Cal V. UCLA (Women)
- January 30-31, 2021
- Spieker Aquatics Complex
- Berkeley, CA
- SCY (25y)
- Results
Team Scores After Day One
- Cal — 133
- UCLA — 53
Just hours after wrapping up their two-day dual meet against USC, the Cal Bears came back for a double-header as they hosted the UCLA Bruins. Just like their meet against USC, the Cal women threw down top times in the nation and continued to break Spieker pool records and Cal dual-meet records.
Meet Highlights
The Bears kicked off their second meet session of the day with the top time in the 200 free relay, dropping their season best and pool record of 1:27.78 by two-tenths down to 1:27.57. Today’s relay consisted of Eloise Riley (22.22), Emily Gantriis (21.82), Elise Garcia (21.95), and Izzy Ivey (21.58). Garcia replaced Robin Neumann in the relay today, swimming nearly a half second faster than Neumann’s 22.49 split from yesterday . That time today keeps Cal ranked at 3rd in the NCAA this season, only behind NC State (1:27.00) and Virginia (1:27.37).
Sophomore Eloise Riley had improved three-tenths off her lead-off split from 22.50 to 22.22. Putting together Riley’s 22.22 lead-off, Elise Garcia‘s 21.95 split, and Gantriis’ (21.37) and Ivey’s (21.42) splits from yesterday, that brings their total 200 free relay time to 1:26.96.
Izzy Ivey kept the records going as she took down Abbey Weitzeil‘s 100 free pool record with a 47.53. That shaved two-tenths off her personal best of 47.75 from the 2019 NCAA Championships. Ivey’s Cal dual-meet record today now ranks 2nd in the NCAA this season, only behind UVA’s Kate Douglass (46.86).
Cal junior Alicia Wilson won the 200 IM in another Cal dual-meet and Spieker pool record time of 1:53.58, dropping a second off her lifetime best of 1:54.68. Yesterday, Ivey broke the pool record at 1:55.34. Today, she took second behind Wilson today at 1:55.08. Wilson’s time now ranks 2nd in the NCAA behind versatile UVA sophomore Douglass (1:50.92) while Ivey improved to 6th.
Into the 500 free, Cal sophomore Ayla Spitz broke another dual-meet record time with a 4:39.86. That now ranks 8th in the NCAA this season, just ahead of teammate Neumann (4:40.02). Also setting a dual-meet record was Rachel Klinker in the 200 fly, winning in a lifetime best of 1:53.51, dropping three-tenths off her former best of 1:53.81 from the 2020 Pac-12s. She now ranks 5th in the NCAA this season.
UCLA’s highest finish today came in the 100 breast, where junior Claire Grover finished second in a sub-minute performance of 59.91. Winning by a second was Cal’s Ema Rajic at 58.91. Yesterday, she broke her own Cal team record with a 58.79, which is 6th in the NCAA this season.
Earlier today, Cal freshman Isabelle Stadden swam a 1:52.46 to top the 200 back against USC. Hours later, Stadden improved to a 1:51.17 to top against UCLA. Stadden ranks 2nd in the NCAA with her lifetime best of 1:49.77 from last November. Teammate Wilson, who won the 200 IM, took second in this backstroke event at 1:53.96, improving to 15th in the NCAA this season.
Stadden finished off the session with a 51.24 lead-off in the 400 medley relay, which took the top time at 3:32.40. Yesterday, Cal clocked in a 3:29.22 to rank 3rd in the NCAA this season, where Stadden led off in a 52.15. Her lead-off today marks a new season best, ranking her 5th in the NCAA women’s 100 back this season. NC State’s Katharine Berkoff leads the event at 50.40.
Tomorrow’s session is set to begin at 9 am PT.
“Izzy Ivey takes down Abbey Weitzeil” I thought that was Dr. Seus writing swimswam articles.
That is such a cool photo
Cool to see Isabelle Ivey swim fast again. She swam 47.88/1.43.64 at 16. I thought at that time that she was on track to make at minimum the US 4X200 free relay team in Tokyo. But for reasons I don’t know she has struggled since then. So it’s great to see her back in business.
Bobo Gigi!!!! The legend returns. 🙂
What where have you been
Man what a beast
The cal women have had a bit of a reversal the last few years I feel like. Back in the missy franklin days I feel like they were getting all the best recruits then a lot of them weren’t developing much or getting worse even. Lately they’ve gotten less big names (but still great recruits like Ivey and stadden just not all the big names like they used to) and they’ve been swimming really well compared to expectations.
Setting records and winning NCAA championships and making world championship squads and pb’s to boot and 15 years top 3 in the nation is hardly getting worse. Every recruit doesn’t pan out or make a good fit and life happens but CAL is an incredible program through and through and there is no way of disputing that. Teri Mckeever is one of the best coaches in swimming history— she has changed the sport—and it shows year after year. Check the receipts . . .
Izzy is on fire