UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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Meet psych sheets

The sheets are pre-selection sheets, meaning that many athletes are entered in more than the allowed 3 individual events, but there are a few cases where we can still glean some interesting insights. That includes the defending Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year Abbey Weitzeil's individual lineup, which will be as the top seed in the 50, 100, and 200 freestyles.

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Thought I'd go more in depth and really look through the psych sheet. Obviously, some haven't narrowed their event lineup yet, but it should provide a good picture as to what they're most likely swimming:

Bailey, Elizabeth JR: 500 free, 100 fly, 200 fly
Blovad, Keaton SR: 200 IM, 100 back, 200 back
Buckley, Alexa SR: 200 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast
Clark, Chloe FR: 200 IM, 100 back, 200 back
Darcel, Sarah JR: 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 fly
Davidson, Emma FR: 50 free, 200 free, 100 free
Dimeco, Sarah FR: 500 free, 400 IM, 1650 free, 200 fly
Fiorilli, Ashlyn FR: 500 free, 400 IM, 200 fly
Garcia, Elise SO: 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free
Harrison, Ali JR: 200 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast
Ivey, Izzy SO: 200 IM, 100 fly, 100 back, 200 back, 100 free
Klinker, Rachel FR: 500 free, 100 fly, 200 free, 200 fly
Krivokapic-Zhou, Sophie JR: 100 fly, 100 back, 200 back
Light, Aislinn SR: 50 free, 100 back, 200 back
Murphy, Maddie SR: 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free
Mykkanen, Courtney SR: 200 IM, 100 back, 200 back
Neumann, Robin JR: 500 free, 200 free, 100 free
Rajic, Ema SO: 200 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast
Riley, Eloise FR: 50 free, 200 free, 100 free
Skorus-Neely, Alexa JR: 200 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast
Spitz, Ayla FR: 500 free, 200 free, 200 back, 100 free
Tuck, Natalie JR: 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast
Weitzeil, Abbey SR: 50 free, 200 free, 100 free
Wilson, Alicia SO: 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 back

Anna Kalandadze is not on the current roster. Is she still with the team?

solobear said:

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Anna Kalandadze is not on the current roster. Is she still with the team?

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Per her instagram bio, it looks like she's left the team but is still at Cal.

bearz012 said:

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solobear said:

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Anna Kalandadze is not on the current roster. Is she still with the team?

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Per her instagram bio, it looks like she's left the team but is still at Cal.

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Yikes, if true! She is currently in qualification range for NCAAs in the 1650, so this is a little surprising.

bearz012 said:

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bearz012 said:

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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

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{posted 7 Dec 2019}

An updated list of probable qualifiers:

• Alicia Wilson (200/400 IM, 200 back)
• Izzy Ivey (200 IM, 100 fly, 100 back)
• Abbey Weitzeil (50/100/200 free, 100 back)
• Sarah Darcel (200/400 IM)
• Robin Neumann (100/200 free)
• Ema Rajic (100/200 breast)
• Keaton Blovad (100 back)
• Sarah Dimeco (1650 free)
• Anna Kalandadze (1650 free)
• Rachel Klinker (200 fly)

Hopefully, Ali, Cassidy, and Maddie can drop a little more time and qualify like they did last year. If Ayla and Eloise drop a few more tenths, they'll probably make the team as well. That'll bring us to 15 qualifiers.

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Main goal for the team @ conference should be to qualify several additional Bears for NCAAs. For those who have already earned a probable invite, upgrading their SB times to improve their seeding for NCAAs would be key, on top of helping the team scoring here.

Putting the Furdettes in their place :p by claiming the 2020 Pac-12 team title with a series of convincing performances would just be gravy really - alas likely an unrealised dream this season, due to LSJU's traditional strengths & depth relative to Cal historically in events such as the 500 Free, 400 IM, Breasts, 1650 Free, 200 Back, 200 Fly & Diving...but hey, you never know! I wouldn't overlook Salo's Trojanettes in the sprint frees either, even if they do have a history of sputtering out @ NCAAs after a strong Pac-12 showing.

Here are some estimated NCAA qualifying time ranges based on the swims to-date this year. The "on the bubble" times will probably end up being too slow (i.e. need to aim higher to be safely in), since a number of conferences with title-contending teams haven't yet been contested, i.e. Pac-12s & Big 12s, and standards have risen in this Olympic year.

Event | Target: #29 = likely in | #36 = on the bubble

..50 Free | 22.13 | 22.20
100 Free | 48.29 | 48.48
200 Free | 1:44.88 | 1:45.02
500 Free | 4:40.24 | 4:41.83

100 Back | 52.39 | 52.55
200 Back | 1:53.43 | 1:53.88

100 Fly | 52.20 | 52.31
200 Fly | 1:55.87 | 1:56.22

100 Breast | 59.85 | 1:00.01
200 Breast | 2:09.20 | 2:10.12

200 IM | 1:44.88 | 1:45.02
400 IM | 4:09.21 | 4:10.36

Cal presently is looking likely to send at least 9 invitees to 2020 NCAAs (see bearz012's list above).

For reference, after their ACC/SEC/B1G conference results last week, it appears that UVa will be boasting the largest contingent of projected NCAA swim qualifiers to race at Nationals (up to 17!), followed by Tenn & Indiana @ 13, with NC State, Georgia, Florida @ 12, and Ohio St, Louisville, Texas A&M @ 11.

Last year, the Trees swamped NCAAs with 16 swimmers + 4 divers (2 swimmers left behind due to roster limits), whilst Bears sported a much more modest contingent of 12 swimmers + 1 diver.

I would venture (fingers crossed ) that 2 more swimmers in the blue & gold will join their sisters for the main event in March - Maddie & Ali, both of whom respond very well to a spot of taper.

• Maddie
• 50 Free - 22.52 (#75) ... PB = 21.76
• 100 Fly - 53.48 (#99) ... PB = 51.15
• 100 Free - 49.56 (#128) ... PB = 48.22

Madds racing fast & qualifying is vital for the team - 200 Free Relay where we are defending champions (American, NCAA, US Open & Pool record @ 2019 NCAAs) - will be a challenge w/o Murphy's contribution here, even with the AR holder Abbey on anchor...provides Teri with an option to use Izzy on back instead of fly on the medley relay(s)...shore up Cal's wobbly sprint fly depth this year, etc. I am confident Maddie will come through as early as tomorrow (50 Free).

• Ali
• 100 Breast - 1:00.30 (#45) ... PB = 59.52 (best chance of qualifying here - Harrison had dropped a 59.79 @ 2019 Pac-12s)
• 200 Breast - 2:12.65 (#86) ... PB = 2:10.21

Another Bear who could be on the cusp of getting her cut is froski Ayla Spitz - more work to do there as she would have to go faster than her lifetime bests, but reckon the potential is truly there:

• Ayla
• 200 Free - 1:45.17 (#40) ... PB = 1:45.02
• 100 Back - 52.85 (#55) ... PB = 52.85 (not entered @ 2020 Pac-12s)
• 100 Free - 49.12 (#79) ... PB = 48.63
• 200 Back - 1:56.78 (#110) ... PB = 1:56.31

Would love to see freshie Eloise Riley make it, but she's still adjusting to the little pool and may need another season. Teri typically does not favour bringing "relay only" swimmers to the Big Dance.

• Eloise
• 50 Free - 22.50 (#72) ... PB = 22.50
• 100 Free - 49.77 (#157) ... PB = 49.77
• 200 Free - 1:48.86 (#40) ... PB = 1:48.86

• UPDATE =>

UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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Hectic week here, so won't have the time to start up or curate a new topic dedicated to 2020 Pac-12s.

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Cheers HBear for taking care of this!

2020 PAC-12s: Women's Swim

2020 NCAA Division I Women's Pre-Selection Psych Sheets Released: Is the Power Shifting From West Coast to East Coast?

Some highlights (top relay seeds):

• 200 Free: Auburn, 1:25.41
• 400 Free: Auburn, 3:09.18
• 800 Free: Tennessee, 6:53.27
• 200 Medley: Virginia, 1:33.91
• 400 Medley: NC State, 3:27.22

Scoring Projections (Based on Psych Sheet)

• Virginia, 374
• Tennessee, 304.5
• California, 272
• NC State, 248
• Michigan, 233.5
• Georgia, 217
• Stanford, 193
• Southern Cal, 177
• Kentucky, 159
• Auburn, 150

Quite a very interesting projected finish there. No way LSJU ends up 7th, but as the article title suggests, UVA definitely leads a very, very strong east coast rise this year (Douglass) and the next two (AW, GW).

Izzy in the 200 IM, 100 fly, 100 back (same as last year), Abbey in the 50/100/200 FRs. Rest up, everybody!

From the psych sheet, Mykkanen should get an invite to ncaa, a good note for her sr year.

200 Back:

34 -- Mykkanen, Courtney -- 21 -- California-PC 1:53.89
35 -- Spitz, Ayla -- 19 -- California-PC 1:53.89

HBear said:

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2020 NCAA Division I Women's Pre-Selection Psych Sheets Released: Is the Power Shifting From West Coast to East Coast?

Izzy in the 200 IM, 100 fly, 100 back (same as last year), Abbey in the 50/100/200 FRs. Rest up, everybody!

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BearDevil said:

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OBear073akaSMFan said:

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Assuming Ali qualifies with her time in the last chance swim is the above the complete list of qualifiers? I know Murphy still on the border at #34 but can she be taken as a relay swimmer only? I know coach Teri doesn't like to take relay swimmers only but think Murphy will be of value in 4 of the relays.

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Maddie's safely in at 34 in the 50 Free. No way 4 or 5 late time trial swimmers will overtake her.

Bit of a long shot, but Courtney Mykkanen is tied with Ayla at 41 in the 200 Back. Kinda surprised CM didn't swim a last chance time trial yesterday. Would probably need 1 or 2 scratches to move up. Not probable, but possible. Courtney's a great student and teammate and a multigenerational Cal legacy, so would be a fitting sentimental capstone to a terrific Cal career.

Keeks, Maddie, Eloise, Ayla, Rachel, and Ali are all great adds to the relays. Teri now has tons of options on all legs of all five relays. Needs to leave Abbey and Izzy off at least one relay each.

Bears put the work in mid-season, so their relay seeds are fine even without Abbey for two relays at Pacs. Keeks really stepped it up on relays at Pacs.

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Here's a quick first pass at the NCAA events our Bears are likely racing @ 2020 NCAAs if they are invited, based upon the *pre-selection* psych sheets announced today (final list of official invitees will be released on Wed).

Not set in stone, but Coco's chances are looking quite favourable presently, and well deserved as so aptly expressed by BD above

So hopefully 14 swimmers will be repping Cal @ NCAA Champs in Athens in a fortnight's time, and perhaps Briana Thai will also qualify on the diving side at the conclusion of the Zone E qualifying meet up @ Federal Way this Wed.

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• Seed/rank in parenthesis
• ** = A final projected seed
• * = B final projected seed

... SENIORS = 4
Abbey Weitzeil : 50 free** (#1), 100 Free** (#3), 200 free** (#2)
Courtney Mykkanen : 200 back (#34) ... only 1 event as her 100 back season best didn't quite make an NCAA 'B' cut, neither did her 200 IM
Keaton Blovad : 200 IM (#17), 100 back* (#12), 200 back (#21)
Maddie Murphy : 50 free (#31), 100 fly (#53), 100 free (#104)

... JUNIORS = 3
Ali Harrison : 100 breast (#34), 200 breast (#85) ... no 3rd event as her 100 fly, 200 IM & 50 free SB are slower than the 'B' standard
Robin Neumann : 500 free (#27), 200 free* (#13), 100 free (#30)
Sarah Darcel : 200 IM (#29), 400 IM (#31), 200 fly (#55)

... SOPHOMORES = 3
Alicia Wilson : 200 IM* (#10), 400 IM* (#9), 200 back (#40)
Ema Rajic : 200 IM (#81), 100 breast* (#16), 200 breast (#20)
Izzy Ivey : 200 IM* (#9), 100 fly** (#8), 100 back** (#6)

... FRESHMEN = 4
Ayla Spitz : 500 free (#25), 200 free (#32), 200 back (#35)
Eloise Riley : 50 free (#23), 100 free (#52) ... her 200 free not a 'B' cut
Rachel Klinker : 500 free (#51), 200 free (#42), 200 fly* (#9)
Sarah Dimeco : 500 free (#54), 400 IM (#88), 1650 free (#25)

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UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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Rachel Klinker : 500 free (#51), 200 free (#42), 200 fly* (#9)

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Forgot to mention that I was wondering if Teri may consider entering Rachel in the *100 Fly* instead of the *500 Free*?

Yes would be a v. tough double on Day 3 as those 2 events come straight after each other, but reckon OTOH Klinker's chances of squeaking into the B final of the 100 fly (#49) would be a mite greater than in the 500 free (#51), esp seeing her butterfly upside & progression @ 2020 Pac-12s...

Since Rachel's not projected to realistically score in either of the above events (but could well surprise with her massive improvements ever since training as a Bear), why not use the 100 fly as prep for her main event, the 200 on Day 4 where she'll be aiming to make the A final?

Wonder how much the freshmen were tapered for Pac-12s. Realistically, not sure how much of a time drop we can expect across events for scoring points, but cheers for their invites regardless! (Not to say the least against Teri and her track record, particularly last year, of getting Bears up to top speed when it really counts in March.)

SwimSwam churning out a lot of interesting articles based on psych sheet entries. Of note:

• Horns really going for relays rather than maxing out individual entries (Cook, Pash, Adams all in 2 events and likely all 5 relays). Think Semenuk is also qualified. Ariola did not.
• Surprised Stanford's Byrnes won't be swimming NCs if she has (in fact) chosen to retire (rather than injury or other reason). She had great showings in the 500 and 1650 free (forget what meet this was exactly, but I'm thinking of how her fellow NCAP alum Seli counted for her during the mile).
• A&M's Belousova scratching/dropping from the psych sheets is a bit unfortunate, IMO. Could've offset some likely LSJU points in the 200 BR (Forde now opting in to swim the 200 BR over 200 fly) and perhaps 100 BR as well.

14 Swimmers Earn NCAA Invitations

BERKELEY A total of 14 Golden Bear swimmers and all five relays have earned invitations to the NCAA Championships, the NCAA announced on Wednesday.

The list of Cal swimmers who will travel to Athens, Georgia, for the national meet March 18-21 is:

• Keaton Blovad 100 back, 200 back, 200 IM
• Sarah Darcel 200 IM, 400 IM
• Sarah DiMeco 1650 free
• Ali Harrison 100 breast
• Isabel Ivey 100 back, 100 fly, 200 IM
• Rachel Klinker 200 fly
• Maddie Murphy 50 free
• Courtney Mykkanen 200 back
• Robin Neumann 100 free, 200 free, 500 free
• Ema Rajic 100 breast, 200 breast
• Eloise Riley 50 free
• Ayla Spitz 200 free, 500 free, 200 back
• Abbey Weitzeil 50 free, 100 free, 200 free
• Alicia Wilson 200 IM, 400 IM

The group includes four freshmen (DiMeco, Klinker, Riley, Spitz), three sophomores (Ivey, Rajic, Wilson), three juniors (Darcel, Harrison, Neumann) and four seniors (Blovad, Murphy, Mykkanen, Weitzeil). Three of the Bears qualified in the maximum individual three events Blovad, Neumann and Weitzeil. Only Stanford and Virginia, with 15 invitees each, will have a higher number of representatives at NCAAs, and the total is Cal's highest since 15 swimmers were invited in 2015, the last time the Bears won the national title.

According to the NCAA psych sheet, Cal's contingent features 12 individuals ranked among the top 16, including Weitzeil, who will enter the championships as the No. 1 seed in both the 50 free and 200 free. She is the defending champion in the 50 free and lowered the American record to 20.90 seconds during a meet at Minnesota in December.

Every Cal relay is ranked among the top 5 a statement only Virginia can also make. Last year, the Bears captured NCAA titles in the 200 free relay, 400 free relay and 400 medley relay, and they were the runner-up in the 800 free relay and 200 medley relay.

Qualifying for diving takes place March 9-11 at the NCAA Zone E Championships held in Federal Way, Washington.

Cal has placed among the top 3 at the NCAA Championships each of the past 11 years the longest current streak in the country winning national titles four times (2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015). The Bears have been the national runner-up each of the past three years.

ESPN3 will stream all four of the finals sessions, while prelims will be streamed through georgiadogs.com. A tape-delayed broadcast of the meet will air on ESPUN at 7 p.m. PT on Wednesday, April 1.

Wrapping up PAC-12s with:

2020 PAC-12 WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS SCORING BREAKDOWN

Short summary:

• LSJU returns well over 400 points more than USC, Cal, and UCLA (all around each other with ~600 points returning).
• Cal freshies actually scored the points of all classes for the Bears (283), with the seniors (241), sophomores (216.5), and juniors (188) following suit.
• Highest-scoring class across the schools: LSJU sophomores (398) -- think: that's without Ruck. Scary development to come for the Trees at this rate.

2019-2020 NCAA WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING POWER RANKS: FINAL EDITION

#10: Louisville
#9: Kentucky
#8: USC
#7: Georgia
#6: NC State
#5: TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (-1)

• Tennessee has historically struggled to hold their times and seeds at NCAAs. After going all-out for the program's first-ever SEC title, I have to believe they don't have too much room left to move up. A few NCAA titles and a top-5 finish, though, would make this a banner season for the Vols. Curious if they can pull off a relay win again. -JA

#4: MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (+1)

• After Big Tens, I get the sense that Michigan's eyes have been firmly planted on NCAAs. The big concern is whether Maggie MacNeil's rest is at all affected by Canadian Olympic Trials coming up so quickly, but the way she swam at Big Tens, there shouldn't be a lot of doubt. -JA
• Olivia Carter should give them a nice boost with her 200 fly, and she helps the 400 medley come around. -KO

#3: CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS (-1)

• This year's title is very much up in the air it feels like the thriller of a men's meet we had a few years ago where multiple teams were in contention until the final day or two. I'll trust Cal to reload their relays, which all finished 1st or 2nd last year but are mostly ranked 4th and 5th in current psych sheet scoring. When things are this close, elite talents make a big difference, and I think Abbey Weitzeil is the type of talent to push Cal to the top provided she is healthy. -JA
• If Weitzeil is ready to go, this team can contend for the title. If not, they're a cut above the rest, but not up for the title. -KO
• I've got all three of the top teams scoring between 320-370 points. It looks like there's only been three occasions where the women's Division I Championships has been won with less than 400 points. -RG

#2: VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (+1)

• I won't be surprised if Virginia's rise to the top comes a year or two earlier than expected. -KO
• It's been a while since the NCAA Champion seemed so uncertain heading into the meet. -BK
• It would not surprise me at all to see Virgina win this, but I think Stanford gets a slight edge because of experience. -RG
• Hard to rank Virginia this low. My rationale: I think they've shown more of their cards at this point than Cal or Stanford, and with all five relays ranked in the top 3 in psych sheet scoring, they have more opportunities to move down than move up. I'll say it, though: Kate Douglass will be sensational and will probably carry at least one relay to a title. It might be a year or two too early for UVA; they'll have better title opportunties over the next few years. -JA

#1: STANFORD CARDINAL (+2)

• Sue me, but I still think that Stanford is going to pull this one out. Their relays are going to have to really ball out to hold up in the top eight (though the 800 relay should be strong), but I think they have enough scoring options across enough events to hold off Virginia. -KO
• Super bold prediction: a three-way tie for 1st place, with each team scoring 333&1/3 points. -RG
• I would have picked Stanford with no second thought, but a 181-point margin behind UVA in psych sheet scoring gave me one. I trust the depth of this Stanford team way more than the depth of Cal or Virginia. My fear is for the medley relays, which really don't have a backstroker or a butterflyer. Freestyle depth is off-the-charts, but that can only do so much. The wild card being overlooked, though: Stanford returns two elite divers who scored at NCAAs as freshmen. I'll be they combine for 30+ points themselves. -JA

HBear said:

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Wrapping up PAC-12s with:

2020 PAC-12 WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS SCORING BREAKDOWN

2019-2020 NCAA WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING POWER RANKS: FINAL EDITION

#10: Louisville
#9: Kentucky
#8: USC
#7: Georgia
#6: NC State
#5: TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (-1)
#4: MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (+1)
#3: CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS (-1)

• This year's title is very much up in the air it feels like the thriller of a men's meet we had a few years ago where multiple teams were in contention until the final day or two. I'll trust Cal to reload their relays, which all finished 1st or 2nd last year but are mostly ranked 4th and 5th in current psych sheet scoring. When things are this close, elite talents make a big difference, and I think Abbey Weitzeil is the type of talent to push Cal to the top provided she is healthy. -JA
• If Weitzeil is ready to go, this team can contend for the title. If not, they're a cut above the rest, but not up for the title. -KO
• I've got all three of the top teams scoring between 320-370 points. It looks like there's only been three occasions where the women's Division I Championships has been won with less than 400 points. -RG

#2: VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (+1)
#1: STANFORD CARDINAL (+2)

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Thanks, HBear.

I may be a wee biased , but do actually feel quite good about Bears' chances for a Top 2 finish, with a credible shot at the team title in what may be a very tightly contested slugfest at the top IF a hopefully healthy Abbey gets to dazzle the nation, a hopefully back to health & form Darcel shows up, and hopefully everyone on the team steps up and give it their all for school & their teammates (as they surely will, naturally ).

Taking into account of course that Greg & Tracy are well-known for not showing their hand until March when it really counts, so am fully expecting the Furdettes to massively outperform their projected scoring and justify their pre-contest standing as Championship favourites, even with their weakened relays and Virginia's brash but very dangerous challenge.

Not whinging at all when it comes to Cal being ranked in the 3rd spot TBH - sort of like it when we are underdogs with the attendant lowering of pressure & unrealistic expectations...

ROLL ON YOU BEARS!

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UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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Cal takes 2nd at Pac-12 Championships for 4th straight year

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Extract from the above quoted article (excuse the author getting a mite carried away with his hyperbole & metaphors there haha):

"Despite Cal winning four Pac-12 titles and having many instances of season or even career bests, the blue and gold came up way short of first. Their ceiling is yet to be determined and although second place is good for most teams, Cal is not most teams. For the Bears, the expectations are much higher. The goal is a national championship it's championship or bust.

This is it. Cal's back is up against the wall. They are in must win mode as the only meet left is the national championships. The Bears need to find their inner LeBron James if they want to be able to pull off this upset and finally defeat their archrival Stanford on the national stage for the first time since 2015.

The Bears currently have an 11-year streak of top-three finishes, the longest streak in the country. They will look to continue that streak at the NCAA Championships in Athens, Georgia from March 18-21."

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UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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Cal Women's Swimming wins 4 Pac-12 titles to finish 2nd; injury concerns before NCAA


Isabel Ivey - the next Cal swimming great is already here

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"It should be an exciting NCAA Championship this year with Stanford having a down year without a superstar in the likes of Katie Ledecky (turned pro), Simone Manuel (graduated), Taylor Ruck (taking the year off to prep for the 2020 Tokyo game), or Regan Smith (top prospect that committed to Stanford who will start college career this fall). While Stanford could still pull off the four-peat without a superstar, Cal's Abbey Weitzeil is arguably the biggest sure thing (IF healthy) at the NCAA this year.

Based on the top times of the year, SwimSwam's "Swimulator" LOVE the Golden Bears for the NCAA in their March 1st, 2020 update. We are talking about a projection of 344.5 points for the Bears with only 276.5 for Tennessee next (Stanford is 7th with 187). Of course, that projection is expecting both Cal at full strength and does not factor in how everybody will be dropping a lot of time at the National Championships, particularly in an Olympic year.

In addition to Weitzeil's injury, Cal also did not have Sarah Darcel at the Pac-12 Championships due to a knee injury (according to the Pac-12 broadcast). Darcel would be a point scorer for the Bears in both IM events and possibly at other places for at least 20-30 points. I certainly hope the Cal sophomore will be ready to go in Georgia in a few weeks.

Also, the Swimulator does not factor in diving. NCAA Diving qualifying is its own event that is coming up. While since graduated diver Phoebe LaMay had participated at the NCAA for the past few seasons, Cal has not had a diving scorer in several years. Despite the much needed facility upgrade at Legends Swimming facility on campus so that Cal divers does not need to trek down to Stanford to practice platform diving, Cal diving has yet to breakthrough with NCAA point scorer in both the men and the women diving in the past 4 years. Hopefully this will change for the better soon. Still, count on both Stanford and Tennessee to gain a lot of points (as much as 50-150 points) on the Bears from Diving.

Nonetheless, it will be another fun NCAA Championships to track in 2020. The 2020 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships will take place from Athens, Georgia on March 18th-21st."

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Abbey Weitzeil Named AAU Sullivan Award Semifinalist

American-Record Holder Candidate For Nation's Top Amateur Athlete

• Vote for Abbey here!

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CAL'S HOFFER AND WEITZEIL, UW'S NELSON NAMED SULLIVAN AWARD SEMIFINALISTS



Cal's Ryan Hoffer and Abbey Weitzeil and Wisconsin's Beata Nelson have been named semifinalists for the 90th James E. Sullivan Award by the AAU.

The award is given to the nation's best amateur athlete annually.

Hoffer was just named the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Meet after he led the Golden Bears to their third-straight conference team title. Individually, he won the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly, and contributed to three relay victories, including splitting a 40.99 and 18.27 freestyle on the 400 free relay and 200 medley relay, respectively.

This season, Hoffer leads the NCAA in the 50 free (18.87). He's also the #2 100 freestyler (41.45) and #3 100 butterflier (44.85) going into the 2020 NCAA Championships.

Weitzeil became the fastest woman ever in the 50-yard freestyle at 20.90 this season, which also made her the first woman under 21 seconds in the event. She's an NCAA title threat in three events, though she hyper-extended her arm during her 50 free at Pac-12s and her status for NCAAs is currently unknown. She's ranked #2 in the country in the 200 free this year (1:42.25) and #3 in the 100 free (46.52).

Swimming legends Michael Phelps, Missy Franklin, Tracy Caulkins, Janet Evans, and Mark Spitz have all been recipients of this award in the past.

The finalists for 2020 will be announced on March 23, with the winner named in mid-April. The AAU will honor finalists at a special ceremony in New York City on April 21.

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UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

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So hopefully 14 swimmers will be repping Cal @ NCAA Champs in Athens in a fortnight's time, and perhaps Briana Thai will also qualify on the diving side at the conclusion of the Zone E qualifying meet up @ Federal Way this Wed.

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2020 ZONE E: FUSARO RETURNS TO FORM WITH WIN FOR USC ON DAY 2

Cal's Briana Thai did qualify through 3-meter today. She'll make her first NCAA trip, and though scoring is still a long ways off, it's a boost for Cal to at least add the potential of dive points.

So, what are the chances of NCs getting postponed or cancelled?

tedbear said:

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So, what are the chances of NCs getting postponed or cancelled?

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Looking likely with these recent developments (and more to follow)

ACC CONFERENCE SUSPENDS PARTICIPATION IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

USA SWIMMING "STRONGLY RECOMMENDS" CANCELLING ALL MEETS DUE TO CORONAVIRUS

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• UPDATES ->

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NCAA CANCELS ALL REMAINING WINTER AND SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS

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https://instagr.am/p/B9qBLH9AfcF

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Wow. Obviously, there's more to life and the world than sports, but definitely a bummer to see senior Bears' season end. For Abbey, Keeks, Maddie, Coco, Sendyk, Jensen, Quah, amongst many others, it would have been great to see them put up a last hurrah at NCs. Hoping that what lies ahead at Trials and the Games for those who keep swimming represents great success, and kudos to stellar seasons and careers for all seniors (NC qualifiers or not).

Wonder if any sort of impromptu meet will be held, but kind of assume not given such wide-scale cancellations of everything, athletics and otherwise, across the country and world. Hope everyone remains safe and healthy!

Ugh, feel really bad for the athletes for all the time and energy they put in.

Cal Swimming: Abbey Weitzeil's Return Trip to the Olympic Games Postponed By a Year

https://instagr.am/p/B9rmrfHHP1W

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Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll Announced

Cal Recognized With 19 Honorees From Five Sports



The women's swimming & diving team led the way with nine honorees, followed by five men's swimming & diving selections, three women's basketball selections and one apiece from men's basketball and women's gymnastics.

Any student-athlete on his or her respective team roster with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or above, and who has served at least one year in residence at the institution, is eligible to receive all-academic honors.

The Winter Academic Honor Roll includes student-athletes who participated in the Pac-12-sponsored sports of men's and women's basketball, gymnastics, men's and women's swimming & diving, and wrestling.

Women's Swimming & Diving (9)
Elizabeth Bailey (Mathematics)
Alexa Buckley (Molecular & Cell Biology)
Chloe Clark (Undeclared)
Sarah Darcel (Integrative Biology)
Ali Harrison (American Studies)
Sophie Krivokapic-Zhou (Data Science)
Courtney Mykkanen (Media Studies)
Robin Neumann (Global Studies)
Alicia Wilson (Undeclared)

Men's Swimming & Diving (5)
Nate Biondi (American Studies)
Kyle Millis (Undeclared)
Pawel Sendyk (Computer Science)
Andy Song (Business Administration)
Reece Whitley (Undeclared)

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https://instagr.am/p/B-uhCWonxq3

CAL'S ABBEY WEITZEIL WINS 2020 HONDA SPORT AWARD FOR SWIMMING

Go frickin' Bears, as they say. Great note to end this turbulent season on; congratulations to Abbey!

Virtual Team Banquet Celebrates 2019-20 Season

48 Participants From Around The World Join Together To Honor The Bears

In this age of the coronavirus and social distancing, the Golden Bears held their annual team banquet virtually, bringing together the entire team, coaches, support staff, parents and friends of the program through a Sunday morning Zoom call.

While the event didn't completely mirror previous years' experiences, the 70-minute gathering provided many of the same elements with awards and thank yous all around. There were 48 participants from around world, including from as far away as England, the Netherlands, Australia and the Philippines.

Senior Abbey Weitzeil earned team Most Outstanding honors for the second year in a row, adding to her long list of accomplishments for 2019-20. Last week, she was named the winner of the 2020 Honda Sport Award for swimming as the national swimmer of the year. In addition, Weitzeil is a finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award, given to the top amateur athlete in the country, with the recipient announced April 29.

Other awards announced Sunday were:

• Golden Bear Award - Aislinn Light
• Coach Wick Leadership Award - Abbey Weitzeil
• Most Improved Award - Alicia Wilson
• Warren Hellman Scholastic Award - Elizabeth Bailey
• Diving Coaches Award - Briana Thai
• Karen Moe Humphreys Swimming Coaches Award - Isabel Ivey

Eight freshmen received their first-year awards and membership into the Big C Society: Chloe Clark, Emma Davidson, Sarah DiMeco, Ashlyn Fiorilli, Cassie Graham, Rachel Klinker, Eloise Riley and Ayla Spitz.

In addition, 15 swimmers and divers were presented as CSCAA All-Americans for qualifying to the NCAA Championships: Sara DiMeco, Alia Harrison, Rachel Klinker, Courtney Mykkanen, Briana Thai, Sarah Darcel, Eloise Riley, Alicia Wilson, Maddie Murphy, Ema Rajic, Ayla Spitz, Robin Neumann, Keaton Blovad, Isabel Ivey and Abbey Weitzeil.

Rajic eyes trip to Tokyo for Olympics representing Croatia


Ema Rajic of Cal W Swim

Rajic moved to Austin, Texas with her family shortly after graduating, then enrolled at Cal. She shined for the Bears as a freshman, swimming the breaststroke leg of the 400 medley relay team that won the NCAA title. Her 200 medley relay was runner-up, and individually, she finished 8th in the 100 breaststroke, setting a new school record in her first year in college.

......

"It was amazing year in so many aspects," Rajic said. "I think getting to that atmosphere where people are older than you and you're swimming next to Abbey Weitzeil and you see like Olympic ring tattoos everywhere, like talk about motivation."

Rajic will have that opportunity if she continues to improve her times. She swam a personal best in the 200 breaststroke as a sophomore, qualifying once again for the NCAA's, before COVID-19 canceled the season.
"It's such a big situation and it's out of your hands," said Rajic. "Canceling NC's was for the best for everyone but it's hard not to take something like that personally."

Rajic is back in Austin now, continuing to work out and train for her junior year at Cal, and hopefully a trip to Tokyo next summer.

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Top Student-Athletes Earn Honors

Cal's Athletic Study Center Hands Out Annual Awards



The Tom Hansen Conference Medal is one of the most prestigious individual awards a student-athlete can earn. It recognizes the top male and female athelte at each Pac-12 instittuion, and this year's winners from Cal were Simon Lekressner of men's soccer and Abbey Weitzeil of women's swimming. Lekressner was the 2019 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's soccer and an All-Pac-12 First Team selection while Weitzell won the 2020 Honda Sport Award for swimming and holds the American record in the 50 freestyle.

The Golden Bear Achievement Awards are presented to the student-athlete with the highest GPA on his or her respective team.

Sport | Name | Major
Men's Swimming & Diving | Pawel Sendyk | Computer Science
Women's Swimming & Diving | Elizabeth Bailey | Mathematics



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https://instagr.am/p/CAQXdX-gqSs

https://instagr.am/p/CAQi48QACw8

Congrats Robin! (and Pawel)

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Left to right: Anna Bright, Pawel Sendyk, Robin Neumann and Nikki Zaccaro were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large Teams

Academic All-District Honorees

Four Golden Bears Named To CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams

CoSIDA Announcement

Neumann, a global studies major, owns a 3.92 GPA and is a two-time CSCAA Scholar All-American. The junior from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, was a 2020 All-American in five events 100, 200 and 500 free; 400 and 800 free relays and was selected to the 2020 Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll. She earned five top-10 finishes at the 2020 Pac-12 Championships and scored in two events at the NCAA Championships in 2018 and 2019.

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