Freshmen Lead Cal Sweep Of WSU



--> Results

Go Bears! Looking through the results now, with some quick thoughts, below:
- No swims from Elise or Cassidy, and only one swim from baby bear Chloe, off the top of my head. That being said, I'm glad to see Sarah (Darcel, now that we have two Sarah D.s ) as back in the pool!
- Always fun to see results of Abbey switching it up -- 100 breast and 500 free. How's that for versatility?!
- Ema's 200 breast looks especially promising.
- Sophie's 100 back time nearly 4 seconds faster than she was with Cal's opening dual meet (vs. Utah) last season.
- Looks like a very solid job across the board from the newest Bears. Go, team!

Was anyone able to check out the meet in-person?

HBear said:

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Freshmen Lead Cal Sweep Of WSU

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WEITZEIL GOES LIFETIME BEST 4:47.4 500 FREE, SPLITS 23.2 FL IN CAL WIN OVER WSU



Sprinter Abbey Weitzeil showed off her oft-overlooked versatility today in Berkeley as the Cal Golden Bears took down the visiting Washington State Cougars.

Weitzeil's first swim came in the 200 medley relay, where she swam fly on Cal's A relay (1:41.21) and split a very quick 23.26. Next, she went 1:02.20 in the 100 breast, touching right behind teammate Ema Rajic (1:02.19). The sophomore Rajic would also go on to win the 200 breast (2:13.80), split 28.48 breast on the A medley relay, and split 51.47 on Cal's A 400 free relay.

In her second individual event, the 500 free, Weitzeil won the event by seven seconds to hit a time of 4:47.49. It was a lifetime best by almost two seconds, beating her old best of 4:49.33 in 2012. It was also only her third time swimming the event since 2012. Freshman Ayla Spitz was 4:54.54 to take second there. Spitz had earlier won the 200 free, clocking a 1:49.07 on a 27.73 final 50 to hold off sophomore Alicia Wilson (1:49.77).

Cal freshman Rachel Klinker swept the butterfly events, going 55.07 to out-touch Cal junior Sophie Krivokapic-Zhou (55.23) in the 100 and then winning the 200 in 1:59.17. Krivokapic-Zhou took the 100 back win at 54.63, while sophomore Isabel Ivey posted a 1:58.35 to win the 200 back by over two seconds.

Just like in the Stanford meet, Ryan Falk was a stand-out for Washington State. Her big swim came in the 1000 free, where she was locked in a very tight race with Cal junior Robin Neumann and Cal freshman Ashlyn Fiorilli. Neumann had a comfortable lead, but at the 150 mark, Falk began splitting 29's, while Neumann was 31-31-30 and Fiorilli was 30-30-30 the final 150. With Neumann and Fiorilli at 30's on the final 50, Falk unearthed a 28.2 final 50, blowing past Fiorilli and nearly catching Neumann.

When all was said and done, Neumann held on for the win at 10:11.19 ahead of Falk (10:11.69), while Fiorilli was 10:13.79 to take third. Falk also would take third in the 500 free (4:58.02).

Neumann would come all the way down to the sprints, going 23.67 for third in the 50 free behind Cal senior Maddie Murphy (23.39) and Cal freshman Eloise Riley (23.44). She then won the 100 free after the break, going 50.74 to touch ahead of Riley (50.84).

To close the meet, Weitzeil clocked a 48.94 anchor leg on Cal's winning 400 free relay (3:24.31).

UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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https://instagr.am/p/B3svwmqg92M
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Cal football graduation rates jump, Cal Athletics posts highest GSR ever

Graduation rates are out for the California Golden Bears for 2018-19, and they again trend upward. Cal athletes graduated at an 85% rate from the cohort years 2009-12, the highest in program history (the previous was 82% in 1998-99).

• Seven Cal Athletics teams achieved 100% perfect graduation rate: Women's golf, women's gymnastics (three years running), women's swimming and diving (four years in a row), men's (four in a row) and women's tennis (seven in a row), volleyball (eight in a row!!!), men's water polo.

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https://instagr.am/p/B4TJR77g3Ba

https://instagr.am/p/B4gDVFDAp3i

https://instagr.am/p/B4eMfGbAPmQ

HBear said:

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2019-2020 NCAA WOMEN'S POWER RANKINGS: FIRST EDITION

#2: CAL GOLDEN BEARS (2019 NCAA FINISH: 2ND)
Still an outstanding roster. Abbey Weitzeil singlehandedly makes any team competitive. Cal could have an outside shot to sweep all five relays. They're not as deep as Stanford, but still very good. -JA

Weitzeil already looks ridiculously good. Which should scare a lot of people. -KO

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2019-2020 NCAA WOMEN'S POWER RANKINGS: NOVEMBER EDITION

(Also receiving votes: Notre Dame, Duke, Minnesota)


#20: OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (PREVIOUS RANK: #18)
#19: NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS (PREVIOUS RANK: N/A)
#18: MISSOURI TIGERS (PREVIOUS RANK: N/A)
#17: ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (PREVIOUS RANK: #14)
#16: WISCONSIN BADGERS (PREVIOUS RANK: #17)
#15: TEXAS A&M AGGIES (PREVIOUS RANK: #15)
#14: INDIANA HOOSIERS (PREVIOUS RANK: #12)
#13: FLORIDA GATORS (PREVIOUS RANK: #16)
#12: LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (PREVIOUS RANK: #13)
#11: GEORGIA BULLDOGS (PREVIOUS RANK: #8)

#10: AUBURN TIGERS (PREVIOUS RANK: #11)
#9: KENTUCKY WILDCATS (PREVIOUS RANK: #9)
#8: USC TROJANS (PREVIOUS RANK: #10)
#7: MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (PREVIOUS RANK: #7)
#6: TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (PREVIOUS RANK: #6)

#5: TEXAS LONGHORNS (PREVIOUS RANK: #5)
Freshman Kelly Pash already taken a full second off her lifetime-best 200 fly. That bodes extremely well for her 200 free, which already ranks 3rd nationally. Pash is also 3rd in the nation in the 400 IM, but a 400IM/200FR combo is probably not happening, so keep an eye on Pash's potential NCAA day 2 events (500 free/200 IM/50 free) for drops from her bests (4:44.7/1:58.0/22.7) at a mid-season rest meet. -JA

#4: NC STATE WOLFPACK (PREVIOUS RANK: #4)
It's been an awfully quiet fall in Raleigh with only one official dual meet so far. (Recruiting has been plenty busy, though). Sprint star Ky-Lee Perry didn't compete, so it's worth keeping an eye out for her at this weekend's Kentucky Quad Meet. Kylee Alons (49.3 free and 53.0 back) has already been great this year and doesn't look at risk for a sophomore slump. -JA

#3: VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (PREVIOUS RANK: #3)
Kate Douglass is jumping stratospheres in the last month, she's gone from the clear-cut #1 recruit in her class to being in the conversation for top domestic NCAA recruit of the last four years. (For reference, that would put her in competition with names like Beata Nelson, Brooke Forde, or Taylor Ruck). The question remains: what exactly will she swim at NCAAs? 50FR/100FL/100FR? 200IM/100BR/200BR? Five relays? Has anyone tried her in a mile yet? -JA

Kate Douglass is impossible to ignore. I want to see her to a 200 free or something her endurance is definitely there in the breaststroke. -KO

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#2: CAL GOLDEN BEARS (PREVIOUS RANK: #2)
Abbey Weitzeil is such a weapon. Cal already has two freshmen (Rachel Klinker and Sarah Dimeco) projected to score in our Swimulator rankings, so keep an eye on a perhaps-underrated rookie crop. -JA

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#1: STANFORD CARDINAL (PREVIOUS RANK: #1)
It's interesting to see Amalie Fackenthal going a huge lifetime best in the 100 back in October. We haven't seen this squad at full strength yet, but freshman Alexandra Crisera is already responding well to her new training environment based on her times so far. KO

UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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2019-2020 NCAA WOMEN'S POWER RANKINGS: NOVEMBER EDITION

#18: MISSOURI TIGERS (PREVIOUS RANK: N/A)
#13: FLORIDA GATORS (PREVIOUS RANK: #16)
#10: AUBURN TIGERS (PREVIOUS RANK: #11)
#9: KENTUCKY WILDCATS (PREVIOUS RANK: #9)
#8: USC TROJANS (PREVIOUS RANK: #10)
#7: MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (PREVIOUS RANK: #7)
#6: TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (PREVIOUS RANK: #6)
#5: TEXAS LONGHORNS (PREVIOUS RANK: #5)
#4: NC STATE WOLFPACK (PREVIOUS RANK: #4)
#3: VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (PREVIOUS RANK: #3)
#2: CAL GOLDEN BEARS (PREVIOUS RANK: #2)
#1: STANFORD CARDINAL (PREVIOUS RANK: #1)

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Er, here's a slightly different perspective... :p

2019-20 - TYR / CSCAA Division I Polls (October 23)

Division I Women

Rank | Prev | Team | Points
1 | 10 | Florida | 315
1 | Stanford | 307
3 | 15 | Tennessee | 293
4 | 2 | Virginia | 279
5 | 3 | California | 267
6 | 13 | Auburn | 254
7 | 4 | NC State | 244
8 | 5 | Texas | 228
9 | 6 | Missouri | 223
10 | 7 | Southern California | 222

Bears 138 - 82 pts v. UC San Diego this morning down @ La Jolla - Long Course format, lots of exhibitioned swims.

• RESULTS => http://www.ucsdtritons.com/pdf9/5490303.pdf

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Apples to oranges due to the different formats between these 2 meets (no prelims @ the UCSD dual, all the events compressed into a single session with several swimmers racing consecutive events, etc.), not to mention everyone's at different stages of preparations in their training cycles...notably several of our "heavyweight" hitters (no individual names will be mentioned here ) are presently deep in heavy training...

But, both Alicia's 2:13.15 and Abbey's 54.37 & 24.98 would have claimed the runner-up spots in the *200m IM*, *100m Free* & *50m Free* A finals respectively @ the 2019 Pro Swim Series @ Greensboro over the weekend.

Robin's 2:00.22 & Izzy's 2:00.27 "1-2" finish in the *200m Free* would have ranked 5th in the event @ the PSS meet.

Rachel's 2:13.11 would have been good for 6th in the *200m Fly* A final (faster than Ella Eastin), as would have Keeks' 1:01.73 in the *100m Back* @ Greensboro, and Ema's 1:09.81 in the *100m Breast* (Ali's 1:10.55 worth the 7th spot).

Sarah Dimeco's 8:51.10 would have placed 10th in the *800m Free* on Sat.

A number of Olympic Trials cuts were also achieved in the process of this racing-training meet over Veterans Day.

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• UPDATES ->

Neumann, Weitzeil Lead Bears In Long-Course Dual

Results

"I was happy with our performances today," head coach Teri McKeever said. "Everyone got in 2-3 good long-course events, and I think we learned a lot after a good weekend with some ocean training and spending time together."

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https://instagr.am/p/B4v0C46gf7D
https://instagr.am/p/B4vyO_cgqSg
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Notes: If the above photos are anything to go by (although they weren't taken at race time), it does not appear that any of the swimmers were "suited up" for this meet? Which if true would render a lot of these times even more impressive in light of being in a period of intensive training relatively early in the season!
===> *EDIT*: swimmers were suited (but obviously not tapered or shaved) - according to a SwimSwam commenter who attended the meet.

Multi-sport froski Emma Davidson had also accomplished a couple of new personal records: 26.82 (50m Free) & 57.69* (100m Free) - latter is a significant 1+ sec improvement over her previous best.

Fellow freshie Eloise RIley had also laid down a massive lifetime best of 56.62* (100m Free) - her old record was 57.83, I believe. Wasn't that far off her 25.90 PB in the 50m Free with that 26.07 either.

Alicia Wilson had struck down her prev best of 56.70 from BSC 2017 with her 56.67* in the 100m Free.

(* ...assuming that these exhibition time would count towards records??)

As mentioned in the official release, Ema Rajic had hit a new best in her 200m Breast beside threatening her 100m Breast record.

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ALICIA WILSON SWIMS 2:13 IN 200 IM IN CAL UCSD LONG COURSE DUAL

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Was this meet arranged before Dave Marsh departed? Seems at most a training session in S. D. Which ain't bad considering it's a holiday.

UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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both Alicia's 2:13.15 and Abbey's 54.37 & 24.98 would have claimed the runner-up spots in the *200m IM*, *100m Free* & *50m Free* A finals respectively @ the 2019 Pro Swim Series @ Greensboro over the weekend.

Robin's 2:00.22 & Izzy's 2:00.27 "1-2" finish in the *200m Free* would have ranked 5th in the event @ the PSS meet.

Rachel's 2:13.11 would have been good for 6th in the *200m Fly* A final (faster than Ella Eastin), as would have Keeks' 1:01.73 in the *100m Back* @ Greensboro, and Ema's 1:09.81 in the *100m Breast* (Ali's 1:10.55 worth the 7th spot).

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College Swimming's "Top Times" tables do recognise LCM-to-SCY converted times in an Olympic Year, so we can now look up the national collegiate rankings to-date of our Bears with the UCSD meet results factored in!

I have only included converted times from yesterday's competition for Cal swimmers to the 30th position here, and only if they haven't already swum a quicker yards time this season.

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2019-2020, Women, 200 Free, SCY, Division 1

*200 Free*
#1 - Robin 1:45.07
#2 - Izzy 1:45.12
#8 - Alicia 1:46.64
#24 - Ayla 1:47.32


*100 Free*
#1 - Abbey 47.52
#14 - Robin 49.13
#21 - Eloise 49.49
#22 - Alicia 49.53


*50 Free*
#2 - Abbey 21.76
#22 - Eloise 22.71


*200 IM*
#2 - Alicia 1:55.44
#14 - Izzy 1:59.16
#23 - Keeks 2:00.30


*100 Back*
#4 - Keeks 52.66


*200 Fly*
#7 - Rachel 1:57.27
#24 - Ashlyn 1:59.18


*100 Breast*
#11 - Ema 1:00.73
#19 - Ali 1:01.38


*100 Fly*
#19 - Izzy 53.47


*500 Free*
#24 - Robin 4:49.48


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UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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2019-20 - TYR / CSCAA Division I Polls (October 23)

Division I Women

Rank | Prev | Team | Points
1 | 10 | Florida | 315
1 | Stanford | 307
3 | 15 | Tennessee | 293
4 | 2 | Virginia | 279
5 | 3 | California | 267
6 | 13 | Auburn | 254
7 | 4 | NC State | 244
8 | 5 | Texas | 228
9 | 6 | Missouri | 223
10 | 7 | Southern California | 222

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CSCAA Division I Poll: Texas Men Take Over Top Spot, Florida Women Remain #1

The November CSCAA / TYR Top 25 Division I Swimming and Diving Polls arrive just as teams prepare for mid-season invitationals.

With three more weeks of racing in the books, the committee rewarded the University of Texas men and University Florida women with number one rankings.

The Longhorn men move past the defending NCAA Champion Golden Bears of California after strong outings against four top-twenty teams in Indiana, Louisville, Texas A&M and Kentucky.

The Gators collected nine first-place votes and remain in first following wins over Florida State and eighth-ranked Georgia.

The second-ranked Tennessee women continue to despite receiving no first-place votes.

California received two first place votes to move past Virginia into fourth.

The Cavalier women received one first-place vote. Texas' women move back into the top five this week after wins against #12 Louisville, #15 Kentucky, #16 Indiana, and #20 Texas A&M.

The Stanford women received one first-place vote but fell to sixth following a light month of competition.

Does this poll mean anything? Stanford at sixth??????? How can this be so far from reality on the likely finish of the season???

bearchamp said:

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Does this poll mean anything? Stanford at sixth??????? How can this be so far from reality on the likely finish of the season???

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Not much - as far as I'm concerned at any rate :p

Just provides whoever's ranked at or near the top at the time some suitable ammunition for their media relations team to promote their programme basically...

These CSCAA polls appear to be primarily focussed on dual meet results, rather than serve as predictions of NCAA Championship finish order. They are also subjectively voted by a too limited representation IMO - "The rankings are voted on by CSCAA-member coaches and select media. Each committee includes nine members from the Power Five leagues, five at-large programs and two media members."

One can argue that their final poll of the season may be a mite more in touch with reality - but I'm not buying it since the CSCAA Final 2019 poll had severely undervalued our Bears at the #6 spot...albeit the Furdettes & Wolverines were correctly ranked in the #1 & #3 positions...

Minnesota Invite Awaits Golden Bears

Cal To Compete In 4-Day Meet Against Top Teams

Cal travels to Minneapolis this week for the Minnesota Invitational Wednesday-Saturday where the Golden Bears will be trying to post NCAA qualifying times against an elite field of national-caliber competition. In addition to Cal, which finished second at the NCAA Championships last March, other teams participating in the meet include Michigan (3rd at 2019 NCAAs), Texas (5th), host Minnesota (11th), Arizona (14th), Harvard and Iowa.

Wednesday's opening night will feature the 200-yard medley relay and 800-yard free relay, beginning at 4 p.m. PT. For the remaining days of competition, prelims will begin at 8 .m. PT with finals at 4 p.m. PT and diving starting at 10 a.m.

Following the four-day invitational, Cal will remain in Minneapolis for a long-course time trial Sunday morning. The Bears then close out the calendar year then they host San Jose State at 9 a.m. at Spieker Aquatics Complex on Dec 21.

• Live Results (will update to the correct event closer to the meet date)
• Event Schedule

5 STORYLINES TO WATCH AT THE 2019 MINNESOTA INVITE

2019 MINNESOTA INVITATIONAL

• Wed. Dec. 4 Sun. Dec. 8, 2019
• Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center / University of Minnesota / Minneapolis, MN
• Wed. Timed finals 6 PM
• Thu.-Sat. Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM / Diving 12 Noon
• Short course yards (SCY) format Wed.-Sat. (LCM format Sunday)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream (days 2-4)
• Live results (page should update when meet begins)

It's the premier NCAA mid-season invite this week in Minneapolis.

WEITZEIL RETURNS SERVE

The last round of invites highlighted sprinters Erika Brown (Tennessee) and Anna Hopkin (Arkansas), who put up twin 21.19s at separate invites in Tennessee and Missouri, respectively. Lost in the buzz of their swims was defending NCAA champ and national record-holder Abbey Weitzeil, who will try to answer those big swims in Minneapolis. Weitzeil was 21.02 at NCAAs last spring, and though it's unlikely she's fully primed for this weekend, there's an outside chance we see the first-ever sub-21 individual swim. Weitzeil should have a great shot to break 21 on a relay split.

Pushing Weitzeil should be returning A finalist Maggie MacNeil out of Michigan, along with Texas's tough sprint trio of Claire Adams, Julia Cook and Grace Ariola, who should fill the 50 and 100 free in some combination.

UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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5 STORYLINES TO WATCH AT THE 2019 MINNESOTA INVITE

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Texas, Cal to Clash in Minnesota Invite in Biggest Invitational of the Year: Nine Races You Will Not Want to Miss

Women's 50 Free

Key Players: Abbey Weitzeil, Cal (22.55); Maggie MacNeil, Michigan (21.70)
Nation-Leading Time: 21.19, Erika Brown, Tennessee; Anna Hopkin, Arkansas

After both Erika Brown of Tennessee and Anna Hopkin of Arkansas put up identical 21.19's at their respective invites before Thanksgiving, what does American record holder Abbey Weitzeil have in response? Cal has been known to taper for their mid-season invite since they generally don't go all-in at Pac-12's. Does Weitzeil have a chance to go faster than 21.19? If she does, then she is creeping closer and closer to being the first woman to break 21 seconds from a flat start, something she has gotten close to doing (21.02 at NCAAs) but no one has been able to crack. If Weitzeil is on, then she could take a stab at her own American record. But if she is not, then we might have to wait until NCAAs to see the epic duel between her, Brown and Hopkin.

Women's 100 Fly
Key Players: Maggie MacNeil, Michigan (49.57); Isabel Ivey, Cal (54.04)
Nation-Leading Time: 49.57, Maggie MacNeil

This race really seems to be a race between Michigan sophomore Maggie MacNeil and the clock as she already has the fastest time in the country from the Michigan Intrasquad, sitting ahead of Tennessee's Erika Brown at 49.79. Is MacNeil in the right kind of shape to chase down the fastest time in history? She may be waiting for a full rest for the Canadian Trials in April as she chases her first Olympic berth, but she could still take down the record not fully rested. Louise Hansson was a 49.26 at last year's NCAAs in setting the NCAA and US Open record and MacNeil has the potential to be the first to break 49. But like in the aforementioned 50 free, the 100 fly will be a tight race at the end of the year between MacNeil, Hansson and Brown, and a record is certainly at stake.
MacNeil was on fire this summer, becoming the World Champion for Canada in the 100 fly and taking down world record holder Sarah Sjostrom in the process. What kind of encore does she have in yards this fall? She seems to not have missed a beat this season with that 49.5 at a no-pressure intrasquad in October, which was faster than her best time last year. It could be possible she takes down the US Open record this weekend at the Minnesota Invite.

Women's 100 Breast
Key Players: Miranda Tucker, Michigan (58.77); Lindsey Kozelsky, Minnesota (59.77); Ema Rajic, Cal (1:02.19)
Nation-Leading Time: 58.27, Zoie Hartman, Georgia

If the Golden Gophers are to get a win at home this weekend in the stacked Minnesota Invite, then Lindsey Kozelsky might be the best chance. The senior has been a consistent performer the last three years on the national stage, placing second as a freshman in 2017, third in 2018 and fourth as a junior. With no more Lilly King, the breaststroke field is wide open and Kozelsky has a serious shot at a national title this year, but will have to deal with Big Ten rival Miranda Tucker, who she will see this weekend in her home pool.
Tucker currently sits second in Division I with her 58.7 at Michigan's October intrasquad and will be a formidable challenge this weekend. Tucker and Kozelsky are both seniors and both will be hungry for some success in their final collegiate seasons, and they will clash this weekend in Minneapolis.
Not to be counted out is Cal sophomore Ema Rajic, who made last year's A-Final at NCAAs in placing eighth as a rookie. Rajic has only been a 1:02 this season, but could have something up her sleeve to challenge Kozelsky and Tucker.

Quick update - haven't had time to go over all the times in detail, meet had just started!

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2019 Minnesota Invite - Day 1 (Wed)

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200 Medley Relay
~ 2020 NCAA 'A' Standard = 1:36.40
~ 2020 NCAA 'B' Standard = 1:37.05

• => 2019-2020 Mid-Season (Cal 'A'): 1:35.24 => 'A' cut!
• Keaton (24.04), Ema (27.26), Maddie (23.38), Abbey (20.56)

• -> 2018-2019 Mid-Season (Cal 'A'): 1:35.65
• Keaton (24.16), Ema (27.55), Katie (22.94), Abbey (21.00)

*NCAA Div I Top 8 standings (as of 4 Dec 2019)*
1 | UVA | 1:33.91
2 | Cal | 1:35.24
3 | UM | 1:35.53
4 | Tenn | 1:35.61
5 | Mizzou | 1:35.69
6 | NCSU | 1:35.92
7 | FSU | 1:36.42
8 | UA | 1:36.50

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UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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Quick update - haven't had time to go over all the times in detail, meet had just started!

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2019 Minnesota Invite - Day 1 (Wed)

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200 Medley Relay
~ 2020 NCAA 'A' Standard = 1:36.40
~ 2020 NCAA 'B' Standard = 1:37.05

• => 2019-2020 Mid-Season (Cal 'A'): 1:35.24 => 'A' cut!
• Keaton (24.04), Ema (27.26), Maddie (23.38), Abbey (20.56)

• -> 2018-2019 Mid-Season (Cal 'A'): 1:35.65
• Keaton (24.16), Ema (27.55), Katie (22.94), Abbey (21.00)

*NCAA Div I Top 8 standings (as of 4 Dec 2019)*
1 | UVA | 1:33.91
2 | Cal | 1:35.24
3 | UM | 1:35.53
4 | Tenn | 1:35.61
5 | Mizzou | 1:35.69
6 | NCSU | 1:35.92
7 | FSU | 1:36.42
8 | UA | 1:36.50

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"For Cal's B, freshman Ayla Spitz was 24.78 leading off, with fellow freshman Eloise Riley anchoring (22.21), while Ali Harrison (27.25 on breast) and Izzy Ivey (22.98 on fly) actually out-split their A relay's breast and fly legs." -- quoted from the SwimSwam write-up of live results.

B Relay totals 1:37.22.

Awesome to see that split from Izzy, in particular. Go Bears!!

Quick side-by-side comparison:
Keaton (24.04), Ema (27.26), Maddie (23.38), Abbey (20.56) --> 1:35.24
Ayla (24.78), Ali (27.25), Izzy (22.98), Eloise (22.21) --> 1:37.22

Thanks for the updates guys! The live results are still not working. Izzy is definitely faster than Maddie which kinda surprises me that she wasn't on the A medley. Also, a little worried about our back splits. Sad to say for Backstroke U, but that might be our weakest leg in the medley this year.

Cal Women fielded 4 relay squads, probably to get some additional data points for esp the froskis and to give everyone some relay experience.

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Here are the 200 MR splits:

Cal 'A': #1 - Keaton (24.04), Ema (27.26), Maddie (23.38), Abbey (20.56) --> 1:35.24
Cal 'B': #4 - Ayla (24.78), Ali (27.25), Izzy (22.98), Eloise (22.21) --> 1:37.22
Cal 'C': #8 - Aislinn (25.12), Alexa B (28.05), Elise (24.51), Robin (22.15) --> 1:39.83
Cal 'D': #12 - Courtney (25.18), Natalie (28.58), Cassidy (24.30), Emma (22.68) --> 1:40.74

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Encouraging to see Ali coming round to her frosh breakout form after a bit of a sophomoric slump.

Izzy could be our fastest backstroker & flyer right now, so a tough decision on which leg of the medley relays to place her...Keeks given the nod here perhaps cos it's her senior season.

Losing Billy & Bug in one fell swoop does certainly hurt Bears massively, particularly in our relays as had been discussed earlier. But reckon in these opening stages, the team's acquitting themselves solidly in the wake of the Dream Team's graduations...

UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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"Izzy could be our fastest backstroker & flyer right now, so a tough decision on which leg of the medley relays to place her"

So true! Also, I do expect Ema to be a lot faster in March.


"Losing Billy & Bug in one fell swoop does certainly hurt Bears massively, particularly in our relays as had been discussed earlier. But reckon in these opening stages, the team's acquitting themselves solidly in the wake of the Dream Team's graduations..."

Unfortunately, it gets even worse when Abbey graduates, so that is why the Golden ticket is so crucial.

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A bit late, but did a quick overview of the psych sheet. Obviously, these are subject to change, but here's just a first glance at what the team is swimming this week:

Bailey, Elizabeth JR: 500 free (45), 100 fly (37), 200 free (57), 200 fly (30)
Bayer, Cassidy SO: 500 free (23), 100 fly (32), 200 free (45), 200 fly (14)
Blovad, Keaton SR: 200 IM (22), 100 back (25), 200 back (37)
Buckley, Alexa SR: 200 IM (48), 100 breast (24), 200 breast (19)
Clark, Chloe FR: 200 IM (29), 100 back (28), 200 back (31)
Darcel, Sarah JR: 200 IM (18), 400 IM (15), 200 fly (21)
Davidson, Emma FR: 50 free (35), 200 free (49), 100 breast (31), 100 free (28)
Dimeco, Sarah FR: 500 free (22), 400 IM (1 - wrong seed time, haha), 1650 free (11), 200 fly (23)
Fiorilli, Ashlyn FR: 500 free (42), 400 IM (30), 1650 free (19), 200 fly (29)
Garcia, Elise SO: 50 free (36), 100 fly (30), 100 free (45), 200 fly (32)
Harrison, Ali JR: 200 IM (32), 100 fly (26), 100 breast (15), 200 breast (14)
Ivey, Izzy SO: 200 IM (17), 100 fly (10), 100 back (6), 200 back (6)
Kalandadze, Anna FR: 500 free (40), 200 free (56), 1650 free (17), 200 breast (32)
Klinker, Rachel FR: 500 free (34), 200 free (41), 1650 free (18), 200 fly (6)
Light, Aislinn SR: 50 free (43), 100 back (22), 200 back (23)
Murphy, Maddie SR: 50 free (18), 100 fly (25), 100 free (43)
Mykkanen, Courtney SR: 200 IM (33), 100 back (20), 200 back (12)
Neumann, Robin JR: 500 free (12), 200 free (22), 100 free (19)
Rajic, Ema SO: 200 IM (28), 100 breast (6), 200 breast (3)
Riley, Eloise FR: 200 IM (31), 50 free (21), 200 free (43), 100 free (20)
Skorus-Neely, Alexa JR: 200 IM (41), 100 fly (42), 100 breast (30), 200 breast (29)
Spitz, Ayla FR: 200 IM (23), 200 free (18), 100 back (16), 100 free (31)
Tuck, Natalie JR: 200 IM (38), 400 IM (32), 100 breast (26), 200 breast (22)
Weitzeil, Abbey SR: 50 free (5), 200 free (9), 100 back (17), 100 free (3)
Wilson, Alicia SO: 200 IM (5), 400 IM (33), 200 free (23), 200 back (13)

Missing: Danielle Carter (FR) - has been gone all season AFAIK & Sophie M-Z (JR)

800 free relay:
1. Cal A 6:56.00
2. Texas 6:57.04
3. Cal B 7:04.50

"This race, like the men's 200 medley relay, was all Cal and Texas. Ultimately, Cal's A took the win at 6:56.00, with Texas's A also getting under 7:00 with a 6:57.04 for second.
The Golden Bears had freshman Ayla Spitz lead off in 1:45.17, followed by Izzy Ivey (1:44.19), Robin Neumann (1:44.22), and Abbey Weitzeil with a strong 1:42.42 anchor.
Cal and Texas went head-to-head with their B relays, too, as Cal edged the Longhorns in a tighter battle, 7:04.50 to 7:04.90. Cal's B was led by Alicia Wilson's 1:44.79 second leg and freshman Rachel Klinker's 1:45.40 third leg, while Texas had four freshman race their B relay."

A: Ayla (1:45.17), Izzy (1:44.19), Robin (1:44.22), Abbey (1:42.42)
B: SDimeco (1:48.45), Alicia (1:44.79), Rachel (1:45.40), Keaton (1:45.86)

Considering that Abbey is probably going to swim both medley relays + 200/400 free relays, if we add Alicia's time from the B relay, the combined time is a 6:58.37, which ranks 3rd in the nation.

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800 Freestyle Relay
~ 2020 NCAA 'A' Standard = 7:00.86
~ 2020 NCAA 'B' Standard = 7:05.88

-> 2019-2020 Mid-Season (Cal 'A'): #1 - 6:56.00 => 'A' cut!
Ayla (1:45.17), Izzy ((1:44.19), Robin (1:44.22), Abbey (1:42.42)

-> 2019-2020 Mid-Season (Cal 'B'): #3 - 7:04.50 => 'B' cut!
Sarah Dimeco (1:48.45), Alicia ((1:44.79), Rachel (1:45.40), Keaton (1:45.86)

:> 2018-2019 Mid-Season (Cal 'A'): 6:59.25
Abbey (1:44.61), Robin (1:43.96), Sarah (1:46.89), Katie (1:43.79)


*NCAA Div I standings Top 10 (as of 4 Dec 2019)*
1 | Cal | 6:56.00
2 | UT | 6:57.04
3 | USC | 6:58.06
4 | LSJU | 7:00.51
5 | ASU | 7:01.31
6 | UK | 7:01.40
7 | Tenn | 7:01.54
8 | NCSU | 7:01.74
9 | UGA | 7:04.55
10 | UM | 7:07.08

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Great swims by the B squad to claim 3rd here (think that would be faster than the Dawgs & Wolverines' A squads!). Nice to see some mid-sprint/distance depth from the freshies!

WEITZEIL SPLITS 20.56 TO ANCHOR CAL'S 450 MEDLEY AT MINNESOTA INVITATIONAL



Cal senior Abbey Weitzeil clocked the fourth-fastest 50 free split in history with a 20.56 anchor on the Golden Bears' 200 medley relay on Wednesday night at the 2019 Minnesota Invitational. Weitzeil now owns three of the four fastest times and four of the five fastest times.

--

T-1: 20.45 -- Abbey/Simone
3: 20.49
4. 20.56
5. 20.57

Keaton Blovad led off Cal's winning 200-yard medley relay Wednesday night.

Bears Go 2-For-2 In Minnesota

Cal Wins, 200 Medley Relay, Posts Nation's Fastest Time In 800 Free Relay

• Results

MINNEAPOLIS - Cal opened up the Minnesota Invitational Wednesday with a 2-for-2 performance against several of the nation's best teams, winning both the 200-yard medley relay and the 800-yard free relay on the opening night of the four-day meet.

The foursome of Keaton Blovad, Ema Rajic, Maddie Murphy and Abbey Weitzeil completed the 200 medley relay in 1:35.24, which ranks as the second fastest in the country so far this season. The Bears trailed Michigan going into the final 50 yards, but Weitzeil split 20.56 on her freestyle leg to make up a nearly one-second deficit to win by 0.29 seconds.

In addition, Cal placed two other relays in the top 8 as Ayla Spitz, Ali Harrison, Isabel Ivey and Eloise Riley were fourth in 1:37.22, and Aislinn Light, Alexa Buckley, Elaine Garcia and Robin Neumann were eighth in 1:39.83.

A short while later, the teams took to the pool for the 800 free relay, and the Bears came through with the nation's top time, touching the wall in 6:56.00. Spitz, Ivey and Neumann made up the first three legs, and once again, Weitzeil brought Cal from behind for the victory. Her 1:42.42 split was nearly two seconds faster than any other swimmer in the field as the Bears finished ahead of Texas, which posted a time of 6:57.04.

Cal's B relay also made a run for the top of the podium, with Sarah DiMeco, Alicia Wilson, Rachel Klinker and Blovad taking third in 7:04.50.

"We got off to a good start tonight," head coach Teri McKeever said. "The depth that we saw on all of our relays was nice to see. What we're trying to do is figure out what our options are and keep evaluating. We're looking forward to doing more good things in the morning so that we can have another evening like we did today. Top to bottom, I'm really pleased with our effort and results."

In the team standings, Cal leads with 192 points, followed by Texas (124), Arizona (90) and Michigan (78). Host Minnesota, Harvard and Iowa round out the schools competing.

Action on day two gets underway with prelims starting at 8 a.m. PT. Diving begins at 10 a.m. and finals at 4 p.m. Fans can follow either through live results or on a live video stream. The invitational runs through Saturday.

Quick comparisons of times achieved at this mid-season invite (2019 Minn) v. last year's (2018 UGA)...meet's currently in progress, so I may not have caught all the latest updates...

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= Day 2 Prelims =

P. = Morning Heats (Prelims)
F = Finals

• * 500 Free *

| 2019 P. | 2018 P. | 2018 F. | Bear
| 4:43.36 | 4:39.90 | 4:40.74 | Robin (PB = 4:39.34) -> B cut
| 4:44.61 | - n./a. - | - n./a. - | Sarah DiMeco (PB = 4:44.26) -> B cut
| 4:47.36 | - n./a. - | - n./a. - | Rachel (PB = 4:44.16)
| 4:48.25 | - n./a. - | - n./a. - | Ashlyn (old PB = 4:49.92) => new PB!
| 4:49.42 | - n./a. - | - n./a. - | Anna (PB = 4:46.25)
| 4:51.31 | 4:52.55 | 4:48.82 | Cassidy (PB = 4:45.31)
| 4:58.53 | 4:59.63 | 4:54.33 | Elizabeth (PB = 4:54.33)

~ 2020 NCAA 'A' Standard = 4:35.76
~ 2020 NCAA 'B' Standard = 4:47.20

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= Day 2 Prelims =

P. = Morning Heats (Prelims)
F = Finals

• * 200 IM *

| 2019 P. | 2018 P. | 2018 F. | Bear
| 1:55.80 | 1:56.84 | 1:55.77 | Alicia (PB = 1:55.77) -> B cut ... seeded #1 for tonight's finals
| 1:56.74 | - n./a. - | - n./a. - | Izzy (PB = 1:53.87) -> B cut ... seeded #2 for tonight's finals
| 1:57.61 | 1:58.10 | 1:56.41 | Keaton (PB = 1:55.46) -> B cut ... seeded #4= for tonight's finals
| 1:58.32 | 1:56.85 | 1:56.51 | Sarah Darcel (PB = 1:54.50) -> B cut ... seeded #7 for tonight's finals
| 1:59.38 | 1:59.33 | 1:58.95 | Ema (PB = 1:58.57) -> B cut
| 1:59.96 | - n./a. - | - n./a. - | Ayla (PB = 1:58.68)
| 2:01.58 | 2:03.35 | - DNQ - | Ali (PB = 2:00.84)
| 2:01.94 | 2:01.60 | 2:01.41 | Courtney (PB = 2:00.70)
| 2:01.95 | - n./a. - | - n./a. - | Chloe (PB = 1:57.32)
| 2:03.96 | 2:03.31 | - DNQ - | Natalie (PB = 2:01.82)
| 2:05.37 | - n./a. - | - n./a. - | Eloise (PB = n./a.)
| 2:05.53 | 2:04.98 | - DNQ - | Alexa B (PB = 2:03.50)

~ 2020 NCAA 'A' Standard = 1:53.66
~ 2020 NCAA 'B' Standard = 1:59.94

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= Day 2 Prelims =

P. = Morning Heats (Prelims)
F = Finals

• * 50 Free *

| 2019 P. | 2018 P. | 2018 F. | Bear
| 21.16 | 21.62 | 21.46 | Abbey (PB = 21.02) =>> A cut, currently fastest in nation & new pool record!!
| 22.56 | 22.59 | 22.50 | Madds (PB = 21.76) -> B cut
| 22.69 | - n./a. - | - n./a. - | Eloise (PB = n./a.) -> B cut
| 23.23 | 23.29 | 23.13 | Aislinn (PB = 22.99)
| 23.32 | - n./a. - | - n./a. - | Emma (PB = 22.95)
| 23.34 | 23.06 | 23.28 | Elise (PB = 22.64)

~ 2020 NCAA 'A' Standard = 21.66
~ 2020 NCAA 'B' Standard = 22.76

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FAIL AND WEITZEIL BLAST NATION-LEADING TIMES IN MINNESOTA INVITE DAY 2 PRELIMS

In the 500 free, Texas junior Evie Pfeifer put up the fastest time of the morning with a 4:40.00, but Michigan freshman Kaitlynn Sims was just a hair behind at 4:40.07. It's taken a 4:40.50 and a 4:40.96 to qualify for NCAAs in this event the past two years, so shaving off a little time this evening should help secure a NCAA invite. Those two should face some stiff competition tonight from a A-final field that will also include Sierra Schmidt (4:42.71), Kirsten Jacobsen (4:23.21), and Robin Neumann (4:43.46). That field, however, will not include Arizona's Hannah Cox, who placed 13th this morning after going 4:47.51. At this time last year, she was roughly 4:38 in both prelims and finals.

-

Cal sophomore Alicia Wilson was just a hair off of her lifetime best, qualifying first in the 200 IM with a time of 1:55.80. That's well under last year's NCAA invite time of 1:56.76, and she was the only woman to clear it by a considerable margin. At last fall's UGA Invite, Wilson swam 1:56.84 in prelims before going 1:55.77 in finals, so watch for her to shave off some more time tonight. Teammate Izzy Ivey qualified 2nd this morning in 1:56.74, the only other woman under 1:57.0.

-

The 50 free was the first event on the women's side that really saw a lights-out swim, as Cal senior Abbey Weitzeil dropped a 21.16 to lead the field by nearly a whole second. That's the fastest time in the NCAA this season, eclipsing the 21.19s that Erika Brown and Anna Hopkin each did two weeks ago. That also ties Weitzeil's 3rd-fastest time ever, and is by far the best time she's ever done in the fall, surpassing her 21.44 from the 2017 UGA Invite.

Michigan sensation Maggie MacNeil put up a 22.00, while Wolverine teammate Daria Pyshnenko was only 0.03s off her lifetime best to qualify 3rd in 22.26. It's consistently taken a 22.2 or 22.3 over the past few seasons to earn a NCAA invite in this event, putting Pyshnenko squarely on the bubble right now.

Who thinks Abbey will go under 21 this evening? I do.

tedbear said:

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Who thinks Abbey will go under 21 this evening? I do.

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Oh that would be so beary brilliant, smashing Dubs' own American & NCAA record (21.02) and sending at the same time a message to Erika Brown & Anna Hopkin!

Massive (but quite doable) target I reckon - if not tonight then there's always NCAAs in March!

Invite times from last year:

• 500 free - 4:40.96
• 200 IM - 1:56.76
• 50 free - 22.23
• 100 fly - 52.34
• 400 IM - 4:10.00
• 200 free - 1:45.12
• 100 breast - 59.93
• 100 back - 52.46
• 1650 free - 16:14.21
• 200 back - 1:54.01
• 100 free - 48.56
• 200 breast - 2:09.77
• 200 fly - 1:56.18

Probable qualifiers as of Day 2 prelims:

• Abbey Weitzeil (50 free)
• Alicia Wilson (200 IM)
• Izzy Ivey (200 IM)

4:43.29 from Rachel to win the B-heat. Nice!

Cheers bearz012 & HBear for all the research & updates!

Thought I'd post our Bears' best times (fastest from finals or prelims) from this mid-season meet here (haven't had a chance tho to check if anyone has been faster prior to this meet for the season, however unlikely), so that we can start to get a feel for who may or may not be on their way to earning an NCAA invite and perhaps be poised to contribute to the team scoring at the big dance, although it's a wee bit early for any concrete predictions...apologise in advance for any errors, since am entering the data manually on the fly as the meet progresses!

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= Day 2 Finals =

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500 free
~ 2020 NCAA 'A' Standard = 4:35.76
~ 2019 NCAA scoring time = 4:39.15 (16th @ Prelims)
~ 2019 NCAA invite time = 4:40.96 (38th)
~ 2020 NCAA 'B' Standard = 4:47.20

• *** Scoring? ***

- n/a -

• +++ Invite? +++

- n/a -

• === 'B' cut ===

- Robin Neumann: 4:41.87 (PB = 4:39.34)
- Rachel Klinker: 4:43.29 (PB = 4:44.16) -> New PB!
- Sarah Dimeco: 4:44.44 (PB = 4:44.26)
- Anna Kalandadze: 4:46.33 (PB = 4:46.25)
- Ashlyn Fiorilli: 4:48.25 (PB = 4:48.25)
- Cassidy Bayer: 4:48.19 (PB = 4:45.31)
- Elizabeth Bailey: 4:58.53 (PB = 4:54.33)

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1:58.71 from Ayla to win the B-final.