For the 4th time in 7 years (2009, 2011, 2012, and 2015), the California Golden Bears are the queens of the pool!
After a strong morning prelim when they qualified the same number of swimmers as 2nd place Georgia, it was pretty much a lock that the Bears will leave Greensboro, NC with their 4th NCAA team championship title in program history.
Nevertheless, it was another fun night for the entire Cal team as a whole and their fans in making the Greensboro Aquatic Center into a BEAR TERRITORY!
List of NCAA Titles won in 2015
- 200 Free Relay - Kaylin Bing, Missy Franklin, Rachel Bootsma, and Farida Osman
- 200 IM - Missy Franklin
- 200 Medley Relay - Rachel Bootsma (back), Marina Garcia (breast), Noemie Thomas (fly), and Farida Osman (free)
- 200 Free - Missy Franklin (in record breaking time of 1:39)
- 100 Back - Rachel Bootsma
- 800 Free Relay - Cierra Runge, Camille Cheng, Elizabeth Pelton, and Missy Franklin
- 200 Back - Missy Franklin
How about those new national championship t-shirts! pic.twitter.com/Gcea6qnTLE
— Cal W Swim/Dive (@CalWSwim) March 22, 2015
All of those titles above and contribution throughout the entire roster of swimmers and one diver that have made the NCAA Championships lead to a program record high 513 points and the 2015 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving team title.
The scoreboard says it all. Bears with a school record 513 points! pic.twitter.com/VwFwRs8oPa
— Cal W Swim/Dive (@CalWSwim) March 22, 2015
While the focus is obviously and rightfully on this meet being the last collegiate one of Missy Franklin, the fact is that this entire meet has been one of redemption and meeting expectations for the entire squad. As Missy Franklin admitted in the video above, the Bears were bitter to have finished only 3rd in the nation in the 2014 meet after all the extra scrutiny on the team after Missy Franklin has matriculated at the University of California, Berkeley. Missy Franklin did make it one final collegiate meet to remember in claiming victories in all 3 of her individual events, particularly her record breaking 200 Free swim when she beat her own world record and became the first woman to go under the 1:40 mark with her 1:39. Missy was also a part of 2 of the 3 NCAA winning relays for the Bears and a part of every Cal relays other than the 200 medley relay (I believe it is a NCAA rule that no swimmer can be in all 5 relays).
Congrats to Coach of the Year @TeriMcKeever and Swimmer of the Year @FranklinMissy #GoBears pic.twitter.com/wqQEaELHP6
— GoldenBlogs (@GoldenBlogs) March 22, 2015
This title was won by more than just Missy Franklin, though.
Freshman Cierra Runge being able to pick up runner-up finishes in 500 Free and 1650 Free was huge, not to mention her contributions on the title winning 800 Free relay. Sophomore Farida Osman has really picked it up in the relays, willing the Bears to two relay wins (200 Free and 200 Medley) that would otherwise not been wins. Rachel Bootsma was able to recapture her 100 Back magic. If not for Missy Franklin's presence on the team, we would be talking about the NCAA titles won by Elizabeth Pelton in 200 IM (and maybe the 200 Back even though she didn't have a good swim there).
Here are the list of point scoring contributions by the entire team in this championship:
Rachael Acker - JR - 200 Free, 15th place
Kayling Bing - SR - 200 Free relay, 1st place; 100 Free, 14th place
Rachel Bootsma - JR - 200 Free relay, 1st place; 400 medley relay, 3rd place; 200 medley relay, 1st place; 100 Fly, 9th place; 100 Back, 1st place; 400 Free relay, 2nd place
Camille Cheng - SR - 200 Free, 9th place; 800 Free relay, 1st place; 400 Free relay, 2nd place
Missy Franklin - SO - 200 Free relay, 1st place; 200 IM, 1st place; 400 medley relay, 3rd place; 200 Free, 1st place; 800 Free relay, 1st place; 200 Back, 1st place; 400 Free relay, 2nd place
Marina Garcia - SO - 400 medley relay, 3rd place; 200 medley relay, 1st place; 200 Breast, 16th place
Melanie Klaren - SR - 500 Free, 16th place; 100 Back, 3rd place; 200 Back, 6th place;
Celina Li - SO - 200 IM, 6th place;
Jasmine Mau - FR - 100 Fly, 13th place; 200 Fly, 11th place
Kelly Naze - JR - 400 IM, 10th place
Farida Osman - SO - 200 Free relay, 1st place; 50 Free, 4th place; 400 medley relay, 3rd place; 200 medley relay, 1st place; 100 Fly, 4th place; 100 Free, 7th place; 400 Free relay, 2nd place
Elizabeth Pelton - JR - 200 IM, 2nd place; 100 Back, 5th place; 800 Free relay, 1st place; 200 Back, 7th place;
Caroline Piehl - SR - 200 IM, 10th place; 200 Free, 8th place;
Cierra Runge - FR - 500 Free, 2nd place; 200 Free, 4th place; 800 Free relay, 1st place; 1650 Free, 2nd place;
Noemie Thomas - FR - 200 medley relay, 1st place; 200 Fly, 7th place
Also on the NCAA squad:
Kristen Vredeveld - SO - lone Bears to not score points but she's still young
Eleanor Smart - SO - Platform Diving - finished 19th in the event just outside scoring
Congrats Cal Women's Swimming @CalWSwim, capturing 4th national title in 7 years! pic.twitter.com/rcA9aGYaGk http://t.co/mziijCfFic
— GoldenBlogs (@GoldenBlogs) March 22, 2015
By the Numbers:
For Cal Women's Swimming and Diving:
4th NCAA Team Championship in program history
61 all-time individual and relay titles: 44 individual title, 17 relay titles
For the University of California Athletics History
88th National Team Title (1st one since Rugby 7's in 2014, 1st NCAA one since Men's Swimming nearly an year ago)
170 individual titles
46 relay titles
14 tennis doubles titles
51 national champion boats in crew
Expect these numbers to only stay on the record book for just one week as more NCAA individual titles and maybe another NCAA team title are very plausible when the Cal men's swimming (and diving) swim at the NCAA Championship next weekend in Iowa City, Iowa.
ROLL ON YOU BEARS!
GO BEARS!