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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Cal Women's Swimming & Diving's [U]All-Time Top 10 List[/U] was updated yesterday:
[INDENT]https://admin.xosn.com/attachments1/509634.pdf[/INDENT]

Quite a few changes thanks to some stellar performances from Pac-12s :beer:
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
[U]50 Free[/U]: Farida (#2 -> #1), Amy (#9 tied w/Missy)

[U]100 Back[/U]: Amy (#4), Kathleen (#5)

[U]200 Back[/U]: Amy (#4), Kathleen (#5)

[U]100 Breast[/U]: Marina (#6 -> #6, faster time), Maija (#10 -> #9)

[U]200 Breast[/U]: Maija (#9 -> #9, faster time)

[U]100 Fly[/U]: Farida (#4 -> #3), Noemie (#9 -> #5)

[U]200 Fly[/U]: Noemie (#6 -> #5), Kelly (#6)

[U]200 IM[/U]: Kathleen (#3 tied w/Lizzie), Kelly (#7 -> #7, faster time)

[U]200 IM[/U]: Kelly (#3 -> #3, faster time)

[U]1-Meter Diving[/U]: Phoebe (#6)

[U]Platform Diving[/U]: Phoebe (#8), Hayden (#10 -> #9)
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Hopefully we'll get to see a few more updates to the above list after NCAAs, in just a fortnight's time!

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Whilst the women's team prep hard for NCAAs in the midst of midterms, the grad group (well 4 :bear:s + 1 furd) appears to be having fun out in Tasmania...with some other grads (Natalie, Madison) refuelling in Orlando for the Arena Pro Series competition there :p
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Dana Vollmer - 3 Mar @ Launceston, Tasmania
Pool session with the best squad ever! #teammates

[U]Caitlin[/U] - Squad: crew, posse, gang; an informal group of individuals with a common identity. #squadgoals #roadtorio

Madison Kennedy - 3 Mar @ Hanamizuki Japanese Restaurant
|| Gang's all here. Not pictured, my burned tongue from lack of patience ���� ||


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BearDevil;842656454 said:

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Diving sectionals are next week. Phoebe has a chance to qualify, but probably not a scorer. LSJU may qualify three divers, but only Alex Clay projects as a scorer. Their best diver redshirt this season.

Ideally Teri eventually gets to 17 swim scorers and 2 diving scorers. Facilities certainly will help, but a diving coach upgrade might be in the future too.

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[COLOR="#8B4513"][SIZE=4]2016 NCAA Zone Diving Qualification Preview[/SIZE][/COLOR]

Zone E
Flagstaff, Arizona
[U]March 7-9[/U]
Northern Arizona University

https://swimswam.com/2016-ncaa-zone-diving-qualification-preview/

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[COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=4]2016 NCAA ZONE E CHAMPIONSHIPS[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[U]Women Divers Entered[/U]:

Boushakra, Sara-Lina - University of California, Berkeley ( 1M | 3M | PL )
Kastler, Anne - University of California, Berkeley ( 1M | 3M | PL )
Lamay, Phoebe - University of California, Berkeley ( 1M | 3M | PL )
Tavoda, Hayden - University of California, Berkeley ( 1M | 3M | PL )

https://secure.meetcontrol.com/divemeets/system/meetinfoext.php?meetnum=4085
https://secure.meetcontrol.com/divemeets/system/meetresultsext.php?meetnum=4085

[COLOR="#006400"]Live results[/COLOR] (unofficial): https://secure.meetcontrol.com/divemeets/system/livestats.php?event=stats-4085-7140-9-Started

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[COLOR="#333366"][SIZE=5]2016 Women’s [U]100 Fly[/U] NCAA Preview: Worrell Looking For Repeat[/SIZE][/COLOR]


Louisville’s Kelsi Worrell comes in as the top seed, but three other women have been sub-51 this season so nothing is a sure thing, but anyone would be a fool to bet against Worrell in her signature event. Given that it is an Olympic year and she was faster this year at ACCs than last, don’t be surprised to see an American record.

The other three who have been sub-51 this year will likely be racing for second, but nonetheless this sets up to be the quickest women’s 100 fly field in history. Farida Osman, Hellen Moffitt, and Sarah Gibson all clocked their season best times at their respective conference championship meets recently, and will be looking to drop some more time at the big meet.

Cal junior Farida Osman pulled out a lifetime best at Pac-12s, clocking 50.53 on her way to a decisive victory. Osman finally defeated USC senior Kendyl Stewart who beat her by 0.04 for the 2015 Pac-12 title and then defeated her by just 0.02 at NCAAs where Stewart was 3rd and Osman was 4th. Osman set her previous personal best at NCAAs last year where she clocked 50.94. Now that she has finally defeated Stewart, Osman should be flying high heading into NCAAs. Considering she dropped time from Pac-12s to NCAAs last season, we should expect the same from her this year, and doing so will give her a spot on the podium, something that eluded her last season.

Noemie Thomas of Cal is 5th with a 51.15. Thomas, a Canadian Olympic hopeful, has taken major strides this season after finishing 19th in this event at NCAAs in her freshman year.


Top 8 Predictions

[U]#.Name, College Seed Time Best Time[/U]

1.Kelsi Worrell, Louisville 50.06 49.81
2.[U]Farida Osman, Cal[/U] 50.53 50.53
3.Kendyl Stewart, USC 51.17 50.92
4.[U]Noemie Thomas, Cal[/U] 51.15 51.15
5.Sarah Gibson, Texas A&M 50.99 50.99
6.Hellen Moffitt, UNC 50.67 50.67
7.Beryl Gastaldello, Texas A&M 51.46 50.87
8.Madeline Banic, Tennessee 51.19 51.19


[COLOR="#696969"]Deraj: "I would also expect Rachel Bootsma to be an A final contender. However her day 2 100 back/fly double must be difficult."[/COLOR]


https://swimswam.com/2016-womens-100-fly-ncaa-preview-worrell-looking-repeat/


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[COLOR="#DAA520"][SIZE=5]2016 W. NCAA Picks: Sans Teammate Manuel, Lia Neal a [U]100 Free[/U] Favorite[/SIZE][/COLOR]

TOP 8 PREDICTIONS

[U]Swimmer School Seed Best Time[/U]

Lia Neal Stanford 1st – 46.97 46.84
Natalie Hinds Florida 3rd – 47.35 47.19
[U]Farida Osman Cal[/U] 2nd – 47.20 47.20
Olivia Smoliga Georgia 5th – 47.49 47.49
Siobhan Haughey Michigan 7th – 47.71 47.71
Beryl Gastaldello Texas A&M 4th – 47.49 47.49
Rebecca Millard Texas 11th – 47.88 47.88
Katarzyna Wilk USC 6th – 47.61 47.61

Dark Horse: Cal’s Rachel Bootsma comes in at the 15th seed, but has only competed in one collegiate championship meet (2016 Pac-12’s) in her career in the 100 free. The 2012 Olympian will be doing a tough double the day before (100 back/100 fly), but expect her to contend for top 8 in the 100 free, and with her underwaters, possibly even surprise and medal. Bootsma has shown this season that her 100 free times are fast enough to compete with the top sprinters and with more championship racing in the event, she will put pressure on the field.


https://swimswam.com/2016-w-ncaa-picks-sans-teammate-manuel-lia-neal-a-100-free-favorite/


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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Looks like Phoebe's in for NCAAs ([U]1m diving[/U])!!! :cheer

2 furdettes also qualified...
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

Unofficial Statistics

Women 1m Championship (6 Dives) (Final)

[U]Place Score DiverName EventAvgScore AvgRoundScore[/U]
1 654.80 Krysta Palmer (NEV) 7.58 56.04
2 643.25 Sharae Zheng (NEV) 7.36 54.54
3 625.25 Maria Polyakova (UCLA) 6.89 50.94
4 610.50 Eloise Belanger (UCLA) 7.08 52.43
5 605.10 Gracia Leydon-Mahoney (STAN) 6.89 50.96
6 576.25 Alexandra Clay (STAN) 6.75 48.57
7 576.10 Phoebe Lamay (CAL) 6.61 49.05
8 575.40 Mara Aiacoboae (ASU) 6.89 49.68
9 568.90 Zoe Lei (NEV) 6.72 48.40
10 564.70 Chelsea Jackson (NAZU) 6.42 47.62
11 562.10 Aimee Harrison (HAWA) 6.53 47.02
12 548.80 Alexa Geiger (NAZU) 6.22 45.49
13 545.85 Lauren Hall (HAWA) 6.11 45.54
14 545.50 Kari Campbell (UWYO) 6.36 47.09
15 542.85 Alexandra Caplan (SDSU) 6.36 47.09
16 534.75 Cari Reiswig (SJSU) 5.94 44.39
17 515.55 Lucy Lafranchise (DAVI) 5.83 42.02
18 511.60 Annika Lenz (UCLA) 5.58 39.81

https://secure.meetcontrol.com/divemeets/system/livestats.php?event=stats-4085-7140-9-Started
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Well at least that's my limited understanding of the qualifying rules from reading this:
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/2016-ncaa-zone-diving-qualifying-explained/

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[SIZE=3][COLOR="#DAA520"]CONFIRMED[/COLOR][/SIZE]: https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/2016-ncaa-zone-diving-qualifying-roundup/

ZONE QUALIFIERS BY TEAM

Women

[U]California[/U]
Phoebe Lamay, California 1m-7

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UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842659252 said:

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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Looks like Phoebe's in for NCAAs ([U]1m diving[/U])!!! :cheer

[U]California[/U]
Phoebe Lamay, California 1m-7

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Cool!! :beer:

OBear073akaSMFan;842659290 said:

---

Cool!! :beer:

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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Sorry to have to report that #19 [COLOR="#003366"]Pheebs[/COLOR] & #20 [COLOR="#003366"]Hayden[/COLOR] Tavoda didn't quite advance out of the quarterfinal rounds of the [U]3m[/U] diving today (only the Top 18 gets to battle it out in the finals round).

On a brighter note (I hope!), [COLOR="#DAA520"]Anne Kastler[/COLOR] did make it to this afternoon's finals, where she has ended up in the #11 spot just now, which should squeak in for NCAA qualification @ this event I think (top 11 -> NCAAs??). :cheer

3 [COLOR="#B22222"]furdettes[/COLOR] are also thru tho... :cry:

In other news:
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
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[COLOR="#333366"][SIZE=5]2016 W. NCAA Picks: Can King Crown Herself [U]100 Breast[/U] Queen?[/SIZE][/COLOR]



Top 8 Predictions

[U]SWIMMER SCHOOL SEED BEST-TIME [/U]
Lilly King Indiana 1st 57.35 57.35
Sarah Haase Stanford 2nd 58.02 58.02
Andrea Cottrell Louisville 3rd 58.26 58.26
Laura Simon Virginia 6th 58.73 58.53
Katharine Ross Mizzou 4th 58.38 58.38
Emily Fogle Purdue 8th 58.88 58.88
Miranda Tucker Indiana 5th 58.58 58.58
Abby Duncan Mizzou 7th 58.83 58.83

Dark Horse: USC's Riley Scott isn't the riskiest dark horse, as she's seeded just two spots out of finals at #10, but the freshman could have a big swim ready to go at NCAAs. A highly-touted breaststroke recruit in high school, Scott had never broken a minute until this season, when she did so twice at the Texas Invite and twice again at the Pac-12 Champs. Her 59.31 from Pac-12s is her lifetime best, after she had never been under 1:00.5 prior to becoming a Trojan. This is going to be a hard A final to make with the top 8 seeds all under 59 seconds, but Scott has the momentum to break through.


https://swimswam.com/2016-w-ncaa-picks-can-king-crown-100-breast-queen/


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UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842659786 said:

---

[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Sorry to have to report that #19 [COLOR="#003366"]Pheebs[/COLOR] & #20 [COLOR="#003366"]Hayden[/COLOR] Tavoda didn't quite advance out of the quarterfinal rounds of the [U]3m[/U] diving today (only the Top 18 gets to battle it out in the finals round).

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---

If Phoebe makes it in 1 diving event (1m) can't she participate in the other diving events?

OBear073akaSMFan;842659831 said:

---

If Phoebe makes it in 1 diving event (1m) can't she participate in the other diving events?

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Swimswam: "Any diver that is eligible to compete will be allowed to enter any other event(s) at the NCAAs, provided they finished in the top-12 at their zone meet and have the zone qualifying score in that event prior to NCAAs.

This is basically the B-cut standard for divers, as once they have been invited in an event, they must finish in the top-12 of the other event (or other two events) to be able to compete in them at NCAAs."

https://swimswam.com/2016-ncaa-zone-diving-qualification-preview/

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SwimmingWorld: "(Consider this step the B cut for divers. Once a diver has been invited in an event, they will be required to finish in the top 12 of the other two events to be able to dive in them at NCAAs)

The new system is really similar to swimming qualifying with a de facto A cut, B cut and school-paid-for invitations versus what the NCAA reimburses an institution for in terms of a diver competing at the event.

The top five female and top four male divers from each event at their respective zone diving meet will be eligible to compete at the NCAA championships. Additional place finishers in each event at each zone will be eligible based on the number of student-athletes from that zone who finished in the top 16 in that event at the previous year's championships NCAA championships. All eligible divers must have achieved the zone qualifying score prior to the NCAA championships in all events they wish to participate."

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/2016-ncaa-zone-diving-qualifying-explained/

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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
Hmmm, has anyone noticed that board topics relating to the [U]Women[/U]'s team (esp Swim & Dive) seem to attract considerably more views than their [U]male[/U] counterparts over here...for example:
[COLOR="#696969"]
Women's Swim Recruits => 133,826 views
Women's Swim Recruiting: Class of 2016 => 57,137 views
Women's Swimming: 2014-2015 Schedule & Roster => 52,201 views
2015-2016 Season: Women's Swimming => 41,284 views
2015 Women's NCAA Championships (Swimming) => 23,718 views
Cal women rank #4 swim recruits => 10,498 views

2015 Men's Swimming Recruits => 34,575 views
2015 Men's NCAA Swimming => 10,500 views
2015-2016 Season: *Men's Swimming* => 10,498 views
2016 Men's Swimming Recruits => 9,968 views
[/COLOR]
Not dissing the really talented Men's Swim team btw, they will always have our enthusiastic praise, admiration & support - thru thick & thin! :beer: Well doesn't hurt that it's been mostly the former, thanks to their amazin' record under Coach Durden - though I'm sure most of you won't hesitate either to post vocal but constructive criticism whenever warranted :p

It's just that Dave's bois (sorry, MEN haha) and their collegiate male counterparts nationwide, tend to get disproportionately more attention & interest in the mainstream media than the women - just check out the CollegeSwimming forums, or even this Swimswam example:

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So I just personally thought it rather appropriate on "[COLOR="#ff0099"]International Women's Day[/COLOR]" that there appears to be a bucking of the trend here, where Teri's family gets a massive & deserved amount of recognition & appreciation for all that they had/will achieved in & out of the pool...and just as important, the manner in which they have carried themselves as ambassadors for our school... :bravo
Alright, I'll get off my OT soapbox :rant ... we'll now return you to your regular programming... Go :bear:s!

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Oh, here's a spot of testosterone to offset all the estrogen above lol:

[video=youtube;Xh9jAD1ofm4][/video]

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

Good points about the women's team relative to the men's team, UAC. Demonstrates how much an iconic athlete means to a sport.

Was living in the South during the Kidd era, but was still kind of amazed to hear Cal hoops come up in discussions with casual fans.

Bummer for Murphy and Seliskar, who have the whole Cal package, but Missy eclipses them both. Goff's about to become a household name, but Jaylen gets more play here because of his talent and intellectual curiosity. Jack Clark's rugby program has been at or near the top since the early '80s and there are precious few threads on their dominance.

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[COLOR="#8B4513"][SIZE=4]NCAA Div I Psych Sheet - Scoring by Class & # of Individuals[/SIZE][/COLOR]


[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
The above stats from [U]USA Swimming[/U] seem to confirm many of the observations posted on the boards here.

Strong senior class for :bear:s @ this year's NCAAs (Bootsie, Lizzie, Kelly & Rachael), ably supported by a solid cadre of juniors somewhat impacted by the loss of Missy (Farida, Celina, KV, Marina), and sophomores decimated by Cierra's transfer + Jaz's injuries/issues. But it's really the freshies who have been shinning - just the Amy/Kathleen duo alone accounts for 82 potential individual points! (with an even bigger impact from the Dream Team if Katie hadn't been injured)

This year may represent the last realistic opportunity for [U]Georgia[/U] to go for the national team title, they do have a pair of outstanding seniors in Flickinger & MacLean but no one from their frosh class is projected to score.

[U]Trojans[/U] froskies should do well and will be reinforced by their quality incoming 2016 recruits in the next go round. [U]UVA[/U] has a scoring threat in their juniors as do [U]A&M[/U]'s soph underclass(wo)men.

[U]Furdettes[/U] appear to be growing ever stronger, unfortunately for us, with the makings of a formidable dynasty when Simone rejoins their team and studettes Ledecky/Drabot/Voss/Szekely/Byrnes arrive on the Farm next year...
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
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BearDevil;842660008 said:

---

Good points about the women's team relative to the men's team, UAC. Demonstrates how much an iconic athlete means to a sport.

Was living in the South during the Kidd era, but was still kind of amazed to hear Cal hoops come up in discussions with casual fans.

Bummer for Murphy and Seliskar, who have the whole Cal package, but Missy eclipses them both. Goff's about to become a household name, but Jaylen gets more play here because of his talent and intellectual curiosity. Jack Clark's rugby program has been at or near the top since the early '80s and there are precious few threads on their dominance.

---

I think a lot of traffic is being driven to the women threads because the women tend to be more into social media postings i.e. twitter & instragram which help add to these threads. I'm sure the guys, use it too but not to the extent of the women. It also didn't hurt with our top 2015-16 recruits where we anticipated would lead us another NCAA 'ship.

BearDevil;842660008 said:

---

Demonstrates how much an iconic athlete means to a sport.

Bummer for Murphy and Seliskar, who have the whole Cal package, but Missy eclipses them both.

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OBear073akaSMFan;842660082 said:

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I think a lot of traffic is being driven to the women threads because the women tend to be more into social media postings i.e. twitter & instragram which help add to these threads. I'm sure the guys, use it too but not to the extent of the women. It also didn't hurt with our top 2015-16 recruits where we anticipated would lead us another NCAA 'ship.

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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Like your insightful analyses - agree that a potent combo of stars (Missy), social media, & high profile 2015 recruits are likely driving the interest here :beer: After all, what else could possibly account for "Women's Swim Recruits" falling in the Top 4 most viewed thread if it was located in the [U]Football[/U] forum, or behind only the "cal's monster class" topic on the [U]Men's Basketball[/U] board (which does boast a mind-blowing 1,646,510 views!!) ?

Here's hoping that the last sentence in OBear's post will prove prophetic - I share the same sentiments & hope, though currently don't have quite the degree of optimism/confidence expressed by SwimmingWorld below (if only cos I'm always a wee cautious about some teams not having fully shown their hand at their respective conferences, or just wary of Cal's serious lack of distance/breast/diving + McL's absence):
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
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[COLOR="#003366"][SIZE=5]California Early Favorite to Win 2016 NCAA Division I Women's Championships[/SIZE][/COLOR]



According to some great information produced by USA Swimming, California looks to be the early favorite when scoring out the psych sheet.

California is slated to have a close meet into the fourth day before pulling away from Virginia and Stanford down the stretch. Stanford is also projected to move ahead of Virginia by the end of the meet with Georgia and Southern California rounding out the top five.



https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/california-early-favorite-to-win-2016-ncaa-division-i-womens-championships/


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[COLOR="#333366"][SIZE=5]NCAA Women's 100 Back Preview: Bootsma, Bartholomew Chasing Coughlin's Record[/SIZE][/COLOR]



Last year at the NCAA Championships, Cal's Rachel Bootsma was just .06 away from breaking Natalie Coughlin's NCAA, American, and U.S. Open Record set back in 2002. Bootsma won the event in 50.03, missing Coughlin's 49.97 by less than a tenth. Though Bootsma was the NCAA champ in this event by half a second, Virginia's Courtney Bartholomew came even closer to the record with a 50.01 earlier in the season. Now seniors, Bootsma and Bartholomew will return to make one last run at that record in the NCAA. This time around, they'll be challenged by a ridiculously fast field of women's backstrokers.

Last season, Bootsma and Bartholomew were the only 2 women under 51 seconds. This year, we've already seen 6 women under that mark in the lead up to NCAAs, led by newcomer Amy Bilquist. Bilquist, a freshman at Cal, made a huge drop in the 100 back to post a 50.50 in prelims at the Pac-12 Championships.

Behind Bilquist, Bartholomew is ranked 2nd in the 2015-16 season with a 50.55 from ACCs. She's been consistently in the 50 second range at her mid-season meets, ACCS, and NCAAs since 2014. Bootsma enters the meet a couple of places behind Bartholomew. Her 50.74 from Pac-12 lands her 4th behind Pac-12 Champion Ally Howe. The Stanford sophomore is seeded 3rd with a 50.71.

At the 2016 SEC Championships, Olivia Smoliga and Kira Toussaint posted a pair of 50-second swims. Smoliga was a 50.80 to win the event. Toussaint, a transfer from FGCU to Tennessee, swam a 50.85 in prelims. Both women were in the championship final of this event at last season's NCAAs.

There's a slew of women who have been 51-low this year. Kathleen Baker, also a freshman at Cal, clocked a 51.05 at the Pac-12 Championships. Stanford's Janet Hu was just behind her in that race with a season best 51.14. UCLA's Linnea Mack swam a 51.37 at Pac-12s, which ranks her 10th behind NC State's Alexia Zevnik, who has a 51.27 from ACCs.

It took a 51.73 to make the A final at the 2015 NCAA Championships. This season, 51.73 is ranked 15th. It's possible that it may take a 51-mid to make the consolation final, with 20 women under that mark already.


Top 8 Predictions

[U]PLACE SWIMMER SEED BEST-TIME [/U]
1 Rachel Bootsma 50.74 50.03
2 Courtney Bartholomew 50.55 50.01
3 Amy Bilquist 50.5 50.5
4 Ally Howe 50.71 50.71
5 Olivia Smoliga 50.8 50.8
6 Kathleen Baker 51.05 51.05
7 Kira Toussaint 50.85 50.85
8 Janet Hu 51.14 51.14

Dark horse: NC State's Alexia Zevnik cracked 52 for the first time this season to post a 51.37 at ACCs. She was 18th in this event a year ago, but comes into the meet as the 9th seed this season.


https://swimswam.com/womens-100-back-ncaa-preview/


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Still think the 'furdettes win it all this year, but would be poetic if the Bears won again. With apologies to the 2015 seniors, the current seniors (Boots, Pelton, Naze, Acker, Grima plus Driscoll) were truly Teri's first mega recruiting class. Certainly had occasional superstars (Natalie, Vollmer) before, but not the overall depth and breadth of high end talent in a single recruiting class like the 2016 seniors. Seems quaint to recall a time when Teri's Bears were plucky underdogs who she had to coach up,

BearDevil;842660190 said:

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Still think the 'furdettes win it all this year, but would be poetic if the Bears won again. With apologies to the 2015 seniors, the current seniors (Boots, Pelton, Naze, Acker, Grima plus Driscoll) were truly Teri's first mega recruiting class. Certainly had occasional superstars (Natalie, Vollmer) before, but not the overall depth and breadth of high end talent in a single recruiting class like the 2016 seniors. Seems quaint to recall a time when Teri's Bears were plucky underdogs who she had to coach up,

---

Think the key will be the seniors Boots , Naze, Acker and Elzibeth going out with a bang and we get some great breaststroke legs. Yes furds will be tough though.

[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
No Bears qualified from the just concluded Platform (10m) diving finals :cry:

Only the top 9 advances from my limited understanding of the diving end of things. [U]Anne Kastler[/U] was the highest paced :bear: @ #15.

2 furdettes, 2 trojans & 2 bruins will go on to NCAAs for platform.
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
https://secure.meetcontrol.com/divemeets/system/livestats.php?event=stats-4085-7175-9-Finished

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842660023 said:

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[COLOR="#8B4513"][SIZE=4]NCAA Div I Psych Sheet - Scoring by Class & # of Individuals[/SIZE][/COLOR]


[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]
The above stats from [U]USA Swimming[/U] seem to confirm many of the observations posted on the boards here.

Strong senior class for :bear:s @ this year's NCAAs (Bootsie, Lizzie, Kelly & Rachael), ably supported by a solid cadre of juniors somewhat impacted by the loss of Missy (Farida, Celina, KV, Marina), and sophomores decimated by Cierra's transfer + Jaz's injuries/issues. But it's really the freshies who have been shinning - just the Amy/Kathleen duo alone accounts for 82 potential individual points! (with an even bigger impact from the Dream Team if Katie hadn't been injured)

This year may represent the last realistic opportunity for [U]Georgia[/U] to go for the national team title, they do have a pair of outstanding seniors in Flickinger & MacLean but no one from their frosh class is projected to score.

[U]Trojans[/U] froskies should do well and will be reinforced by their quality incoming 2016 recruits in the next go round. [U]UVA[/U] has a scoring threat in their juniors as do [U]A&M[/U]'s soph underclass(wo)men.

[U]Furdettes[/U] appear to be growing ever stronger, unfortunately for us, with the makings of a formidable dynasty when Simone rejoins their team and studettes Ledecky/Drabot/Voss/Szekely/Byrnes arrive on the Farm next year...
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
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Interesting chart. Teri still has another big ticket scholly for next season. Previously thought an international froskie would be the way to go, but an impact rising junior transfer might be even better. Potentially would balance out scoring by class better and would give Teri another big scholly to use in 2018 (Ruck, Merrell, Penny). 500 Free/400 IM/1650 Free scorer would boost the 2017 the most. May not need to swim an 800 Free leg with Abbey, McL, Baker, Amy.

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[COLOR="#333366"][SIZE=5]2016 W. NCAA Picks: Osman Favorite to Win 50, NCAA Record Could Fall[/SIZE][/COLOR]



[SIZE=4]50 FREESTYLE[/SIZE]

[INDENT] NCAA record: 21.27 Lara Jackson (Arizona) 3/19/2009
American record: 21.12 Abbey Weitzeil (Canyon's Aquatic Club) 3/5/2016
U.S. Open record: 21.12 Abbey Weitzeil (Canyon's Aquatic Club) 3/5/2016
2015 NCAA Champion: Simone Manuel (Stanford) 21.32[/INDENT]

Cal's Farida Osman is the top seed in the 50 free at NCAA's after posting a quick 21.32 at PAC-12 championships in February. The 2012 Olympian for Egypt is having a great season for Cal and is making significant time drops in her sprint freestyle events. Osman is seeded .3 seconds ahead of the 2nd seed, which makes her the strong favorite in the 50 free this year. Without 2015 NCAA champion Simone Manuel, Osman is seeded well-ahead of the rest of the pack and will certainly challenge Lara Jackson's NCAA record of 21.27.

While Osman is the clear favorite in the 50 free this year at NCAA's, keep an eye on Worrell and Smoliga to seriously challenge her for the win. With solid time drops, Hinds and Neal also pose a threat to the top 3 this year as well. And, don't be surprised if some records fall as some of the fastest sprinters compete for first place in the 50 freestyle at women's NCAA's.

Top 8 Predictions

[U]Swimmer School Seed Best-Time [/U]
Farida Osman California 1st 21.32 21.32
Kelsi Worrell Louisville 4th 21.85 21.62
Olivia Smoliga Georgia 3rd 21.67 21.54
Natalie Hinds Florida 8th 21.92 21.66
Lia Neal Stanford 6th 21.88 21.88
Madeline Banic Tennessee 11th 21.96 21.96
Beryl Gastaldello Texas A&M 5th 21.86 21.76
Zhesi Li Ohio State 2nd 21.63 21.63

Dark horse: California freshman and U.S. National team member Amy Bilquist is seeded 13th with a time of 22.10. Bilquist has proven that she is one of the top sprint freestylers in the country and her racing experience could shine through at her first NCAA championships. Bilquist has been stuck in the low-22's in the 50 free for some time now, but this could be the meet that she finally breaks into the 21's in the 50 free. If she does, Bilquist could challenge for a spot in the top 8.


https://swimswam.com/2016-w-ncaa-picks-osman-favorite-win-50-ncaa-record-fall/


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[COLOR="#333366"][SIZE=5]2016 W. NCAA Picks: Experience, Youth Collide In 200 Back[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[SIZE=4][U]200 Backstroke[/U][/SIZE]

[INDENT] NCAA record: 1:47.84 Elizabeth Pelton (CAL) 3/23/13
American record: 1:47.84 Elizabeth Pelton (CAL) 3/23/13
U.S. Open record: 1:47.84 Elizabeth Pelton (CAL) 3/23/13
2015 NCAA Champion: Missy Franklin (CAL) 1:47.91[/INDENT]

Bartholomew is one of two women to break 1:50 already this year, the other being Cal freshman Amy Bilquist. While Bartholomew would appear to be the favorite, Bilquist is the field's biggest wild card as a hyper-talented youngster who has dropped absurd amounts of time in the race already this year.

Bilquist entered college with a lifetime-best of 1:53 in the event but has blown up in her rookie season in Berkeley. She won the hotly-contested Pac-12 title last month, going 1:49.9 and even beating American record-holder Liz Pelton. The biggest question with Bilquist is how much time she has left to drop this season. Cutting more than three seconds over the year is a huge improvement, and it's hard to expect much more of a freshman-year drop. Then again, Bilquist's rapid improvement curve might suggest she's still figuring the race out and may just come up with another shocking swim at NCAAs.

In a way, Bartholomew and Bilquist represent to the two archetypes of swimmers that make up this field: the established elite and the young talent trying to overtake them.

Add Pelton to Bartholomew's camp. An NCAA champ and American record-setter as a freshman in 2013, Pelton hasn't been back under 1:50 since 2014. She's got the talent to win this race in a blowout, but it really depends on whether we see 2013 Pelton or the 2015 version that faded to 7th in the final, adding 1.7 seconds to her prelims swim. Pelton is also coming off of a hand surgery, though that happened late last summer and should be fully healed up by this point.

Bilquist's peers in the younger group will be charging hard, though. Stanford sophomore Janet Hu is the third seed in this event and a bit of an unknown commodity. She swam the 200 fly last year, but jumps into the backstroke this time around after taking second in the event at Pac-12s. Kathleen Baker is another Cal freshman with big upside. And there's a whole host of sophomores looking to step into the NCAA spotlight. Kylie Stewart is a returning A finalist for Georgia, though she didn't get under 1:50 last year after doing so in high school. Ally Howe of Stanford and Clara Smiddy of Michigan should both be factors. Lisa Bratton won SECs, even beating tough Georgia star Hali Flickinger (who isn't swimming the event at NCAAs) and Kentucky All-American Danielle Galyer (who is).

[SIZE=3]Top 8 Predictions[/SIZE]

[U]Pick Name Team Season-best Lifetime-best [/U]
1 Courtney Bartholomew Virginia 1:49.63 1:49.35
2 Danielle Galyer Kentucky 1:50.73 1:50.73
3 Amy Bilquist California 1:49.90 1:49.90
4 Lisa Bratton Texas A&M 1:50.64 1:50.64
5 Elizabeth Pelton California 1:52.12 1:47.84
6 Kylie Stewart Georgia 1:52.28 1:49.85
7 Tasija Karosas Texas 1:50.49 1:50.49
8 Janet Hu Stanford 1:50.48 1:50.48


https://swimswam.com/2016-w-ncaa-picks-experience-youth-collide-200-back/


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[COLOR="#DAA520"][SIZE=5]2016 W. NCAA Picks: Who Can Rise Above Crowded 200 Free Field?[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[SIZE=4][U]200 Freestyle[/U][/SIZE]

NCAA record: 1:39.10 Missy Franklin (Cal) 3/20/2015
American record: 1:39.10 Missy Franklin (Cal) 3/20/2015
U.S. Open record: 1:39.10 Missy Franklin (Cal) 3/20/2015
2015 NCAA Champion: Missy Franklin (Cal) 1:39.10

Missy Franklin had THE race of the meet last year not only going under 1:40 in a 200 free, but going almost a full second under en route to new NCAA, American, and U.S. Open records. Sorry to break it to you, but nobody's going to come close to that kind of time this year. A Franklin-Ledecky-Manuel showdown in this race at NCAAs is just not to be (though Ledecky v. Manuel NEXT year is a very real possibility).

[SIZE=3]TOP 8 PREDICTIONS[/SIZE]

[U]SWIMMER SCHOOL SEED BEST TIME[/U]
Lia Neal Stanford 1st 1:42.50 1:42.50
Leah Smith Virginia 2nd 1:42.97 1:42.97
Hali Flickinger Georgia 4th 1:43.19 1:43.19
Mallory Comerford Louisville 3rd 1:42.79 1:42.79
Siobhan Haughey Michigan 6th 1:43.51 1:43.51
Brittany Maclean Georgia 8th 1:43.64 1:43.20
Alexa Davis Purdue 10th 1:44.21 1:44.21
Kirsten Vose USC 5th 1:43.20 1:43.20

Dark Horse: Cal's Elizabeth Pelton was a part of their 800 free relay national title last year. She split a 1:42.69, and has been as fast as 1:42.13 (from 2013 NCAAs). Her fastest time this year, though, is just 1:44.59. She was 1:43.44 at NCAAs last year, so if she can just get back to where she was in 2015, she should get into this A final. Now, if she can repeat her best time, she could find herself with a national title. Lots of ifs though (that's why she's a dark horse!)


https://swimswam.com/2016-w-ncaa-picks-can-rise-crowded-200-free-field/


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UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842661452 said:

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[U]SWIMMER SCHOOL SEED BEST TIME[/U]
Lia Neal Stanford 1st 1:42.50 1:42.50
Leah Smith Virginia 2nd 1:42.97 1:42.97
Hali Flickinger Georgia 4th 1:43.19 1:43.19
Mallory Comerford Louisville 3rd 1:42.79 1:42.79
Siobhan Haughey Michigan 6th 1:43.51 1:43.51
Brittany Maclean Georgia 8th 1:43.64 1:43.20
Alexa Davis Purdue 10th 1:44.21 1:44.21
Kirsten Vose USC 5th 1:43.20 1:43.20

Dark Horse: Cal's Elizabeth Pelton was a part of their 800 free relay national title last year. She split a 1:42.69, and has been as fast as 1:42.13 (from 2013 NCAAs). Her fastest time this year, though, is just 1:44.59. She was 1:43.44 at NCAAs last year, so if she can just get back to where she was in 2015, she should get into this A final. Now, if she can repeat her best time, she could find herself with a national title. Lots of ifs though (that's why she's a dark horse!)

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My how things change from year to year. Last year, we had 3A and 2 B qualifiers for the final and of course, a stellar 800relay team. Hope Pelton & Acker can squeeze into the finals.

https://swimswam.com/2016-ncaa-diving-qualifiers-benefits-boards/

Bears qualify two divers for NCAAs. A few teams have 3 or 4 divers, but that seems like overkill for Cal. Men nearly almost over qualify swimmers. 2 scoring divers (combined count as one swimmer) would be ideal for both Bear teams.

OBear073akaSMFan;842661526 said:

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My how things change from year to year. Last year, we had 3A and 2 B qualifiers for the final and of course, a stellar 800relay team. Hope Pelton & Acker can squeeze into the finals.

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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Hmmm reckon it's not really that we no longer have much firepower in the [U]200 free[/U] either, though losing the service of the American record holder who's faster than the rest of the field by at least 2 to 3 seconds was quite a major blow lol.

However I'm quite confident that Kathleen & Amy will do the Bears proud in the [U]800 free relay[/U] come Wed night... Put Katie & Abbey in this relay next year, and the future looks sort of rosy in this dept!
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
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[COLOR="#333366"][SIZE=5]2016 W. NCAA Picks: Stanford Looks to Defend 400 Medley Relay Title[/SIZE][/COLOR]

The Golden Bears put together a strong medley relay at Pac-12s, but they'll have to get more out of their breaststroke leg if they want to be title contenders in this race. Aside from that, they're dangerous on the back, fly, and free legs. They've got 2 sub-51 backstrokers in Amy Bilquist and Rachel Bootsma, and Farida Osman has been a huge asset as their anchor.

[SIZE=3]Top 8 Predictions[/SIZE]

[U]Place Team Seed_Time[/U]
1 Stanford 3:26.25
2 Virginia 3:28.25
3 Louisville 3:28.32
4 Cal 3:29.10
5 Texas A&M 3:29.86
6 USC 3:30.29
7 Indiana 3:30.17
8 NC State 3:30.53


https://swimswam.com/2016-w-ncaa-picks-stanford-looks-defend-400-medley-relay-title/


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[COLOR="#006400"][SIZE=3]2016 NCAAs discussion[/SIZE][/COLOR]: http://bearinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?100188-2016-Women's-NCAA-Championships-(Swimming-amp-Diving)


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[COLOR="#DAA520"][SIZE=5]2016 W. NCAA Picks: Eastin, Baker to Battle in 200 IM[/SIZE][/COLOR]



[SIZE=4][U]200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY[/U][/SIZE]
[INDENT]
NCAA record: 1:51.77- Caitlin Leverenz (California), 3/15/2012
American record: 1:51.77- Caitlin Leverenz (California), 3/15/2012
U.S. Open Record: 1:51.77- Caitlin Leverenz (California), 3/15/2012
2015 NCAA Champion: Missy Franklin (California)- 1:52.11
[/INDENT]

Last season at the NCAA Championships, Caitlin Leverenz's NCAA and American Record survived another year as Missy Franklin missed it by less than 4 tenths. This season, a pair of freshman are up to challenge Leverenz's 1:51.77. Those freshman are Stanford's Ella Eastin and Cal's Kathleen Baker. Eastin and Baker come into the meet as the 1st and 2nd seeds with times of 1:52.77 and 1:52.80, respectively. Those times are from their extremely close showdown at the Pac-12 Championships, and they'll be back to push each other again at NCAAs.

Coming into the meet, Eastin and Baker are 1.5 seconds ahead of anyone else. Texas' Madisyn Cox is the 3rd seed with a 1:54.27 from Texas Invite. Cox brings some experience to this race at NCAAs this season. She was 3rd in this event in 2015.

Texas A&M's Lisa Bratton and Michigan's Siobhan Haughey also enter the meet with sub-1:55 times. They're tied for 4th at 1:54.97. Haughey is a freshman, and will be swimming this event for the first time at NCAAs. Bratton was in the consolation final last season, placing 11th in this event.

...

Among the notable names to look for in this race, Cal's Liz Pelton comes into the meet 13th with a season best of 1:55.98. Though she's been off the mark in this event so far this season, it's definitely possible that she could be a factor. Pelton was 2nd in this event last year at NCAAs with a 1:52.80. Pelton had hand surgery last July, and could challenge for the event, depending on whether or not the injury is still a factor.


[SIZE=3]TOP 8 PREDICTIONS[/SIZE]

[U]Place Swimmer Seed-Time Best-Time[/U]
1 Ella Eastin 1:52.77 1:52.77
2 Kathleen Baker 1:52.80 1:52.80
3 Madisyn Cox 1:54.29 1:54.29
4 Lisa Bratton 1:54.97 1:54.97
5 Liz Pelton 1:55.98 1:52.80
6 Courtney Bartholomew 1:55.63 1:55.23
7 Kaitlyn Jones 1:55.11 1:55.11
8 Siobhan Haughey 1:54.97 1:54.97

Darkhorse: Cal's Celina Li comes into the meet with a season best of 1:55.79. However, Li's best time is a 1:53.85 from the 2014 NCAA Championships. If she can get back to that level, she could be in the running for a top 3 finish this weekend.


https://swimswam.com/2016-w-ncaa-picks-eastin-baker-battle-200-im/


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Kathleen - 11 Mar
Rented this dog named FRANK for the afternoon for my ride or die friend 👯🐶


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Katie - 11 Mar
Just a girl with a strangers dog, some great friends, and of course...a dream 🐶✨


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Val - 11 Mar
sometimes life gets you down, and sometimes you need to rent a stranger's dog to get you back on up 🐶💸


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Amy - 12 Mar
Next Stop Atlanta with the Bears 💙🐻💛 #NCAAs #AllIn


[COLOR="#FFD700"][SIZE=3]Video[/SIZE] ->[/COLOR] http://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/t50.2886-16/12840284_1748964555336795_1380361218_n.mp4

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UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842652465 said:

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Amy - [COLOR="#696969"]23 Feb[/COLOR]
Cal's biggest and cutest fan is ready to cheer the Bears on for PAC12s


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Amy - [COLOR="#696969"]14 Mar[/COLOR]
My cousin sent me her pup, Leeloo, ready to cheer on the Bears this week! 💙🐻💛 runs in the fam 🐶🏊🏼


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Amy - [COLOR="#696969"]15 Mar[/COLOR]
Lucas has his gear and is ready to cheer on the Bears #UAW


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[COLOR="#333366"][SIZE=5]2016 W. NCAA Picks: National Records At Stake In 200 Medley Relay[/SIZE][/COLOR]

Typically, we'd start any preview with Cal, the defending NCAA champs who returned all four legs from last year's national championship relay. But the true favorites have to be the Stanford foursome that beat Cal at Pac-12s while setting new American and NCAA records.

Interestingly enough, Stanford actually had a faster time at NCAAs than Cal last year, but didn't win the event. That's because a lackluster prelims swim with an alternate lineup left Stanford outside of the top 8, so even though they had the meet's fastest time in finals, the Cardinal couldn't rise any higher than 9th overall.

That's the Pac-12 showdown. Then there's the ACC rivalry of Louisville vs Virginia. The Cardinals won the ACC title by a tenth and finished second at last year's NCAA Championships, but Virginia was fourth last year and should have room to move up from their conference time this season.

Looking deeper into the individuals on each of those four teams shows that the top-level talent at each stroke is fairly spread out. Cal likely has the fastest backstroker (Rachel Bootsma) and freestyler (Farida Osman). Of the top four programs, Stanford's Sarah Haase should rule the breaststroke, and Louisville's Kelsi Worrell is the runaway top flyer.

But though Cal has the top opening and closing legs, they also have the biggest holes. The Golden Bears have struggled mightily through the breaststroke based on last year's results, they might be spotting the other top programs up to a full second on that split. Noemie Thomas is a good young butterflyer, but also comes in a bit behind Stanford's Janet Hu and well behind Louisville's Worrell.

Stanford is probably the most consistent through all four legs. Ally Howe might not have Bootsma's 23-low speed on backstroke, but has already been 23.6 this year. Haase can more than make up the difference on Cal, Hu is good for a 22-second fly split and Lia Neal is maybe the only swimmer in the field who could challenge Osman on freestyle.

[SIZE=3]Top 8 Predictions[/SIZE]

[U]Place Team Seed-Time[/U]

1 Stanford 1:34.15
2 California 1:35.45
3 Louisville 1:35.43
4 Virginia 1:35.57
5 Indiana 1:35.73
6 Southern California 1:35.90
7 Tennessee 1:35.86
8 Texas 1:36.32


https://swimswam.com/2016-w-ncaa-picks-national-records-stake-200-medley-relay/


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Boots, Kathleen, Farida, Amy = better 200 Medley time

tedbear;842664104 said:

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Boots, Kathleen, Farida, Amy = better 200 Medley time

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Trade off would be 100 Back for Boots, Baker, and Amy. Events are back to back for qualifying. Teri will go with Boots, Marina, Noemie, and Farida. Use Boots, but save Baker and Amy for the 100 Back. Could maybe mix it up for finals, but not qualifying.

BearDevil;842664121 said:

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Trade off would be 100 Back for Boots, Baker, and Amy. Events are back to back for qualifying. Teri will go with Boots, Marina, Noemie, and Farida. Use Boots, but save Baker and Amy for the 100 Back. Could maybe mix it up for finals, but not qualifying.

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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Yeah always a delicate juggling/balancing act on Teri's part... I'm frankly quite happy to be just an armchair critic whilst leaving all the real, hard decision making to our esteemed head coach lol

BearBackerinLA;842664163 said:

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More social media below:
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Amy - [COLOR="#696969"]14 Mar[/COLOR]
Capes on. Game on. #UAW
[COLOR="#808080"]Starring Billy, Thleen & Lizzie[/COLOR]

[U]Kathleen[/U]: "Flyin into NCAA's"

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Farida - 15 Mar
T minus 1 days till NCAAs...Go bears ��
Thanks for the video lil sis �� @maija8roses


[COLOR="#FFD700"][SIZE=3]Video[/SIZE] ->[/COLOR] http://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/t50.2886-16/12478718_1697898073791890_188378627_n.mp4

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Val - 15 Mar
ohhhhhhh man, these are my girls and I love 'em to the moon. NCAA's ain't ready. �������������� #UAW

[U]Amy[/U]: Tomorrow it begins. #UAW #NCAAs @CalWSwim @CalAthletics

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https://swimswam.com/katie-mclaughlin-continue-neck-rehab-home-spring-semester/

McL withdraws from Cal. Wondering if incompletes will make her ineligible for Fall 2016 or if she can finish classes online? All the best for a speedy recovery and return.

BearDevil;842664578 said:

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All the best for a speedy recovery and return.

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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]+1.

Katie will be sorely missed by everyone, but really hope this decision will help her come back with a vengeance in both the pool and in the classroom soon (assuming no eligibility issues for next semester).

Recent insta images of McL do show her no longer sporting a neck brace, so some positive signs that we'll be treated to "just a girl with an Olympic dream" massively killing it @ trials in a few months time... :beer:
[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

local news article on Katie McLaughlin ...

http://www.ocvarsity.com/ocvarsity/mclaughlin-82978-cal-thursday.html

BearBackerinLA;842665338 said:

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local news article on Katie McLaughlin ...

http://www.ocvarsity.com/ocvarsity/mclaughlin-82978-cal-thursday.html

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Thanks!

Also:

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[COLOR="#DAA520"][SIZE=5]McLaughlin Update: Rejoining Nadadores Through Olympic Trials[/SIZE][/COLOR]

https://swimswam.com/mclaughlin-update-rejoining-nadadores-through-olympic-trials/


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