Courtesy: Cal Athletics
BERKELEY, Calif. – California will compete in its first dual meet of the 2019-20 season when it clashes with Pacific on Thursday afternoon at the Chris Kjeldsen Pool Complex in Stockton, Calif.
Action is slated to begin at 2 p.m. on Pacific’s campus. The Bears will swim in 16 different events at the meet. Results will be provided following the conclusion of the meet.
LAST TIME OUT
Cal had a fun start to the 2018-19 season as senior Zheng Wen Quah was crowned King of the Pool at Cal Poly on Sept. 20. Quah came out on top of the unique five-race event that tasked Cal and Cal Poly swimmers with 100-yard races in the butterfly, backstroke, freestyle, breaststroke and individual medley. The senior posted the lowest five-race time (4:02.68) and bested the rest of the field by more than six seconds with wins in the 100 fly (46.34), 100 back (46.52), 100 free (43.80) and 100 IM (49.01).
The lone event Quah did not win was the 100 breast, which was claimed by sophomore Reece Whitley (53.59). Quah won the first and last two disciplines of the day, with Whitley’s breaststroke win coming in the third race of the morning. Fellow Bears Daniel Carr (4.08.86), Hugo Gonzalez (4:09.64), Whitley (4:11.64) and Chris Jhong (4:16.85) rounded out the top five overall finishers.
LOADED ROSTER
The Bears will be primed for another run at the NCAA title in 2019-20 as they return a slew of last year’s NCAA qualifiers, including Karl Arvidsson, Connor Callahan (diving), Daniel Carr, Sean Grieshop, Ryan Hoffer, Michael Jensen, Trenton Julian, Mefford, Quah, Pawel Sendyk and Whitely. Cal added 10 freshmen to the mix this season, as well as redshirt sophomore transfer Hugo Gonzalez, the 2018 SEC Freshman of the Year at Auburn.
CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON IN REVIEW
Cal captured the 2019 national title for the sixth time in school history last spring with five NCAA event titles along the way, including three by former Bear Andrew Seliskar in the 200 IM, 200 breast and 200 free. Hoffer captured the 50 free and the Bears won the 200 free relay featuring Sendyk, Hoffer, Jensen and Seliskar.
Cal won its second consecutive Pac-12 Championship en route to the NCAA title as Seliskar was named the league’s Swimmer of the Meet and tallied his record-tying 11th-career Pac-12 individual title. Head coach David Durden was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year and ninth time overall. Seliskar was the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year and Whitley earned Pac-12 Swimming Freshman of the Year accolades.
NEXT TIME
Cal’s swimmers will host Stanford in their annual Triple Distance Meet at Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley on Nov. 8. Meanwhile, the Cal men’s diving team will compete at the Trojan Diving Invitational on Nov. 8-10 in Los Angeles.
Go Tigers!