Alicia Wilson Swims 2:13 in 200 IM in Cal – UCSD Long Course Dual

Cal Women vs. UCSD Women (LCM)

• November 11th, 2019
• LCM (50m pool)
• San Diego, California
• Meet Results
  • Final Scores: Cal 138, UCSD 82 (Cal exhibitions kept the score artificially close)

Both Cal and UCSD had academic and administrative holidays on Monday in celebration of Veterans Day, and the women’s swimming programs took advantage of the day off to race an unusual Monday morning long course dual meet.

“I was happy with our performances today,” head coach Teri McKeever said. “Everyone got in 2-3 good long-course events, and I think we learned a lot after a good weekend with some ocean training and spending time together.”

There was a lot of good racing on the day, but the highlight was a 2:13.15 in the 200 IM from Cal’s Alicia Wilson, who was the World University Games gold medalist last summer representing Great Britain. Her splits:

• 28.54 fly, 33.80 back, 39.57 breast, 31.24 free

The back-half of her race was almost the same speed as when she won that World University Games gold medal in Naples.

With a number of Olympians and potential Olympians on the Cal roster, there were a number of highlight performances at the meet. Senior Abbey Weitzeil won the 50 free in 24.98 and the 100 free in 54.37, while also swimming a 1:03.94 in an off-event, the 100 fly.

The race-of-the-day came in the women’s 200 free, where sophomore Isabel Ivey and junior Robin Neumann were locked in a big battle. Ivey jumped out to a lead at the halfway mark and held that lead for most of the race, but in the waning meters, Neumann overtook her to win 2:00.22 to 2:00.27.

That was 1 of 2 wins for Neumann on the day. She also won the 400 free in 4:20.32.

Sophomore Ema Rajic swam the 3rd-best time of her career in the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:09.81. Her best time is just .19 seconds faster, and this is her first time sub-1:10 since the summer of 2017. Cal has had a hole in the breaststrokes for a few years now, but Rajic’s presence has stabilized that group a little for the Golden Bears.

Rajic finished 2nd in the 200 breaststroke in 2:34.69 behind UCSD freshman Katja Pavicevic, who gave the Tritons their only win of the day. The Canadian broke the school record in 2:31.16, beating out the old record of 2:34.51.

She was 1 of 2 school record breakers for UCSD on the day. Another freshman, Juli Arzave, broke the school records in both the 800 free (9:06.31) and the 400 free (4:25.88). Sophomore Ellie Whitney was also under the 800 free school record with a 9:15.95. She held the old record in that event with a 9:17.72 set this summer.

Cal’s next racing will come after Thanksgiving at the blockbuster Minnesota Invitational from December 4th-7th, while UCSD’s next swimming will be at the A3 Invite from November 22nd-24th.

Press Releases

Courtesy Cal Athletics:

SAN DIEGO – Taking a break from the collegiate distances to compete in long-course meters, Cal traveled to UC San Diego for a 12-event dual meet Monday. The Golden Bears won 11 events to earn a 138-82 victory over the Tritons.

Robin Neumann (200-meter free, 400-meter free) and Abbey Weitzeil (50-meter free, 100-meter free) claimed a pair of events each. In perhaps the most exciting race of the day, Neumann overtook Cal teammate Isabel Ivey down the stretch to win the 200 free by out-splitting her by half a second over the final 50 meters. Neumann touched in 2:00.22, while Ivey came in at 2:00.27. Neumann later won the 400 free in 4:20.32.

Weitzeil, the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials champion in the 50 and 100 free, earned victories in her two specialties, taking the 50 free in 24.98 and the 100 free in 54.37.

“I was happy with our performances today,” head coach Teri McKeever said. “Everyone got in 2-3 good long-course events, and I think we learned a lot after a good weekend with some ocean training and spending time together.”

Ema Rajic nearly set a personal-best in winning the 100 breast in 1:09.81, which was just 0.19 off her PR from 2017. However, she did break her PR during a runner-up finish in the 200 break when she was timed in 2:34.69. In addition, Ali Harrison made her 2020 Olympic Trials cut in the 100 breast with a runner-up time of 1:10.55.

Other winners for the Bears during the day were: Sara DiMeco (800 free, 8:51.10), Keaton Blovad (100 back, 1:01.73), Rachel Klinker (200 fly, 2:13.11), Courtney Mykkanen (200 back, 2:19.19) and Ivey (100 fly (1:00.97), Alicia Wilson, the 2019 World University Games gold-medalist in the 200 IM, won the event in 2:13.15.

Cal returns to short-course yards in three weeks for the Minnesota Invitational Dec. 4-6, then will have another long-course meet Dec. 7, also in Minneapolis.

Courtesy UCSD Athletics:

LA JOLLA, Calif. – The UC San Diego women’s swimming and diving team wrapped up a busy weekend racing against Cal at Canyonview Aquatic Center. The swimmers swam long course against the Bears. While today’s times do not qualify swimmers for NCAA’s, they can qualify swimmers for USA Swimming Open and Olympic Trials.

The Tritons raced well despite racing on short rest and going up against one of the top teams in the country. Ultimately, Cal came up on top with a score of 138-82.

The day opened up with Juli Arzave breaking a school record in the 800-meter freestyle with a time of 9:06.31. Ellie Whitney, who held the previous record, also swam under the record time with a time of 9:15.95. Arzave closed out the meet with another school record in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 4:25.88

Katja Pavicevic secured a US Open qualifying time in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:11.96. Pavicevic went on to win the Triton’s first event of the day in the 200-meter breaststroke with a school record and US Open qualifying time of 2:31.16. She wrapped up the day with her second school record and third US Open time in the 200-meter IM with a time of 2:20.27.

Jordan Phillips had an impressive swim in the 100-meter butterfly. Her time of 1:03.27 beat out a slew of Cal swimmers.

The Tritons have the week off before competing at the A3 invitation November 22-24 in Los Angeles.