Cal Women's Swimming and Diving are Pac-12 Champions! (for perpetuity?)

Golden Bears picked up four individuals, two from senior Isabelle Stadden, and one relay titles en route to a 6th Pac-12 championship as a team

As the Pac-12 conference winds down in its last year of existence, the Olympic sports that gave it "The Conference of Champions" nickname might be the most sentimental conference championships. The members of the Pac-12 have combined to win 17 of the 41 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships with Cal (4), Stanford (11), USC (1), and Arizona (1) having reigned supreme. While no team from the Pac-12 is expected to win the NCAA this year, the relative parity between Cal, Stanford, and USC made it a very interesting contest.

In the end, the recently reorganized Cal Swimming and Diving team used its depth to win the final Pac-12 team title. This was somehow only the 6th one in Cal program history. While the program has already signed a much-hyped class that will arrive in Berkeley for the 2026 season and be expected to win NCAA titles, this conference title was a huge crowning achievement for this squad, most of whom had to reaffirm their commitment to the program after the Teri McKeever scandal.

You love to see the excitement in the student-athletes for achieving this team goal of winning the Pac-12! The depth of the program was the difference maker for the Golden Bears.

At the end of 21 events competed over four days, Cal came out on top.

FINAL 2024 PAC-12 TEAM STANDINGS:

1. Cal 1397.5

2. USC 1291

3. Stanford 1283

4. UCLA 1089

5. ASU 990.5

6. Utah 628.5

7. Arizona 514

8. Washington State 498.5

While the Golden Bears only won five titles to USC's nine (8 swimming and. 1 diving) and Stanford's four, the depth of this team earned so many points from the B- and C- finals. A lot of these unsung heroines will not be racing at the NCAA, so this meet was their targeted peak.

https://twitter.com/CalWSwim/status/1764155879329603630

Congratulations to the entire Cal Women's Swimming and Diving team! 

https://twitter.com/CalWSwim/status/1764145463450820917

https://twitter.com/Pac12Network/status/1764144449620259311

I will highlight the five individual titles won by Cal Bears. These are, of course, won by the student-athletes who will be racing at the NCAA Championships in three weeks. They are not rested for this meet and will be expected to drop time and peak at the NCAA. These are also the potential 2024 Paris "Calympians".

200y Medley - Isabelle Stadden (backstroke), Jade Neser (breaststroke), Mia Kragh (butterfly), Stephanie Akakabota (freestyle)

Cal Bears won the meet opening event, the 200-yard medley relay. Isabelle Stadden, the Cal backstroke star who entered the transfer portal after the McKeever firing but then opted to come back, gave Cal the early lead. Jade Neser, in her second year at Cal after transferring from Arizona, was able to hold off USC in the breaststroke leg. Mia Kragh and Stephanie Akakabota were able to hold off the pre-meet favorites, the USC Trojans, and set a new Pac-12 record for this event.

The multi-talented Stephanie Akakbota talked to the Pac-12 Networks after the win. I did not know that she had performed at the Carnegie Hall multiple times as a tween.

100y Fly - Mia Kragh

Junior Mia Kragh won her first individual Pac-12 title with the 100-yard butterfly victory. Kragh had the top seed time coming into the meet, but this was arguably the most surprising Cal win of the week. She swam the 11th best time in the country in this win.

https://twitter.com/CalWSwim/status/1763757916505747499

https://twitter.com/CalWSwim/status/1763761346234257723

100y Back - Isabelle Stadden

Isabelle Stadden won her first Pac-12 100-yard backstroke title. Stadden was able to hold off Caroline Famous of USC in a close race.

https://twitter.com/CalWSwim/status/1763770195745943712

https://twitter.com/CalWSwim/status/1763773163010474330

200y Back - Isabelle Stadden

While Stadden winning the 100y Back was a bit of a surprise, there is much less suspense that she will again be the first to touch the wall in the 200-yard backstroke. She earned her 3rd career 200y Back Pac-12 title on Saturday night.

https://twitter.com/CalWSwim/status/1764122248041132194

Stadden in 200y Back is Cal's best chance at an NCAA individual title this year. She is still seeking her first NCAA title as she finished 3rd, 4th, and 3rd at the last few NCAA championships. She will certainly go faster when rested at the NCAA.

https://twitter.com/CalWSwim/status/1764135831126901136

200y Fly - Rachel Klinker

Graduate student Rachel Klinker won the 200-yard butterfly Pac-12 title for the second time in her collegiate career. Klinker had a great showing at the World Aquatic Championships in Qatar last month, but that was of course the long-course meter race like the Olympics (NCAA races are in short-course yard pools). 

https://twitter.com/CalWSwim/status/1764135487860851063

This was the last individual event of the meet.

https://twitter.com/CalWSwim/status/1764138891647549713

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Unlike the Cal women, the Cal Men's Swimming and Diving has a decent shot at the NCAA title, it would be a three-peat, although they will likely be considered the underdog to the Arizona State Sun Devils. Cal will not be at full strength for the men's Pac-12 championship next week, however.

Somewhat controversially particularly among many non-Cal commenters on SwimSwam, Dave Durden will have his top swimmers racing at a long-course meter event in Illinois instead. Jack Alexy, Dare Rose, Destin Lasco, and Gabriel Jett will all skip the Pac-12. Durden famously did this back in 2016 when Ryan Murphy, Josh Prenot, and Jacob Pebley all skipped the Pac-12. The move arguably paid off because that trio all became 2016 Rio "Calympians".

Nonetheless, there will be Cal Bears vying for individual Pac-12 titles next week, even if the Pac-12 team title is almost surely going to ASU. We will check back on the results of that meet at this time next week.

ROLL ON YOU BEARS!