Cal Swimming and Diving wins three individual national championships at the NCAA
Cal Athletics extends national championships winning streak to 52 years (not counting the incomplete COVID interrupted 2019-20)
Spring (but itβs technically the championships for the NCAA winter season) has always been a bright spot for Cal Athletics. 2026 is no different.
While the California Golden Bears were not quite the usual threats in the team national title chases at the recent NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, the National Championship streak has been extended to 52 years, thanks to the three individual titles won in Atlanta. Dating back to the 1973-74 school year (but not counting the COVID-shortened 2019-20 school year), Cal Athletics has claimed at least one national title (team, individual, relay, doubles, boat) in every school year.
Better yet, the three titles were won by two underclassmen.
They were surrounded by other young Golden Bears that helped the women to 4th overall and men to 7th. Reminder that top-16 finishers earn team points with the A-Finalists being the top-8 finishers (and a trip on the podium).
Freshman Claire Weinstein already has the title of USA Olympic medalist (Silver in the 4x200m Relay at the 2024 Paris Games) before matriculating at Cal. She added NCAA national champion to her growing resume.
Weinstein pulled off a mild surprise of a victory in the 500y Freestyle.
With a time of 4:30.09, Claire Weinstein managed to beat her next best competitor, Texasβs Jillian Cox, by about 1.5 seconds.
Weinstein had finished second to Cox in the 1650y (aka the swimming mile) Freestyle earlier in the week. Her third individual event was an 8th place finish in the 200y Freestyle. She was also a part of the Cal 800y Free relay that finished 3rd and 400y Free relay that placed 4th. A very impresive NCAA debut for the Cal freshman.
Of course, Weinstein is just a part of the very strong freshman class that is expected to return the Golden Bears to team national contender status soon. Fellow freshman Teagan OβDell (200y IM runner-up, 400y IM 3rd place, 200y Back 6th place) was also brilliant. Annie Jia added a 5th place in 100y Fly. Ella Cosgrove scored a point by placing 16th in 500y Free. Other freshmen who made their NCAA debuts were Alexa McDevitt, Elle Scott, and Silje Slyngstadli.
The realistic hope is for these swimmers to duplicate the jump that sophomore Mia West made this season. West was a member of Cal NCAA relays in her freshman season but made a tremendous stride in her sophomore campaign, including winning the programβs first ACC title (200y IM which she didnβt swim at the NCAA). West placed 7th in 200y Free (ahead of Weinstein) and 3rd in 200y IM (just behind OβDell).
Fellow sophomore and French Olympian Mary-Ambre Moluh also had a strong meet by placing 4th in 100y Back, 12th in 50y Free, and 6th in 100y Free (setting a school record, which is impressive given Calβs history even if these swimming times are always getting shorter every year).
Another French Cal Olympian, graduate student Lilou Ressencourt concluded her Cal career with 14th in 100y Fly and 8th in 200y Fly.
Junior Ava Chavez also scored points with a 13th place in 200 IM.
On the menβs side, Cal does break their long streak of finishing in the top-2 as a team at the NCAA. This was expected given how much experience the Golden Bears lost to graduation from the squad that placed 2nd in 2025.
The dip should be just temporary given how much young talent are on the team.
Sophomore Yamato Okadome swept the two breaststroke events at the NCAA to highlight another strong week at the nationals for Cal. As a team, Cal earned 35 All-American honors (corresponding to events where Bears scored points by placing in the top-16).
Okadome won his first NCAA national title in the 100y Breast.
He followed it up with a second title in the 200y Breast.
Cal Menβs Swimming and Diving also got strong performances from their freshmen with the trio of Ryan Erisman (an up-and-comer on Team USA), Casper Puggaard (from Denmark), and Martin Wrede (from Germany) making immediate impacts. Erisman scored points in 400y IM (5th), 1650y Free (10th), and 500y Free (9th). Puggaard placed 16th in 200y Fly. Wrede earned 16th in 50y Fly.
Junior US Calympian Keaton Jones took 7th (200y Free) and 9th (200y Back). 5th year Evan Petty and sophomore Lucca Battaglini also earned points. Diver Joshua Thai concluded his Cal career by scoring points in his 3rd consecutive NCAA Championships: Thai placed 6th in platform diving.
After the NCAA, it was announced that Associate Head Coach David Marsh will be leaving the program to spend more time with his family on the East Coast (even though his wife is a Cal alum). Marsh stepped in for the Golden Bears when hen-assistant Chase Krietler took a paternity leave. His role expanded, especially on the womenβs side, due to the whole Terri McKeever scandal and the expansion of Dave Durdenβs role to oversee both programs. Marsh may be credited for tactic of Cal adding some of the more mature international swimmers (who also get a Cal graduate school certificate) by training and racing for the Bears.
Of course, the transfer portal has changed the game for all sports. Calβs freshman success in 2026 may or may not lead to further development and success at Cal.
Nonetheless, Cal Aquatics being one of the best funded programs in the country should ensure the short-term and long-term success of the two swimming and diving programs. With LA 2028 Games coming up soon, Cal should be able to add a few more impact scorers from the international scene in the next couple of years in addition to the steady pipeline of traditional student-athletes. That and the continue development of student-athletes already in Berkeley may make Golden Bears realistic national title contenders as soon as 2027.
GO BEARS!
Amazing! Go Cal, Go Bears!