucks for East Coast Bears since they usually get to piggyback a free trip home for Thanksgiving around the Fall taper meet. Doesn't look like a White House trip is part of the schedule since the team usually concentrates on PAC-12 teams in the second half.

After hosting strong programs like Florida and Texas, or mid-tier programs with some star power (Wisconsin with Ivy Martin), the women's team autumn out of conference dual slate is pretty weak. Doesn't mean squat in the larger scheme, but I enjoy attending home duals, even if we suffer the occasional upset like last year with Texas.

One home meet to circle on your calendar, is the Cal mem versus NC State on Friday Nov 6. The Wolfpack is a sprint powerhouse led by Senior Simonas Bilas.

-------


Jasmine Mau - [COLOR="#696969"]26 Aug 2015[/COLOR]
New apartment. Same team. [SIZE=4]��[/SIZE]�� #dreamteam

[U]Taylor Nanfria[/U]: Well you gals clean up nice
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Hey, but what happened to Cierra & Noemie?? :cry:
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]


Kathleen Baker - [COLOR="#696969"]26 Aug[/COLOR] @ [COLOR="#808080"][/COLOR][COLOR="#696969"]UC Berkeley[/COLOR]
Junior Worlds 2013

[U]Kyle Coan[/U]: CG gets chicks
[U]Katie Drabot[/U]: ������
[U]Nora McCullagh[/U]: Mam you're in college you should know what year it is
[U]Maija Roses[/U]: You were in my apartment and leave me out of the pic ��


Maija Roses - [COLOR="#696969"]27 Aug[/COLOR] @ [COLOR="#808080"][/COLOR][COLOR="#696969"]UC Berkeley[/COLOR]
In honor of @kathleenbaker2 accidentally throwing away her brand new fins on the first day... #Gainz #SheMadeIt ����

[U]Kathleen Baker[/U]: ����
[U]Erika Brown[/U]: Classic kathy
[U]Connor Mccourt[/U]: That homeschool education paying off ��


Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]27 Aug[/COLOR]
[SIZE=4][COLOR="#0099cc"]��[/COLOR][COLOR="#A52A2A"]��[/COLOR][COLOR="#FFD700"]��[/COLOR][/SIZE]



-------

Bears pretty much cleaned up on the 2013 Junior Worlds Team: Cierra, Maija, McL, Baker, Abbey, Gornay, Green, Lynch, and Seliskar. Putting the band back together in Berkeley, Drabot and Mann.

BearDevil;842531394 said:

---

Bears pretty much cleaned up on the 2013 Junior Worlds Team: Cierra, Maija, McL, Baker, Abbey, Gornay, Green, Lynch, and Seliskar. Putting the band back together in Berkeley, Drabot and Mann.

---

[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Yes, pretty incredibly loaded in terms of :bear:s representation - 5 women, 9 in total :acclaim:

Hey wouldn't quibble at all with you if the merry band reunited @ the Grambling game in the form of Katie D & Becca (with a guest appearance from Abbey), heck why not throw Isabella R into the mix the following year as well :p

In comparison, [U]UT[/U] boasted a healthy 4 (Bethany Leap, Mimi Schneider, Olivia Anderson & Quinn Carrozza), whilst [U]UGA[/U] (Kylie Stewart & Courtney Weaver) & [U]LSJU[/U] (Ella Eastin & Alex Meyers) both had 2 each. Just a single rep for [U]USC[/U] (Riley Scott), & [U]U-M[/U] (Clara Smiddy).


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

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842531258 said:

---

[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Hey, but what happened to Cierra & Noemie?? :cry:
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

---

-------

[COLOR="#0066cc"][SIZE=5]Cierra Runge Taking Redshirt Year To Focus On Olympic Trials[/SIZE][/COLOR]



Cierra Runge will take a year off from competing for the California Golden Bears with the hopes of qualifying for the 2016 U.S. Olympic swimming team. The University of California-Berkeley confirmed Runge’s redshirt decision to Swimming World.

Runge told Swimming World that she will head south to Arizona State University and join Bob Bowman’s ever-growing elite group that includes Michael Phelps and fellow mid-distance freestyler Allison Schmitt among its talented athletes. Bowman was Runge’s primary coach at North Baltimore Aquatic Club before she head across the country for Berkeley last year, where she set the NCAA record in the 500 free and was part of the American record-setting 800 free relay at the Pac 12 championships as a freshman.

While Runge was a strong contributor for California’s NCAA team title last March, she was also making her mark in the long course pool. She qualified for the world championships in the 400 free and the 800 free relay, earning a gold medal as a prelim swimmer for the relay. She finished ninth in the 400 free, just four tenths away from making the championship final. Her big breakthrough came at last summer’s Pan Pacific championships, where she was a silver medalist behind Katie Ledecky in the 400 free with a 4:04.55.

Runge will be part of a very competitive field at the Olympic Trials in the 400 and 800 freestyles, with several ladies fighting for the second spot in those events behind the unstoppable Katie Ledecky. Runge closes out the 2015 long course season ranked fourth among Americans in the 400 free, though her lifetime best of 4:04.55 would rank second in the nation, just one tenth ahead of Leah Smith. In addition to the 400 free, Runge could contend for a spot on the Olympic team in the 800 free. Her lifetime best of 8:24.69 from last summer would rank third among Americans, behind Becca Mann and just ahead of Smith.

With Runge’s decision to sit out the 2015-2016 NCAA season, California loses another large point scorer from last year’s team following Missy Franklin’s decision to become a professional swimmer. Runge was a finalist in the 200 and 500 freestyles last March, and was part of the winning 800 free relay.


http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/cierra-runge-taking-redshirt-year-to-focus-on-olympic-trials/

-------

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842531637 said:

---

-------

[COLOR="#0066cc"][SIZE=5]Cierra Runge Taking Redshirt Year To Focus On Olympic Trials[/SIZE][/COLOR]



Cierra Runge will take a year off from competing for the California Golden Bears with the hopes of qualifying for the 2016 U.S. Olympic swimming team. The University of California-Berkeley confirmed Runge's redshirt decision to Swimming World.

Runge told Swimming World that she will head south to Arizona State University and join Bob Bowman's ever-growing elite group that includes Michael Phelps and fellow mid-distance freestyler Allison Schmitt among its talented athletes. Bowman was Runge's primary coach at North Baltimore Aquatic Club before she head across the country for Berkeley last year, where she set the NCAA record in the 500 free and was part of the American record-setting 800 free relay at the Pac 12 championships as a freshman.

While Runge was a strong contributor for California's NCAA team title last March, she was also making her mark in the long course pool. She qualified for the world championships in the 400 free and the 800 free relay, earning a gold medal as a prelim swimmer for the relay. She finished ninth in the 400 free, just four tenths away from making the championship final. Her big breakthrough came at last summer's Pan Pacific championships, where she was a silver medalist behind Katie Ledecky in the 400 free with a 4:04.55.

Runge will be part of a very competitive field at the Olympic Trials in the 400 and 800 freestyles, with several ladies fighting for the second spot in those events behind the unstoppable Katie Ledecky. Runge closes out the 2015 long course season ranked fourth among Americans in the 400 free, though her lifetime best of 4:04.55 would rank second in the nation, just one tenth ahead of Leah Smith. In addition to the 400 free, Runge could contend for a spot on the Olympic team in the 800 free. Her lifetime best of 8:24.69 from last summer would rank third among Americans, behind Becca Mann and just ahead of Smith.

With Runge's decision to sit out the 2015-2016 NCAA season, California loses another large point scorer from last year's team following Missy Franklin's decision to become a professional swimmer. Runge was a finalist in the 200 and 500 freestyles last March, and was part of the winning 800 free relay.


http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/cierra-runge-taking-redshirt-year-to-focus-on-olympic-trials/

-------

---

Oh crap! This is a huge blow to our repeat chances .

tedbear;842531646 said:

---

Oh crap! This is a huge blow to our repeat chances .

---

I'm hoping it is not a permanent move to AZ!

No projected 2016 scorers in the 500 and 1650, plus losing a 200 Free scorer/800 Relay leg. Thought Teri would move McL out of the 100 Fly anyway (Boots, Farida, Noemie, Mau) and into the 200 Free. 800 Relay: Pelton, McL, Baker, Acker.

Glass half full: a class of Cierra, McL, Baker, Amy will be a force. Glass half empty: Cierra would be immediately eligible next season at ASU after a redshirt. Don't think Cal would have confirmed a blueshift if they didn't think Cierra were coming back.

As tedbear noted, 2018 is a huge recruiting year: Ruck, Merrell, Homovich, Bayer, Ariola, Shelton, Ault. Too bad it's out of phase with reloading post dream team. Drabot becomes an even bigger 2016 priority with or without Cierra. Curious about Mann-ASU, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, or Cal?

-------
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
I do think we will take quite a hit with Cierra's unavailability this season, truth be told :bawl:

As BD had pointed out, realistically very little/no distance scoring potential ([U]500[/U] & [U]1650[/U]) with the departure of Cierra, Melanie & Catherine (not to overlook Taylor). Neither Marina nor Celina projects as NCAA scorers in the [U]500[/U], even if the former stays @ Berkeley to train for Rio.

Our chances at a repeat of the [U]800 free relay[/U] title will be significantly impacted by Cierra's absence, after all we'll have lost some pretty massive contributions from Missy (1:39.10), Camille (1:42.82) & Caroline (1:43.78). Hopefully Liz (1:42.13) will be on the mend and back to her best (and not blueshirting!), thankfully we shall have the dynamic freshie duo Katie (1:43.01) & Kathleen (1:43.61) stepping in to the rescue! :cheer

Then tis probably Rachael (1:44.33) for the 4th spot esp if she can get back to her 2013 form. Abbey (1:44.64) could have been an option for this relay if she hadn't deferred.

May have to consider shifting the [U]100 fly[/U] onus to Farida/Boots/Jasmine/Noemie just so that Katie can help out in the [U]200 free[/U] individual - that is, assuming Farida & Noemie are back with Bears in this Olympic year!

Also a chance Amy (1:45.03) can make a move and establish a convincing case for her inclusion in the 4x200 relay, though that scenario's more likely later than sooner due to her ongoing rehab/recovery from her stress fractures issue. Much longer shots would encompass the likes of Celina (1:46.27), Jenna (1:46.35)...perhaps even Jasmine (1:47.09), Valerie (1:47.67) or Cat (1:47.88), with considerable further development :p

May have to allow for having to swallow the bitter pill of seeing Stanfurd wrest that relay title from us, if it's only temporarily... :headbang

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

[COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=5]Cal's 49-Point Scorer Cierra Runge Will Sit Out 2015-2016 Season[/SIZE][/COLOR]


[COLOR="#696969"]Cal's Cierra Runge was the second-highest scoring freshman at last year's NCAA women's championships. Archive Photo via Tim Binning/TheSwimPictures.com[/COLOR]

http://swimswam.com/cals-49-point-scorer-cierra-runge-will-sit-out-2015-2016-season/

-------

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842531743 said:

---

-------
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
I do think we will take quite a hit with Cierra's unavailability this season, truth be told :bawl:

As BD had pointed out, realistically very little/no distance scoring potential ([U]500[/U] & [U]1650[/U]) with the departure of Cierra, Melanie & Catherine (not to overlook Taylor). Neither Marina nor Celina projects as NCAA scorers in the [U]500[/U], even if the former stays @ Berkeley to train for Rio.

Our chances at a repeat of the [U]800 free relay[/U] title will be significantly impacted by Cierra's absence, after all we'll have lost some pretty massive contributions from Missy (1:39.10), Camille (1:42.82) & Caroline (1:43.78). Hopefully Liz (1:42.13) will be on the mend and back to her best (and not blueshirting!), thankfully we shall have the dynamic freshie duo Katie (1:43.01) & Kathleen (1:43.61) stepping in to the rescue! :cheer

Then tis probably Rachael (1:44.33) for the 4th spot esp if she can get back to her 2013 form. Abbey (1:44.64) could have been an option for this relay if she hadn't deferred.

May have to consider shifting the [U]100 fly[/U] onus to Farida/Boots/Jasmine/Noemie just so that Katie can help out in the [U]200 free[/U] individual - that is, assuming Farida & Noemie are back with Bears in this Olympic year!

Also a chance Amy (1:45.03) can make a move and establish a convincing case for her inclusion in the 4x200 relay, though that scenario's more likely later than sooner due to her ongoing rehab/recovery from her stress fractures issue. Much longer shots would encompass the likes of Celina (1:46.27), Jenna (1:46.35)...perhaps even Jasmine (1:47.09), Valerie (1:47.67) or Cat (1:47.88), with considerable further development :p

May have to allow for having to swallow the bitter pill of seeing Stanfurd wrest that relay title from us, if it's only temporarily... :headbang

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

[COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=5]Cal’s 49-Point Scorer Cierra Runge Will Sit Out 2015-2016 Season[/SIZE][/COLOR]


[COLOR="#696969"]Cal's Cierra Runge was the second-highest scoring freshman at last year's NCAA women's championships. Archive Photo via Tim Binning/TheSwimPictures.com[/COLOR]

http://swimswam.com/cals-49-point-scorer-cierra-runge-will-sit-out-2015-2016-season/

-------

---

I'm hoping that Cierra will be the last of the swimmers to sit-out, though I am concern about Noemie Thomas as a possibility. So far, no indication she is back in school. Sorry for being a glass half-empty person!