No. 6 Bears Ready For First ACC Championship

2025 ACC CHAMPIONSHIP
FEBRUARY 18-22 | GREENSBORO AQUATIC CENTER | GREENSBORO, N.C.
LIVE RESULTS (SWIMMING): THEACC.COM
LIVE RESULTS (DIVING): DIVEMEETS.COM
 
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
All Times PT
Tuesday, Feb. 18
1-meter dive, 800 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay
Prelims - 7 a.m. | TV: ACCNX
Finals – 3 p.m. | TV: ACCNX
Wednesday, Feb. 19
500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle
Prelims  - 6:30 a.m. | TV: ACCNX
Finals (including 200 freestyle relay) - 2:30 p.m. | TV: ACCNX
Thursday, Feb. 20
100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 400 individual medley, 3-meter dive
Prelims - 6:30 a.m. (diving 10 a.m.) | TV: ACCNX
Finals - 2:30 p.m. | TV: ACCNX
Friday, Feb. 21
200 butterfly, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke
Prelims - 6:30 a.m. | TV: ACCNX
Finals (including 400 medley relay) - 2:30 p.m. | TV: ACCNX
Saturday, Feb. 22
200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, platform diving
Prelims - 6:30 a.m. | TV: ACCNX
Finals (including 400 freestyle relay) - 2:30 p.m. (1,650 free - 11:15 a.m.) | TV: ACCNX
 
The No. 6 California women's swimming & diving team will compete in its first-ever ACC Championship this week in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The meet, scheduled for Tuesday-Saturday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, features all 15 teams that sponsor women's swimming in the ACC.

Virginia, the No. 1 team in the country and four-time defending NCAA champion, has won the past five ACC titles and 15 of the last 17 overall. The Cavaliers have won 20 conference championships all-time, the most of any ACC school.

The Golden Bears won the Pac-12 championship last year in their final year as members of the conference.

STUDYING THE PSYCH SHEET: The Bears feature 12 entries that are top 5 seeds at the ACC Championship and six more that are in the top 10. Senior Leah Polonsky is the No. 3 seed in both the 200-yard freestyle and 200 individual medley, while freshman Mary-Ambre Moluh holds down the third seed in the 100 backstroke. Moluh also is the No. 4 seed in the 50 free and sixth in the 100 free. Graduate student Isabelle Stadden is a top 5 seed in both the 200 back (No. 4) and 100 back (No. 5).

TOP TIME REPORT: Cal enters the postseason with 13 times that rank in the top 10 nationally this season, including No. 3 times by freshman Mary-Ambre Moluh in the 100 back (49.68) and the Bears' 200 medley relay team (1:34.24). Moluh also holds the sixth-fastest time this season in the 50 free (21.57) and the No. 10 mark in the 100 free (47.63). Fifth-year senior Isabelle Stadden ranks No. 6 nationally in both the 100 back (50.26) and 200 back (1:49.96). All five of Cal's relay teams are among the top 10 in the country this season.

MARY MADNESS: Freshman Mary-Ambre Moluh has already made a profound impact on Cal's program in her short time so far on campus. At the Minnesota Invitational in December, she broke the school record in the 100 backstroke with a time of 49.68. She also reeled off a 21.68 in the 50 freestyle – the fifth-best time ever in the event at Cal – then bettered it with a 21.57 at a dual meet at Stanford earlier this month. Moluh swam for her native France at the 2024 Summer Olympics. As a result of her performance in Minneapolis, Moluh was named the ACC Women's Swimmer of the Week.

STADDEN'S SECOND HONOR: Fifth-year senior Isabelle Stadden has twice been named ACC Women's Swimmer of the Week this season, most recently on Jan. 21 when she broke a pair of Spieker Aquatics Complex records that she previously held during a dual meet win over No. 18 USC. Stadden went 50.26 in the 100-yard backstroke – a mark that matched her personal best – and set a new facility mark in the 200-yard backstroke with a 1:49.96 against the Trojans.

STADDEN NAMED 2024 PAC-12 SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: Isabelle Stadden became the 11th Golden Bear to be named Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year in 2024, winning two individual conference titles and adding a third as part of a relay. Stadden captured her third career crown in the 200 back while winning her first in the 100 back. She also swam the backstroke leg on Cal's Pac-12 winning 200 medley relay team. Stadden helped the Bears compile a 7-1 dual meet record (5-1 Pac-12) and a final national dual meet ranking of No. 4 while also setting Spieker Aquatics Complex records in both individual backstroke events.

DIVERS MAKE SPLASH: Freshman Rebecca Ciancaglini became the first diver in program history to compete at the World Junior Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last fall. Ciancaglini advanced to the finals of the 1-meter dive before ultimately placing 11th. She finished 21st in the 3-meter event. Fellow freshman Violet Williamson was named to USA Diving's Senior High Performance Team last fall.

BEARS INK GENERATIONAL RECRUITING CLASS: Cal director of swimming & diving David Durden announced the addition of seven student-athletes to the program, including four of the nation's top 10 prospects. Teagan O'Dell of Chino Hills (No. 2 national recruit according to SwimSwam), No. 3 Claire Weinstein of White Plains, New York (No. 3, 2024 Summer Olympian), Annie Jia of Horsham, Pennsylvania (No. 8) and Elle Scott of Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 9) all signed to join the team for 2025-26 while Ella Cosgrove of Tucson, Arizona (No. 19), Alexa McDevitt of Bainbridge Island, Washington (honorable mention) and Gracyn Aquino of Santa Margarita (California state champion) are also headed to Berkeley.

2023-24 REDUX: The Bears finished last season at No. 4 in the CSCAA dual meet rankings and won the sixth Pac-12 championship in program history. Isabelle Stadden captured her third conference title in the 200 backstroke and added the 100 back crown to her resume while senior Mia Kragh captured the 100 butterfly championship and now-alum Rachel Klinker took the honors in the 200 butterfly. Cal finished 11th as a team at the 2024 NCAA Championships, including A-final appearances by Stadden in the 100 back (2nd) and 200 back (4th), Klinker in the 200 fly (3rd) and Kragh in the 100 fly (8th). The Bears also took fourth in the 200 medley relay.

NINE MAKE PARIS: Cal had nine affiliates compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, including senior Leah Polonsky (Israel) and French newcomers Mary-Ambre Moluh and Lilou Ressencourt. Alumna Abbey Weitzeil won a gold medal in the 4x100 mixed medley relay and the silver in the 4x100 freestyle relay. Director of Swimming & Diving Dave Durden served as an assistant coach for Team USA.

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