Cal at NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships preview

Golden Bears seek a top-5 team finish at the four-day meet (Wed-Sat) from Athens, Georgia

Realistically, Cal Women's Swimming and Diving are two years away from being an NCAA Team Championship contender again. Still, the nationally No.4 ranked Pac-12 Champion, Cal, could surprise this week at the 2024 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships and earn a top-5 finish as a team, even if a top-10 finish is perhaps more likely.

Golden Bears are sending 15 swimmers to this meet hosted by the University of Georgia. In a rebounding year for the program from the scars of abusive coaching that also tainted its past achievements, this Cal team is more tight-knit than ever. Many of these Cal Bears chose to stay at Berkeley to continue their education and swimming career after the fiasco and entering the transfer portal. They were rewarded with an emotional Pac-12 team championship three weeks ago.

Given the proven track record of Director of Swimming and Diving Dave Durden with the men's team, the best for these Golden Bears may be coming this week. Cal men are infamous for dropping a significant amount of time between the Pac-12 and the NCAA. Of course, it is arguably easier for the men to improve on time just by shaving. Nonetheless, the emphasis all season long has got to be for a majority of the squad to peak this week.

The Virginia Cavaliers are expected to cruise to their 4th consecutive team title this week, but Cal should be in a tight battle against Pac-12 foes like Stanford and USC in the team standings. These teams are expected to finish just behind UVA and the expected runner-up battle between Texas and Florida. Stanford’s dominance of collegiate women’s swimming came right after the end of Cal’s. But with several key members graduating, taking an Olympic redshirt year, or worse such as transferring to Virginia (USA Olympic medallist Claire Curzan, who is taking the year off), Stanford has been overtaken by Virginia. Stanford’s pro group also took a big hit with Katie Ledecky moving to Florida to train for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Nonetheless, the near future ACC battles between Cal, Stanford, and Virginia should be fun.

Scoring the psych sheet, Cal is at 201 points just behind a two-way tie between USC and Stanford at 213.5 for 5th place. Remember that the psych sheet only factors in the 21 swimming events. USC will have two divers competing in three total events. Stanford will also have two divers competing in two events each for four chances to score points. Cal needs to improve upon their seeding to make up for that small projected difference and possibly a dozen or so diving points.

https://twitter.com/CalAthletics/status/1764739533852291187

Below is a complete list of Cal swimmers selected to compete at NCAAs, and the events in which each will participate:
 
Stephanie Akakabota - 50 freestyle
Morgan Brophy - 100 butterfly
Hannah Brunzell - 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke
Lizzy Cook - 200 butterfly
Kathryn Hazle - 400 individual medley
Alicia Henry - 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke
Abby Herscu - 200 breaststroke
Rachel Klinker - 200 butterfly, 500 freestyle
Mia Kragh - 100 butterfly
Mia Motekaitis - 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 200 backstroke
Jade Neser - 100 breaststroke
Leah Polonsky - 200 individual medley, 400 individual medley, 200 butterfly
Eloise Riley - 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle
Isabelle Stadden - 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke
McKenna Stone - 50 freestyle

The 15 swimmers will race in 24 events and all five relays.

National Championship contenders

Senior Isabelle Stadden will look to win that elusive first NCAA title in the two backstroke events. Stadden is the second seed in both the 100y Back behind NC State 5th-year senior Katharine Berkoff and 200y Back behind Florida freshman Bella Sims. The 200-yard backstroke is the better of the two chances for Stadden to touch the wall first.

Graduate student Rachel Klinker is the third seed in 200y Fly behind a pair of Texas swimmers (Emma Sticklen and Kelly Pash).

Both Stadden and Klinker have USA National Team experiences and are also seeking a first Olympic berth this summer. Stadden trained with the men’s team during the winter at the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado.

Only the top 16 finishers in the relays and individual events will score points. The top-8 of the morning’s prelims will make the evening’s A-Finals while the 9th-16th places will race in the B-Finals.

Other Cal swims that should score points include Leah Polonsky in 200 IM (6th) and 400 IM (10th), Mia Motekaitis in 200 Free (9th), and Mia Kragh in 100 Fly (10th).

Graduate transfer Hannah Brunzell from Northwestern had been a finalist in both breaststroke events at the NCAA. She is seeded 21st and 26th on the psych sheet for the 100y and 200y, respectively.

Almost all of the Cal contingent are upperclassmen including 7 juniors, 3 seniors, and 3 graduate students. Kathryn Hazle is the lone freshman who will race in 400 IM where she is seeded 18th, within striking distance of points. Breaststroker Abby Herscu is the only sophomore.

For the relays, the top Cal relay by seed is the 200y Medley relay to open the meet. Golden Bears are seeded 3rd there. Cal is seeded 8th in 800y Free, 12th in 200y Free, 6th in 400y Medley, and 12th in 400y Free.

A familiar name who could reach the top of the podium at this meet is Isabel Ivey. Ivey was Cal’s top performer at the NCAA until the Teri McKeever fiasco struck at two years ago at the end of the season. She opted to transfer to Florida but only after finishing her Cal degree (got to respect that) and sitting out the 2023 season. At her last meet as a Golden Bear at the 2022 NCAA Championships, Ivey was 2nd in 200y Free and 3rd in 200y IM as well as 13th in 100y Free. This year, Ivey is the second seed in 200y IM and 100y Free in addition to the third seed in 200y Free.

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
*All times listed in PST
March 20 — 3 p.m. Finals

• 200-yard Medley relay

• 800-yard Freestyle Relay

March 21 - 7 a.m. swim prelims / 9 a.m. dive prelims | 3 p.m. finals (2:15 p.m. diving consolation finals) 

• 500-yard Freestyle

• 200-yard Individual Medley

• 50-yard Freestyle

• One-meter Diving

• 200-yard freestyle relay

March 22 - 7 a.m. swim prelims / 9 a.m. dive prelims | 3 p.m. finals (2:15 p.m. diving consolation finals)

• 400-yard Individual Medley

• 100-yard Butterfly

• 200-yard Freestyle

• 100-yard Breaststroke

• 100-yard Backstroke

• Three-meter Diving

March 23 — 7 a.m. swim prelims / 9 a.m. dive prelims | 12:45 p.m. early heats of 1,650y free | 3 p.m. finals (2:15 p.m.diving consolation finals) 

• 200-yard Backstroke

• 100-yard Freestyle

• 200-yard Breaststroke

• 200-yard Butterfly

• Platform Diving

• 1,650-yard Freestyle

• 400-yard Freestyle Relay

ESPN+ will have live streams and fans can also find the results via the link below:

https://swimmeetresults.tech/NCAA-Division-I-Women-2024/

With the proper expectation, I am ready to be pleasantly surprised by the Cal performances this week. Best of luck to the Cal student-athletes!

We will have a recap of the meet this weekend. Cal Men's Swimming and Diving going for a three-peat at the NCAA next week will be a more exciting meet if you only care about championships, although Arizona State is a clear favorite there. We will preview that meet next week.